Seasonal niche tracking of climate emerges at the population level in a migratory bird.

ABSTRACT: Seasonal animal migration is a widespread phenomenon. At the species level, it has been shown that many migratory animal species track similar climatic conditions throughout the year. However, it remains unclear whether such a niche tracking pattern is a direct consequence of individual behaviour or emerges at the population or species level through behavioural variability. Here, we estimated seasonal niche overlap and seasonal niche tracking at the individual and population level of central European white storks (Ciconia ciconia). We quantified niche tracking for both weather and climate conditions to control for the different spatio-temporal scales over which ecological processes may operate. Our results indicate that niche tracking is a bottom-up process. Individuals mainly track

SUBMITTER: Fandos G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7542805 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature