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Folders: ROOT > ScienceBase Catalog > National and Regional Climate Adaptation Science Centers > Midwest CASC > FY 2019 Projects > Managing and Promoting the Resiliency of Winter-Adapted Species to Climate Change ( Show direct descendants )

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_ScienceBase Catalog
__National and Regional Climate Adaptation Science Centers
___Midwest CASC
____FY 2019 Projects
_____Managing and Promoting the Resiliency of Winter-Adapted Species to Climate Change
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Our research focused on the conservation of ecologically and culturally important species – snowshoe hare and ruffed grouse – in relation to a changing winter climate. Our research continued a highly productive, long-term study at the Sandhill Wildlife Area, a state-owned property dedicated to wildlife conservation and actively managed for timber harvest. By conducting our research within an actively managed landscape, we identified those habitats in which climate-vulnerable species are capable of persisting. Our overarching hypothesis was that recent climate change (loss of snow cover) is exerting strong directional selection and inducing rapid phenotypic change on important prey species of northern forests, but...
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With shortening snow season duration, snowshoe hares are experiencing increased camouflage mismatch with their environment reducing survival. Phenological variation of hare molt at regional scales could facilitate local adaptation in the face of climate change, but the level of variation, especially along the southern range boundary, is unknown. Using a network of trail cameras and historical museum specimens, we (1) developed contemporary and historical molt phenology curves in the Upper Great Lakes region, USA.
Color polymorphism is an adaptive strategy in which a species exhibits multiple color phenotypes in a population. Often, phenotypes are variably suited to different environmental conditions which may buffer the population against variable conditions. Modern climate change is creating novel selective pressures for many species, especially in winter habitats. Few studies have quantified the benefits of polymorphism for allowing species to cope with climate-induced environmental change, particularly for species with more cryptic differences between morphs. We investigated how color polymorphism mediates selective pressures in ruffed grouse Bonasa umbellus, a winter-adapted bird species of North American forests. Ruffed...
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The snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus) possesses a broad suite of adaptations to winter, including a seasonal coat color molt. Recently, climate change has been implicated in the range contraction of snowshoe hares along the southern range boundary. With shortening snow season duration, snowshoe hares are experiencing increased camouflage mismatch with their environment reducing survival. Phenological variation of hare molt at regional scales could facilitate local adaptation in the face of climate change, but the level of variation, especially along the southern range boundary, is unknown. Using a network of trail cameras and historical museum specimens, we (1) developed contemporary and historical molt phenology...
Categories: Publication; Types: Citation
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Monitoring overwinter survival is valuable for understanding population dynamics of winter-adapted species. We quantified overwinter survival of Ruffed grouse (Bonasa umbellus) in Sandhill State Wildlife Area in Wisconsin using data from radio-collared birds. We used known fate survival models to quantify weekly survival across five winter seasons. This dataset includes encounter histories for each bird and individual covariate values for demographic information, weekly weather conditions, and land cover.


    map background search result map search result map Known Fate Encounter Histories of Overwintering Ruffed Grouse (Bonasa umbellus) in Sandhill Wildlife Area, Babcock, Wisconsin (2015 - 2022) Snowshoe Hare Molt Characteristics at Study Sites from Contemporary and Historical Museum Specimens Across Wisconsin, Michigan and Minnesota from 1898 - 2007 Known Fate Encounter Histories of Overwintering Ruffed Grouse (Bonasa umbellus) in Sandhill Wildlife Area, Babcock, Wisconsin (2015 - 2022) Snowshoe Hare Molt Characteristics at Study Sites from Contemporary and Historical Museum Specimens Across Wisconsin, Michigan and Minnesota from 1898 - 2007