Long-term monitoring reveals topographical features and vegetation that explain winter habitat use of an Arctic rodent

Abstract

The quality of wintering habitats, such as depth of snow cover, plays a key role in sustaining population dynamics of Arctic lemmings. However, few studies so far investigated habitat use during the Arctic winter. Here, we used a unique long-term time series to test whether lemmings are associated with topographical and vegetational habitat features for their wintering sites. We examined yearly numbers and distribution of 22 769 winter nests of the collared lemming Dicrostonyx groenlandicus (Traill, 1823) from an ongoing long-term research on Traill Island, Northeast Greenland, collected between 1989 and 2019, and correlated this information with data on dominant vegetation types, elevation, and slope. We found that the number of lemming nests was highest in areas with a high proportion of Dryas heath, but was also correlated with other vegetation types, suggesting some flexibility in resource use of wintering lemmings. Furthermore, lemmings showed a higher use for sloped terrain, probably as it enhances the formation of deep snow drifts, which increases the insulative characteristics of the snowpack and protection from predators. With global warming, prime lemming winter habitats may become scarce through alteration of snow physical properties, potentially resulting in negative consequence for the whole community of terrestrial vertebrates.