Ecosystem consequences of wolf behavioural response to climate

摘要: Because apex predators exert considerable influence on the structure and function of top-down ecosystems1,2,3, their responses to climate may shape at lower trophic levels4. Previous reports cascades ecosystem dynamics induced by have focused changes in abundance5,6,7,8, whereas we investigated whether predator behaviour could precipitate similar ecological scale. Here report consequences behavioural response global climatic variation using 40 years data wolf predation from Isle Royale, USA, where wolves limit abundance moose9, which productivity fir trees10. In increases winter snow related North Atlantic Oscillation, hunted larger packs and, consequently, tripled number moose killed per day compared with less snowy when they smaller packs. Following increased rates, declined, following release heavy browsing, growth understory increased. Hence, cascading be a substantial link pathway change function.