Territory Size and Composition in Relation to Resource Abundance in Lapland Longspurs Breeding in Arctic Alaska
Seastedt TR and MacLean SF. 1979. Territory Size and Composition in Relation to Resource Abundance in Lapland Longspurs Breeding in Arctic Alaska. The Auk. 96(1):131-142
The relationship of size and composition of breeding territories to productivity of arthropod prey in the component habitats was studied in a population of Lapland Longspurs (Calcarius lapponicus) nesting on arctic tundra near Barrow, Alaska. Territories are established quite synchronously around the time of snow melt in early June, before their resource value can be assessed directly. Twenty territories averaged 1.76 ± 0.46 (SD) ha in area. Large territories contained nearly equal amounts of wet, mesic, and dry habitat. Territory size was positively correlated with prey density in the year of measurement, due to an unusual abundance of prey in the relatively unpreferred wet habitat. Territory size was inversely correlated with indices of resource density based upon 3 and 7 years of data on prey productivity in the various habitats. These indices show average or expected prey density. The inverse correlation is increased when prey biomass data are weighted for prey selectivity by longspurs. No relationship between territory size and reproductive success was seen.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Seastedt, T; MacLean, S
- Units
- ARCN , BELA , CAKR , GAAR , KOVA , NOAT
- Keywords
- Arctic, Birds, Calcarius lapponicus, Foods, North Slope, Passerines, Prey Species