Phenological tracking associated with increased salmon consumption by brown bears

摘要: There is growing interest in the ecological significance of phenological diversity, particularly how spatially variable resource phenologies (i.e. waves) prolong foraging opportunities for mobile consumers. While there accumulating evidence consumers moving across landscapes to surf waves, little data quantifying tracking influences consumption due challenge documenting all components this phenomenon (i.e., variation, consumer movement, consumption, and fitness). We examined space use GPS collared female brown bears quantify exploitation a salmon wave by individual bears. then estimated levels same individuals using stable isotope mercury analyses hair. found strong positive relationships between time spent on streams percent assimilated diets (R2 = 0.70) mass consumed (R2 = 0.49). Salmon abundance varied 2.5-fold study years, yet accounting did not improve models. Resource generally viewed as key controlling food web dynamics. However, our results suggest that intact watersheds coastal Alaska with abundant runs, interannual variation likely has less effect than bear behavior. The complement previous work demonstrate importance behavior fitness.