Vegetation biomass and topography are associated with seasonal habitat selection and fall translocation behavior in Arctic hares

• DOI: 10.1007/s00442-024-05534-x
• Publication Date: 2024-03-30T09:01:43Z
• Authors: Ludovic Landry-Du...; Sandra Lai; François Vézina; Andrew Tam; Dominique Berteaux
• Keywords: Elevation (ballistics)

Abstract Habitat selection theory suggests that environmental features selected at coarse scales reveal fundamental factors affecting animal fitness. When these vary across seasons, they may lead to large-scale movements, including long-distance seasonal migrations. We analyzed the habitat of 25 satellite-tracked Arctic hares from a population on Ellesmere Island (Nunavut, Canada) relocated over 100 km in fall. Since no other lagomorph is known perform such extensive this offered an ideal setting test movement and theory. On summer grounds low elevation areas, while winter high vegetation biomass, elevation, steep slopes. During fall relocation, alternated between stopover traveling behavioral states (ratio 2:1). Stopover locations were characterized by higher heterogeneity lower rugosity than locations, biomass interacted explain more complex way. The combination thus varied seasons states, way broadly consistent with predictions based changing food safety needs hares. Although causality was not demonstrated, our results improve understanding movements hares, as well herbivore ecology polar desert. Results also provide strong support theory, showing how some important hypotheses hold when tested species phylogenetically distinct most models used research field.