Effects of climate variation on the breeding ecology of Arctic shorebirds

• DOI: 10.7146/mogbiosci.v59.142631
• Publication Date: 2024-01-04T13:37:03Z
• Authors: Hans Meltofte; Theunis Piersma; Hugh Boyd; Brian McCaffery,; Barbara Ganter; Viktor V. Golovnyuk; Katherine Graham; Cheri L. Gratto-T...; R.I.G. Morrison; Erica Nol; Hans-Ulrich Rösner; Douglas Schamel; Hans Schekkerman; Mikhail Y. Soloviev; Pavel S. Tomkovich; Diane M. Tracy; Ingrid Tulp; Liv Wennerberg
• Keywords: Subarctic climate; Snowmelt; Avian clutch size; Overwintering; Arctic ecology

About 50 species of shorebirds breed in the Arctic, where they constitute most characteristic component tundra avifauna. Here, we review impact weather and climate on breeding cycle based extensive studies conducted across Arctic. Conditions for are highly variable among species, sites regions, both within between continents.
 Weather effects moderate Low Arctic northern Europe extreme Siberian High The decision whether or not to upon arrival grounds, timing egg-laying chick-growth period affected by annual variation weather. In large parts clutch initiation dates correlated with snowmelt regions years occurs before soon after shorebirds, appear be a function food availability laying females. Once incubation is initiated, adult fairly resilient variations temperature nest abandonment primarily occurring case severe new snow covering ground. Feeding conditions chicks, factor influenced weather, affects juvenile production regions.
 Predation has very strong productivity throughout subarctic, lemming Dicrostonyx spp. Lemmus fluctuations strongly influencing predation rates, particularly Arctic.
 fate under projected future scenarios uncertain, but populations at risk. Climatic amelioration may benefit short term increasing survival productivity, whereas long habitat changes grounds temperate tropical non-breeding areas put them considerable pressure bring some near extinction. Their relatively low genetic diversity, which thought consequence through past climatically-driven population bottlenecks, also more risk anthropogenic-induced than other avian taxa.