Snow cover related camouflage mismatch decreases survival

Otte, Pieter (2022) Snow cover related camouflage mismatch decreases survival. Master's Research Project 2, Ecology and Evolution.

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Abstract

Climate change is expected to decrease winter severity at high latitudes. Several mammalian and avian species in the northern hemisphere express a seasonal colour coat (SCC) making them white in winter periods and brown or dark in summer. Reduced number of snow-covered days causes an increasing camouflage mismatch between the white coat of animals expressing SCC and their winter background. Despite some observed species plasticity in timing of moulting, climate change is occurring at such a rate that plasticity is thought to be insufficient to cope with the changing environment. In this study, decoys were used to assess the difference in detection by predators between mismatched and matched decoys. I found that mismatched decoys attracted more predators in comparison to matched decoys. Survival probability of mismatched decoys decreased more rapid than matched decoys. These results suggest that the decline of populations expressing SCC could indeed be caused by decreased survival due to mismatching camouflage. If adaptation, either morphological or behavioural, is not able to keep up with the rapidly changing environment, species expressing SCC will undergo increased predation pressure potentially causing rapid population declines.

Item Type:	Thesis (Master's Research Project 2)
Supervisor name:	Smit, C.
Degree programme:	Ecology and Evolution
Thesis type:	Master's Research Project 2
Language:	English
Date Deposited:	15 Aug 2022 09:26
Last Modified:	15 Aug 2022 09:26
URI:	https://fse.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/28340

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