A camera trap‐based assessment of climate‐driven phenotypic plasticity of seasonal moulting in an endangered carnivore
Abstract For many species, the ability to rapidly adapt to changes in seasonality is essential for long‐term survival. In the Arctic, seasonal moulting is a key life‐history event that provides year‐round camouflage and thermal protection. However, increased climatic variability of seasonal events c...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2023-04-01
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| Series: | Remote Sensing in Ecology and Conservation |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/rse2.304 |
| _version_ | 1797842338486157312 |
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| author | Lucie Laporte‐Devylder Kristine R. Ulvund Lars Rød‐Eriksen Ola Olsson Øystein Flagstad Arild Landa Nina E. Eide Craig R. Jackson |
| author_facet | Lucie Laporte‐Devylder Kristine R. Ulvund Lars Rød‐Eriksen Ola Olsson Øystein Flagstad Arild Landa Nina E. Eide Craig R. Jackson |
| author_sort | Lucie Laporte‐Devylder |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract For many species, the ability to rapidly adapt to changes in seasonality is essential for long‐term survival. In the Arctic, seasonal moulting is a key life‐history event that provides year‐round camouflage and thermal protection. However, increased climatic variability of seasonal events can lead to phenological mismatch. In this study, we investigated whether winter‐white (white morph) and winter‐brown (blue morph) Arctic foxes (Vulpes lagopus) could adjust their winter‐to‐summer moult to match local environmental conditions. We used camera trap images spanning an eight‐year period to quantify the timing and rate of fur change in a polymorphic subpopulation in south‐central Norway. Seasonal snow cover duration and temperature governed the phenology of the spring moult. We observed a later onset and longer moulting duration with decreasing temperature and longer snow season. Additionally, white foxes moulted earlier than blue in years with shorter periods of snow cover and warmer temperatures. These results suggest that phenotypic plasticity allows Arctic foxes to modulate the timing and rate of their spring moult as snow conditions and temperatures fluctuate. With the Arctic warming at an unprecedented rate, understanding the capacity of polar species to physiologically adapt to a changing environment is urgently needed in order to develop adaptive conservation efforts. Moreover, we provide the first evidence for variations in the moulting phenology of blue and white Arctic foxes. Our study underlines the different intraspecific selective pressures that can exist in populations where several morphs co‐occur, and illustrates the importance of integrating morph‐based differences in future management strategies of such polymorphic species. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-09T16:46:16Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d54e7fb614bc499c984f461cb051186a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2056-3485 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-09T16:46:16Z |
| publishDate | 2023-04-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Remote Sensing in Ecology and Conservation |
| spelling | doaj.art-d54e7fb614bc499c984f461cb051186a2023-04-22T17:18:04ZengWileyRemote Sensing in Ecology and Conservation2056-34852023-04-019221022110.1002/rse2.304A camera trap‐based assessment of climate‐driven phenotypic plasticity of seasonal moulting in an endangered carnivoreLucie Laporte‐Devylder0Kristine R. Ulvund1Lars Rød‐Eriksen2Ola Olsson3Øystein Flagstad4Arild Landa5Nina E. Eide6Craig R. Jackson7Department of Terrestrial Ecology Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA) 7485 Trondheim NorwayDepartment of Terrestrial Ecology Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA) 7485 Trondheim NorwayDepartment of Terrestrial Ecology Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA) 7485 Trondheim NorwayDepartment of Biology Lund University Ecology Building 22362 Lund SwedenDepartment of Terrestrial Ecology Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA) 7485 Trondheim NorwayNorwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA) 5006 Bergen NorwayDepartment of Terrestrial Ecology Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA) 7485 Trondheim NorwayDepartment of Terrestrial Ecology Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA) 7485 Trondheim NorwayAbstract For many species, the ability to rapidly adapt to changes in seasonality is essential for long‐term survival. In the Arctic, seasonal moulting is a key life‐history event that provides year‐round camouflage and thermal protection. However, increased climatic variability of seasonal events can lead to phenological mismatch. In this study, we investigated whether winter‐white (white morph) and winter‐brown (blue morph) Arctic foxes (Vulpes lagopus) could adjust their winter‐to‐summer moult to match local environmental conditions. We used camera trap images spanning an eight‐year period to quantify the timing and rate of fur change in a polymorphic subpopulation in south‐central Norway. Seasonal snow cover duration and temperature governed the phenology of the spring moult. We observed a later onset and longer moulting duration with decreasing temperature and longer snow season. Additionally, white foxes moulted earlier than blue in years with shorter periods of snow cover and warmer temperatures. These results suggest that phenotypic plasticity allows Arctic foxes to modulate the timing and rate of their spring moult as snow conditions and temperatures fluctuate. With the Arctic warming at an unprecedented rate, understanding the capacity of polar species to physiologically adapt to a changing environment is urgently needed in order to develop adaptive conservation efforts. Moreover, we provide the first evidence for variations in the moulting phenology of blue and white Arctic foxes. Our study underlines the different intraspecific selective pressures that can exist in populations where several morphs co‐occur, and illustrates the importance of integrating morph‐based differences in future management strategies of such polymorphic species.https://doi.org/10.1002/rse2.304camera trappingcamouflageclimate changecolour polymorphismphenological mismatchphenotypic plasticity |
| spellingShingle | Lucie Laporte‐Devylder Kristine R. Ulvund Lars Rød‐Eriksen Ola Olsson Øystein Flagstad Arild Landa Nina E. Eide Craig R. Jackson A camera trap‐based assessment of climate‐driven phenotypic plasticity of seasonal moulting in an endangered carnivore Remote Sensing in Ecology and Conservation camera trapping camouflage climate change colour polymorphism phenological mismatch phenotypic plasticity |
| title | A camera trap‐based assessment of climate‐driven phenotypic plasticity of seasonal moulting in an endangered carnivore |
| title_full | A camera trap‐based assessment of climate‐driven phenotypic plasticity of seasonal moulting in an endangered carnivore |
| title_fullStr | A camera trap‐based assessment of climate‐driven phenotypic plasticity of seasonal moulting in an endangered carnivore |
| title_full_unstemmed | A camera trap‐based assessment of climate‐driven phenotypic plasticity of seasonal moulting in an endangered carnivore |
| title_short | A camera trap‐based assessment of climate‐driven phenotypic plasticity of seasonal moulting in an endangered carnivore |
| title_sort | camera trap based assessment of climate driven phenotypic plasticity of seasonal moulting in an endangered carnivore |
| topic | camera trapping camouflage climate change colour polymorphism phenological mismatch phenotypic plasticity |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/rse2.304 |
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