Abstract
This study explored patterns of predation by polar bear Ursus maritimus on the nests of Pink-footed Geese Anser brachyrhynchus on the coastal tundra stretch Nordenskioldkysten, west coast of Spitsbergen, Svalbard. Goose nests occurred in densities of up to 126 nests/km 2 (mean=6.4), at an average distance of 1.5 km from the seashore, and were mainly associated with greenstone outcrops. Open, flat areas were avoided for nesting. Goose pairs nested in colonies of up to 23 nests, with 50% of the pairs nesting in colonies larger than 5. In 2011 and 2012, polar bears invaded the Pink-footed Goose nesting area to consume goose eggs, a behaviour that they had not exhibited in previous years. Polar bears selectively visited the taller outcrops and locations with the larger number of goose nests. Moreover there was a steep gradient in predation from the seashore towards the inland, with no predation at distances greater than 1.8 km from the coastline. We expect that the predation pressure by polar bears will aggravate in the coming years when more bears learn to exploit the inland goose colonies.
Highlights
Predation is among the key factors that shape an animal’s life history (Newton 1998), and in the “battle of life” an animal’s defence repertoire against predators is in a continuous process of refinement
In this paper we explore the consequences for Pink-footed Geese of polar bears invading the terrestrial habitat of Svalbard
Nordenskiöldkysten hosted a considerable portion of the Svalbard Pink-footed Goose population
Summary
Predation is among the key factors that shape an animal’s life history (Newton 1998), and in the “battle of life” an animal’s defence repertoire against predators is in a continuous process of refinement. An animal’s skills to avoid predation may become futile when a new predator colonises its territory. This may lead to local extinction of the prey species (Byström et al 2007). Arctic-breeding geese are an example of a group of birds that are a favoured prey for an array of predators. Gulls and skuas take eggs and small goslings, Arctic foxes Alopex lagopus depredate eggs, goslings and adults. Adaptations by the geese to avoid predation include nesting on predator-free places, and depositing body stores before onset of the breeding season to maximise the time to protect the clutch (Owen 1980, Black et al 2007)
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