Contrasting seasonal effects of climate change influence density in a cold-adapted species.

ABSTRACT: Many ecological processes are profoundly influenced by abiotic factors, such as temperature and snow. However, despite strong evidence linking shifts in these ecological processes to corresponding shifts in abiotic factors driven by climate change, the mechanisms connecting population size to season-specific climate drivers are little understood. Using a 21-year dataset and a Bayesian state space model, we identified biologically informed seasonal climate covariates that influenced densities of snowshoe hares (Lepus americanus), a cold-adapted boreal herbivore. We found that snow and temperature had strong but conflicting season-dependent effects. Reduced snow duration in spring and fall and warmer summers were associated with lowered hare density, whereas warmer winters were associated wi

SUBMITTER: Kumar AV 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9804553 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature