Is climate change affecting wolf populations in the high Arctic?
January 1, 2004
Global climate change may affect wolves in Canada's High Arctic (80° N) acting through three trophic levels (vegetation, herbivores, and wolves). A wolf pack dependent on muskoxen and arctic hares in the Eureka area of Ellesmere Island denned and produced pups most years from at least 1986 through 1997. However when summer snow covered vegetation in 1997 and 2000 for the first time since records were kept, halving the herbivore nutrition-replenishment period, muskox and hare numbers dropped drastically, and the area stopped supporting denning wolves through 2003. The unusual weather triggering these events was consistent with global-climate-change phenomena.
Citation Information
Publication Year | 2004 |
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Title | Is climate change affecting wolf populations in the high Arctic? |
DOI | 10.1007/S10584-004-7093-Z |
Authors | L. D. Mech |
Publication Type | Article |
Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
Series Title | Climatic Change |
Index ID | 1016598 |
Record Source | USGS Publications Warehouse |
USGS Organization | Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center |