WCS 3-Sentence Science

Following Lemmings

August 8, 2019

CREDIT: FRITZ MUELLER

Each year, Wildlife Conservation Society scientists publish more than 300 peer-reviewed studies and papers. “WCS 3-Sentence Science” is a regular tip-sheet — in bite sized helpings — of some of this published work.

Here we present work by WCS Canada’s Don Reid on the monitoring of lemming populations in the Arctic.

1. Researchers conducted a comprehensive overview of projects monitoring lemmings — a key component of tundra food webs — and found that since 2000, lemmings have been monitored at 49 sites circumpolar Arctic, of which 38 are still active.
2. Researchers are monitoring for abundance at all sites, but health, genetic diversity and potential drivers of population change, were often not monitored.
3. There was no evidence that lemming populations were decreasing in general, although a negative trend was detected for low arctic populations sympatric with voles.

Study and Journal: “Documenting lemming population change in the Arctic: Can we detect trends?” from Ambio
WCS Co-Author(s): Don Reid , WCS Canada

For more information, contact: Stephen Sautner, 718–220–3682, ssautner@wcs.org.