| 1. |
|
|
| 2. |
|
|
| 3. |
|
|
| 4. |
|
|
| 5. |
|
|
| 6. |
- Dalén, Love, et al.
(författare)
-
DNA analysis on fox faeces and competition induced niche shifts
- 2004
-
Ingår i: Molecular Ecology. - 0962-1083 .- 1365-294X. ; 13:8, s. 2389-2392
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Interference competition can force inferior competitors to change their distribution patterns. It is, however, possible that the dominant competitor poses a higher threat during certain times of the year, for example during reproduction. In such cases, the inferior competitor is expected to change its distribution accordingly. We used a molecular species identification method on faeces to investigate how the spatial overlap between arctic and red foxes changes between seasons. The results show that arctic and red foxes are sympatric during winter, but allopatric in summer as arctic foxes retreat to higher altitudes further from the tree-line during the breeding season
|
|
| 7. |
- Dalerum, Fredrik, et al.
(författare)
-
Distribution, morphology and use of arctic fox dens in Sweden
- 2002
-
Ingår i: Wildlife Biology. ; 8:3, s. 185-192
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Seventy-seven arctic fox dens in Vindelfjällen, Northern Sweden, are described with regard to distribution, morphology and fox use. The density of dens in the area was 1 den / 21 km2 and dens were more spaced than random. The dens were situated at a mean altitude ( sd) of 915 74 m.a.s.l., were on average 3.5 1.88 km from nearest tree line, had a mean number of 44 32 den openings and a mean area of 277 237 m2. During the 21 year study period, 31 dens were used by arctic foxes and 10 by red foxes. Number of den openings, den area, altitude and distance to nearest tree line explained 36 % of arctic fox den use (p < 0.001) and 21 % of red foxes use of arctic fox dens during the study period (p = 0.01). Arctic foxes used dens at higher altitude (p = 0.03) and further away from forest than red foxes did (p = 0.03), and tended to breed in dens with more den openings (p = 0.08). Arctic foxes used some breeding dens more frequently than others (p = 0.002). Among the breeding dens, both den use and litter size were positively related to den area (den use: p = 0.04; litter size: p < 0.001). Successful breeding dens for arctic foxes in Sweden thus appear to be characterised by large size and many openings, and they are situated far away from forest at relatively high altitudes.
|
|
| 8. |
- Elmhagen, Bodil, et al.
(författare)
-
Food-niche overlap between arctic and red foxes
- 2002
-
Ingår i: Canadian Journal of Zoology. - 0008-4301 .- 1480-3283. ; 80, s. 1274-1285
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Arctic foxes (Alopex lagopus) in Fennoscandia have retreated to higher altitudes on the mountain tundra, possibly because of increased competition with red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) at lower altitudes. In this study we compare summer food niches of the two species in mountain tundra habitat. Arctic foxes consumed lemmings more often than red foxes did, while red foxes consumed field voles and birds more often. Yet despite substantial variation in the diet of each species among summers, food-niche overlaps between the species were consistently high in most summers, as arctic and red foxes responded similarly to temporal changes in prey availability. Occurrences of field voles and birds in fox scats were negatively Correlated with altitude, while the occurrences of lemmings tended to increase with altitude. Since arctic foxes bred at higher altitudes than red foxes, the differences between arctic and red fox diets were better explained by altitudinal segregation than by differences between their fundamental food niches. Arctic foxes should therefore endeavour to use the more productive hunting grounds at the lower altitudes of their former range, but interference competition with red foxes might decrease their access to these areas, and consequently cause a decrease in the size of in their realised niche.
|
|
| 9. |
- Elmhagen, Bodil, 1973-
(författare)
-
Interference competition between arctic and red foxes.
- 2003
-
Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- In this thesis, I investigate the relationship between arctic foxes Alopex lagopus and red foxes Vulpes vulpes in Swedish mountain tundra habitat (fjällen). The arctic fox population was severely reduced by hunting in the early 20th century. It has not recovered despite protection since 1928 and it is endangered, while the red fox population increased in 1930-1960.I found a high food niche overlap between arctic and red foxes and they responded similarly to changes in the prey base, indicating similar prey preferences. Hence, arctic and red foxes should compete for the same territories; more precisely the ones in low altitude areas close to the tree-line where prey abundance is relatively high. In the 19th century, arctic foxes bred in all tundra habitats. An analysis of present den use showed that arctic foxes have retreated to higher altitudes as they rarely used the lower parts of their former range. Instead, red foxes did. Arctic foxes were highly dependent on the availability of Norwegian lemmings Lemmus lemmus for reproduction, while red foxes at lower altitudes had better access to alternative prey.Interference competition imply that there are behavioural interactions between competing species, e.g. fighting or predation, but interactions can also be more subtle and imply that inferior species avoid encounters with stronger competitors by changing their habitat use. Red foxes are larger than arctic foxes. Hence, they have an advantage in direct fights and arctic foxes may either be driven away from their dens when red foxes establish in the vicinity, or they avoid habitats where they risk encounters with red foxes. I found that arctic foxes almost exclusively used dens situated farther than 8 km from inhabited red fox dens. In two out of three cases when they bred closer to red foxes, there was red fox predation on arctic fox cubs. Further, simulations of arctic fox avoidance of areas surrounding inhabited red fox dens in a spatially explicit population model, indicated that relatively small numbers of red foxes might have a large impact on arctic fox population size and distribution.Thus, the results of this thesis indicate that interference competition with red foxes has hampered arctic fox recovery after the initial population decline, by causing a substantial reduction in arctic fox habitat. Further, red foxes have taken over the most productive areas and remaining arctic fox habitats is of such low quality that it is uncertain whether it can maintain even a small arctic fox population.
|
|
| 10. |
|
|
