Nestling growth rates in relation to food abundance and weather in the Arctic

摘要: ABSTRACT Raising nestlings to fledging is energetically demanding for songbirds, requiring parents balance several major tradeoffs. Nestling growth rates are highly susceptible variation in environmental conditions and parental investment, variable environments with short breeding seasons such as the Arctic magnify these Arctic-nesting passerines provide a good model system which explore within between species regard timing of clutch initiation. Here we investigated interannual interspecies nestling mass gain 2 Arctic-breeding passerine, Gambel's White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys gambelii) Lapland Longspur (Calcarius lapponicus), across years. The period 2014 was both colder (with lower minimum maximum temperatures) wetter 73% more rainfall) than 2013. Arthropod biomass also reduced shrub tundra compared 2013....