Premium
Predator–prey coupling: interaction between mink Mustela vison and muskrat Ondatra zibethicus across Canada
Author(s) -
Holmengen Nina,
Lehre Seip Knut,
Boyce Mark,
Stenseth Nils Chr.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
oikos
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.672
H-Index - 179
eISSN - 1600-0706
pISSN - 0030-1299
DOI - 10.1111/j.1600-0706.2008.16613.x
Subject(s) - mink , predation , predator , biology , generalist and specialist species , bay , ecology , apex predator , habitat , geography , archaeology
In this paper we explore variation in the predator‐prey interaction between mink Mustela vison and muskrat Ondatra zibethicus across Canada based on 25 years of mink (predator) and muskrat (prey) data from the Hudson's Bay Company. We show that predator–prey interactions have stronger signatures in the west of Canada than in the east. In particular, we show that the observed phase plot trajectories of mink and muskrat rotate significantly clock‐wise, consistent with predator–prey theory. We also investigate four phases of the mink muskrat interaction sequence (predator crash phase, prey recovery phase, etc.) and show that they are all consistent with a strong coupling in the west, whereas the presence of generalist predators and alternative preys can explain deviations from this pattern in the east.