Final Report: Managing and Promoting the Resiliency of Winter-Adapted Species to Climate Change
Dates
Publication Date
2023-10-31
Acquisition
2023-08-01
Summary
Our research focused on the conservation of ecologically and culturally important species – snowshoe hare and ruffed grouse – in relation to a changing winter climate. Our research continued a highly productive, long-term study at the Sandhill Wildlife Area, a state-owned property dedicated to wildlife conservation and actively managed for timber harvest. By conducting our research within an actively managed landscape, we identified those habitats in which climate-vulnerable species are capable of persisting. Our overarching hypothesis was that recent climate change (loss of snow cover) is exerting strong directional selection and inducing rapid phenotypic change on important prey species of northern forests, but these climate-induced [...]
Summary
Our research focused on the conservation of ecologically and culturally important species – snowshoe hare and ruffed grouse – in relation to a changing winter climate. Our research continued a highly productive, long-term study at the Sandhill Wildlife Area, a state-owned property dedicated to wildlife conservation and actively managed for timber harvest. By conducting our research within an actively managed landscape, we identified those habitats in which climate-vulnerable species are capable of persisting. Our overarching hypothesis was that recent climate change (loss of snow cover) is exerting strong directional selection and inducing rapid phenotypic change on important prey species of northern forests, but these climate-induced selection pressures can be buffered through adaptation strategies such as experimental translocation and habitat management. Our objectives were to 1) identify climate-resilient phenotypes by documenting the timing of seasonal coat color change for snowshoe hares and color phases for ruffed grouse across a latitudinal gradient; 2) compare long-term changes in phenotypic variation for both hares and grouse using museum specimen records collected across the Upper Midwest; 3) identify the phenotypic characteristics of snowshoe hares that survived a recent experimental translocation; 4) quantify the impacts of forest management in reducing the costs of phenotypic mismatch in relation to snow cover loss; and 5) organize meetings for tribal, federal, and state partners to identify tactics for managing winter-adapted species.
