An experimental translocation identifies habitat features that buffer camouflage mismatch in snowshoe hares

Conservation for species impacted by climate change often occurs at scales impractical for local land managers. Snowshoe hares (Lepus americanus) are one of the most well‐documented species declining from climate change–specifically a reduction in snowcover–yet clear management strategies have yet t...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Conservation letters Vol. 12; no. 2
Main Authors: Wilson, Evan C., Shipley, Amy A., Zuckerberg, Benjamin, Peery, M. Zachariah, Pauli, Jonathan N.
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Washington John Wiley & Sons, Inc 01.03.2019
Subjects:
alder
aspen
Buffers
Camouflage
climate
Climate change
coat color
color
Contraction
Data collection
Endangered & extinct species
Environmental protection
Extinction
Forests
habitat preferences
Habitat utilization
Habitats
hares
Land management
Lepus americanus
mimicry (behavior)
molt
mortality
phenology
Population
Population decline
Predation
Quality
range shift
reintroduction
Snow
Snow cover
Survival
Translocation
varying hare
Wildlife conservation
Winter
United States > US
Wisconsin
Sandhill Wildlife Area
ISSN:1755-263X, 1755-263X
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:Conservation for species impacted by climate change often occurs at scales impractical for local land managers. Snowshoe hares (Lepus americanus) are one of the most well‐documented species declining from climate change–specifically a reduction in snowcover–yet clear management strategies have yet to emerge. To test whether camouflage mismatch is reducing hare survival we translocated 96 hares to a site recently extirpated of snowshoe hares, and monitored coat color change, mismatch with snow, habitat use, and weekly survival in winter‐spring of 2017. Hare survival was low during periods of camouflage mismatch, and mismatched hares were 3.2 × less likely to survive, but this pattern varied by habitat. We found that aspen‐alder stands >5 hectares negated the mortality costs of mismatch. We provide experimental evidence that mismatch is driving the range contraction of snowshoe hares, and identify specific habitats to buffer the consequences of climate change on this declining winter specialist.
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ISSN:1755-263X
1755-263X
DOI:10.1111/conl.12614