Dynamics of Pneumonia in a Bighorn Sheep Metapopulation

摘要: We investigated the dynamics of 8 populations a bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) metapopulation in Hells Canyon, USA from 1997 to 2003. Pneumonia was most common cause (43%) adult mortality and primary factor limiting population growth. Cougar (Puma concolor) predation second most-frequent source (27%) but did not reduce rate growth significantly. Most pneumonia-caused occurred fall early winter cougar late spring. Average annual survival males (0.84) lower than females (0.91). known lamb (86%), pneumonia-related detected whenever summer <50%. Pneumonia-caused rates lambs were high 21 days 91 age peaked at 42 70 days. Summer pneumonia epizootics independent adults. level synchronized geographically or temporally among populations. Although catastrophic all-age pneumonia-epizootics have previously been described sheep, we found that chronic, although sporadic, adults can also important effects on