Mismatches between breeding phenology and resource abundance of resident alpine ptarmigan negatively affect chick survival.

ABSTRACT: Phenological mismatches-defined here as the difference in reproductive timing of an individual relative to the availability of its food resources-occur in many avian species. Mistiming breeding activities in environments with constrained breeding windows may have severe fitness costs due to reduced opportunities for repeated breeding attempts. Therefore, species occurring in alpine environments may be particularly vulnerable.We studied fitness consequences of timing of breeding in an alpine-endemic species, the white-tailed ptarmigan (Lagopus leucura), to investigate its influence on chick survival. We estimated phenological mismatch by measuring plant and arthropods used by ptarmigan in relation to their timing of breeding.We monitored 120 nests and 67 broods over a three-year peri

SUBMITTER: Wann GT 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6662402 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature