Matching productivity to resource availability in a small predator, the stoat (Mustela erminea)

Simple item page
dc.contributor.authorKing, Carolyn M.
dc.contributor.authorWhite, Piran C.L.
dc.contributor.authorPurdey, Barry
dc.date.accessioned2008-11-16T22:31:05Z
dc.date.available2008-11-16T22:31:05Z
dc.date.issued2003-04
dc.description.abstractStoats (Mustela erminea), introduced to New Zealand in the late nineteenth century, are common in New Zealand beech (Nothofagus sp.) forests, where populations of feral house mice (Mus musculus) fluctuate between years much as voles do in the northern hemisphere. We present new field evidence and two models demonstrating (i) a strong correlation between density indices for young stoats in summer and for mice in the previous spring, and (ii) a significant linear relationship between productivity per female and spring density of mice up to 25 mice captures per 100 trap-nights. These models confirm that short-lived small mustelid predators dependent on fluctuating populations of prey have evolved means of matching their productivity to the prospects of success across a wide range, from total failure in rodent crash years to >12 independent young per female in rodent peak years. We suggest that the enhanced reproductive success of female stoats when rodents are abundant is due to a combination of critical improvements in both the reproductive physiology and the foraging behaviour of female stoats in rodent peak years. Conversely, a drastic shortage of rodents increases the mortality of embryos and nestlings, while the adult females are able to survive, and even remain relatively fat, on other foods.en_US
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdf
dc.identifier.citationKing, C. M., White, P. C. L., Purdey, D. C. & Lawrence, B. (2003). Matching productivity to resource availability in a small predator, the stoat (Mustela erminea). Canadian Journal of Zoology, 81(4), 662- 669.en_US
dc.identifier.doi10.1139/Z03-042en_US
dc.identifier.issn00084301
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10289/1351
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherN R C Research Pressen_NZ
dc.relation.isPartOfCanadian Journal of Zoologyen_NZ
dc.relation.urihttp://ezproxy.waikato.ac.nz/login?url=?did=353301121&sid=3&Fmt=2&clientId=8119&RQT=309en_US
dc.rightsThis article has been published in the journal: Canadian Journal of Zoology. Copyright 2003 NRC Canada.en_US
dc.titleMatching productivity to resource availability in a small predator, the stoat (Mustela erminea)en_US
dc.typeJournal Articleen_US
pubs.begin-page662en_NZ
pubs.editionAprilen_NZ
pubs.elements-id29246
pubs.end-page669en_NZ
pubs.issue4en_NZ
pubs.volume81en_NZ
Files
Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
Matching Pro.pdf
Size:
1.97 MB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Thumbnail Image
Name: Matching Pro.pdf
Size: 1.97 MB
Kind: Adobe PDF
License bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
No Thumbnail Available
Name:
license.txt
Size:
1.8 KB
Format:
Item-specific license agreed upon to submission
Description:
Name: license.txt
Size: 1.8 KB
Kind: License
Collections
Science and Engineering Papers