Publication Date:
2003-11-01
Description:
The collared lemming in the high-Arctic tundra in Greenland is preyed upon by four species of predators that show marked differences in the numbers of lemmings each consumes and in the dependence of their dynamics on lemming density. A predator prey model based on the field-estimated predator responses robustly predicts 4-year periodicity in lemming dynamics, in agreement with long-term empirical data. There is no indication in the field that food or space limits lemming population growth, nor is there need in the model to consider those factors. The cyclic dynamics are driven by a 1-year delay in the numerical response of the stoat and stabilized by strongly density-dependent predation by the arctic fox, the snowy owl, and the long-tailed skua.〈br /〉〈span class="detail_caption"〉Notes: 〈/span〉Gilg, Olivier -- Hanski, Ilkka -- Sittler, Benoit -- New York, N.Y. -- Science. 2003 Oct 31;302(5646):866-8.〈br /〉〈span class="detail_caption"〉Author address: 〈/span〉Department of Ecology and Systematics, Division of Population Biology, Post Office Box 65, 00014 University of Helsinki, Finland. olivier.gilg@libertysurf.fr〈br /〉〈span class="detail_caption"〉Record origin:〈/span〉 〈a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14593179" target="_blank"〉PubMed〈/a〉
Keywords:
Animals
;
Arvicolinae/growth & development/*physiology
;
Birds/*physiology
;
Carnivora/*physiology
;
*Ecosystem
;
Female
;
Foxes/physiology
;
Greenland
;
Male
;
Models, Biological
;
Population Density
;
Population Dynamics
;
*Predatory Behavior
;
Seasons
;
Strigiformes/physiology
Print ISSN:
0036-8075
Electronic ISSN:
1095-9203
Topics:
Biology
,
Chemistry and Pharmacology
,
Computer Science
,
Medicine
,
Natural Sciences in General
,
Physics
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