Supervised by:

Dominique Berteaux (Regular Member (Co-researcher))

Research project description

Effects of winter weather on Arctic hare activity at Alert (Nunavut, Canada)

Introduction

Little ecological research is conducted in Canada's far north during the dead of winter. The extreme conditions make it an unfavorable environment for fieldwork. However, some species have adapted to these conditions, and studying them is important for understanding how climate change might affect Arctic biodiversity. For example, the Arctic hare is a herbivore that resides year-round in the polar desert. Since 2019, we have been studying the movements and activity of Arctic hares across all seasons in Alert using satellite telemetry. This provides exceptional opportunities to expand our knowledge of vertebrate communities in the High Arctic.

Objectives

My aim is to understand how weather affects the activity of Arctic hares during the polar night. More specifically, I want to understand how temperature, wind and moon phase affect individual hare movements and feeding.

Study Sites

The study site is located on land owned by the Department of National Defence at Canadian Forces Station Alert, north of Ellesmere Island, Nunavut. This is the northernmost permanently inhabited place in the world, characterized by the aridity of the polar desert. Plant life is extremely sparse. The landscape includes numerous hills, mountains, and rock formations, along with many streams and lakes fed by melting ice. The station is situated on the edge of the Arctic Ocean. In summer, the sun remains above the horizon at all times.

Material and methods

The methodology I will be using relies on satellite tracking of individuals fitted with GPS collars equipped with accelerometers. These devices can transmit data via the Iridium satellite network for up to 12 months after deployment. In the summer of 2023, 39 individuals were fitted with collars, and an additional 40 will be collared in the summer of 2024. I will analyze data from the winters of 2024 and 2025, ensuring an adequate sample size. Weather data from Alert's ECCC station will complement my dataset.

References

Appel, G., López-Baucells, A., Magnusson, W. E., et Bobrowiec, P. E. D., 2019. Temperature, rainfall, and moonlight intensity effects on activity of tropical insectivorous bats. Journal of Mammalogy, 100(6), 1889‑1900. https://doi.org/10.1093/jmammal/gyz140 Best et Henry, 1994. Lepus arcticus. Mammalian species, 457, 1-9. Cherry, M. J., et Barton, B. T., 2017. Effects of wind on predator-prey interactions. Food Webs, 13, 92‑97. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fooweb.2017.02.005 Wang, L. C. H., Jones, D. L., MacArthur, R. A., et Fuller, W. A., 1973. Adaptation to cold : Energy metabolism in an atypical lagomorph, the arctic hare ( Lepus arcticus ). Canadian Journal of Zoology, 51(8), 841‑846. https://doi.org/10.1139/z73-125