Presentation Details
| Ecological ripple effects: insights following novel carnivory in the California ground squirrel Jada Wahl1, Sonja Wild2, Jennifer Smith1. 1University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire, Eau Claire, Wisconsin, USA.2University of California, Davis, California, USA |
Abstract
Widespread human impacts contribute to rapidly changing selective pressures on wildlife. Long-term studies on marked individuals can offer insights into population and community dynamics over time. The current research aims to reveal the demographic and behavioral patterns of California ground squirrels (Otospermophilus beecheyi) before and after a boom year of California voles (Microtus californicus). As part of a long-term field study in California, we have live-trapped, marked, and observed individual ground squirrels since 2013. In the summer of 2024, we documented the emergence of widespread hunting and consumption of voles by ground squirrels in our two study populations. Here we document the subsequent crash in squirrel abundance and surge in predator sightings in the summer of 2025. We report on these demographic, behavioral, and physiological consequences of the vole boom year using an integrated approach. Our findings offer insights into how periods of prosperity (e.g., boom years) and catastrophic turnover events (e.g., demographic crashes) shape wildlife populations that generate ripple effects within ecological communities.
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No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author.
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