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1 October 2012 Effects of spring–summer temperature on body mass of chamois
Marco Rughetti, Marco Festa-Bianchet
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Abstract

Environmental change, including global warming, can lead to directional changes over time in phenotypic traits such as sex- and age-specific body mass. We evaluated the potential short-term effects of a series of hot and dry springs and early summers on mass of yearling chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra) in 2 populations in the western Alps. Yearling mass decreased in both populations over the study period, but much of this decline seemed to originate from a sharp drop in 2003, after which body mass remained low. Our analysis suggested that this decrease was caused by the additive effects of warm springs and summers over the first 2 years of life. The mass of adult chamois also decreased over time. These results suggest that ongoing warming in the Alps could be a selective pressure on the life history and reproductive strategies of wild ungulates.

Marco Rughetti and Marco Festa-Bianchet "Effects of spring–summer temperature on body mass of chamois," Journal of Mammalogy 93(5), 1301-1307, (1 October 2012). https://doi.org/10.1644/11-MAMM-A-402.1
Received: 4 December 2011; Accepted: 1 March 2012; Published: 1 October 2012
KEYWORDS
body mass
Rupicapra rupicapra
temperature
weather
yearlings
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