Integrating microclimatic variation in phenological responses to climate change: A 28‐year study in a hibernating mammal

Ecosphere

Amy L. Skibiel¹  Peter Neuhaus²  David Broussard³  Anouch Tamian⁴  Claire Saraux⁴  Vincent A. Viblanc⁴  F. Stephen Dobson⁴  Tracey L. Hammer⁴  Anna P. Nesterova⁵  Nandini Rajamani⁶  Shirley Raveh⁷  Theodore G. Manno⁸ 

[1] Department of Animal, Veterinary and Food Sciences University of Idaho Moscow Idaho USA;Department of Biological Sciences University of Calgary Calgary Canada;Department of Biology Lycoming College Williamsport Pennsylvania USA;Département Ecologie, Physiologie et Ethologie Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien, CNRS Strasbourg France;FaunaStats Schiltigheim France;Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Tirupati Andhra Pradesh India;Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine University of Glasgow Glasgow UK;Science Department Catalina Foothills High School Tucson Arizona USA;

关键词: climate variability;    exogenous effects;    hibernation;    microclimate model;    phenology;    snow cover;   

DOI  :  10.1002/ecs2.4059

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Abstract Phenological shifts associated with directional changes in climate, resulting in earlier spring activities, have been documented in several animal species. However, the extent to which species respond to overall climate change versus local climate variation is rarely studied. In addition, climate data are usually averaged over large spatial scales, even though local heterogeneity in habitats may be high, and species might be more susceptible to changes in local rather than global climate conditions. In this study, we examined the effects of spatiotemporal climate variation and climate change on the phenology of a hibernating mountain rodent, the Columbian ground squirrel (Urocitellus columbianus). Over 28 years of research (1992–2019), we studied the relationship between the microclimatic conditions experienced by adult and juvenile ground squirrels from four neighboring meadows, and their dates of emergence from hibernation. We used a microclimate model to calculate microclimate variables (local snow depth, soil temperature, air temperature, wind speed, and humidity) at an hourly scale, a 5‐m spatial resolution, and at animal height on the study sites over 28 years. Emergence dates varied with age and sex, among years, as well as among and within meadows, with some areas averaging up to 10 days earlier emergence dates from hibernation than others. While emergence dates tended to be delayed throughout the study period, long‐term temporal changes and interannual variability in emergence dates differed among meadows and depended on individual age and sex. Dates of hibernation emergence were correlated with local climate variables considered either during hibernation or during the preceding summer. Ground squirrels emerged earlier in years or at locations when/where snow melted earlier (years: all individuals excluding 2‐year‐old males, locations: yearlings and older females), and when the previous summer was less windy (≥3‐year‐old individuals) and more humid (2‐year‐old males). Two‐year‐old male ground squirrels also emerged later in locations where snow depth during winter was higher. Using a microclimate model allowed realistic predictions of phenological responses to climate, highlighting its potential for research on animal responses to abiotic change.

【 授权许可】

Unknown