Trophic Mismatch and Its Consequences for Dynamics of an Arctic Herbivore

Scientists from Pennsylvania State University and the University of California Santa Cruz have been funded to investigate the phenomenon of trophic mismatch in the relationship between caribou and their plant food. The timing of key life history events is matched to the seasonal timing of food availability and quality in the Arctic. As the timing of plant emergence and growth shifts in response to climate change, the seasonal cycle of caribou - constrained by other seasonal events - will be challenged. The investigation of such seasonal dynamics in caribou ecology will be broadly applicable to other components of the Arctic biota. The timing of calving will be investigated in Greenland in a site near Kangerlussuaq where the PI has a long term record of caribou calving and plant growth. The consequences of mismatch will be explored in population models.