Wolverines (Gulo gulo) in a changing landscape and warming climate: A decadal synthesis of global conservation ecology research

Fisher, Jason T.; Murray, Séan; Barrueto, Mirjam; Carroll, Kathleen A.; Clevenger, Anthony P.; Hausleitner, Doris; Harrower, William L.; Heim, Nicole; Heinemeyer, Kim; Jacob, Aerin L.; Jung, Thomas S.; Kortello, Andrea; Ladle, Andrew; Long, Robert A.; MacKay, Paula; Sawaya, Michael A.

doi:10.1016/j.gecco.2022.e02019

Cited by 17 publications

(35 citation statements)

References 128 publications

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“…The Arctic is often considered a stronghold for wolverines, given the species’ prevalence and the region’s low human population density and cold climate (Fisher et al 2022 ). Nonetheless, much remains unknown about wolverines in this region, including the potential impacts of modern anthropogenic change to the species.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Although recent studies have dramatically improved our understanding of wolverines in the Arctic, the individual findings of each represent brief periods and typically small spatial scales. As change accelerates, so too does the need to gather longitudinal information about population processes and drivers thereof (Fisher et al 2022 ). These research and monitoring efforts should be developed by, or in collaboration with, local Indigenous communities to improve their efficacy, applicability, and equity (Brook et al 2009 ).…”

Section: Research and Conservation Prioritiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Wolverines ( Gulo gulo ) occur broadly across the Arctic, known by names including qavvik (Iñupiaq), qavvigaarjuk (Inuit/Inuktitut; Laugrand 2017 ), qafčik (Yup'ik; Bobaljik 1996 ), kuekuatsheu (Innu, Armitage 1992 ), иӈгнeй (Nenets; Li 2021 ), қeper (Chukchi, Weinstein 2018 ), ńitlә (Tundra Yukaghir; Nikolaeva 2008 ), and pocoмaxa (Russian). The region is often considered a stronghold for wolverines due to its relatively restricted human footprint and cold climate (Fisher et al 2022 ), and the species occupies an important sociocultural role among the region’s Indigenous Peoples (Armitage 1992 ; Cardinal 2004 ; Benson 2014 ). Despite this, many aspects of the species’ ecology in this biome have received little attention by Western science.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Many aspects of wolverine ecology, including the species’ response to disturbance, are receiving increasing attention in boreal and montane environments, whereas research on this species in the Arctic lags behind. In a recent review of two decades of wolverine research across the species’ global distribution (Fisher et al 2022 ), only 10 of 156 articles focused primarily on the Arctic. Although many fundamental aspects of the species’ ecology are undoubtedly similar across biomes, important differences likely exist that necessitate focused research in this region for effective management and conservation.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Wolverines (Gulo gulo) in the Arctic: Revisiting distribution and identifying research and conservation priorities amid rapid environmental change

Glass

Magoun²,

Robards

et al. 2022

Polar Biol

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Wolverines ( Gulo gulo ) occupy most of the globe’s Arctic tundra. Given the rapidly warming climate and expanding human activity in this biome, understanding wolverine ecology, and therefore the species’ vulnerability to such changes, is increasingly important for developing research priorities and effective management strategies. Here, we review and synthesize knowledge of wolverines in the Arctic using both Western science sources and available Indigenous Knowledge (IK) to improve our understanding of wolverine ecology in the Arctic and better predict the species’ susceptibility to change. To accomplish this, we update the pan-Arctic distribution map of wolverines to account for recent observations and then discuss resulting inference and uncertainties. We use these patterns to contextualize and discuss potential underlying drivers of distribution and population dynamics, drawing upon knowledge of food habits, habitat associations, and harvest, as well as studies of wolverine ecology elsewhere. We then identify four broad areas to prioritize conservation and research efforts: (1) Monitoring trends in population abundance, demographics, and distribution and the drivers thereof, (2) Evaluating and predicting wolverines’ responses to ongoing climate change, particularly the consequences of reduced snow and sea ice, and shifts in prey availability, (3) Understanding wolverines’ response to human development, including the possible impact of wintertime over-snow travel and seismic testing to reproductive denning, as well as vulnerability to hunting and trapping associated with increased human access, and (4) Ensuring that current and future harvest are sustainable. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00300-022-03079-4.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Research and Conservation Prioritiesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Wolverines (Gulo gulo) in the Arctic: Revisiting distribution and identifying research and conservation priorities amid rapid environmental change

Glass

Magoun²,

Robards

et al. 2022

Polar Biol

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“…Large carnivore populations worldwide have substantially declined due to human impacts 23 , and protected areas are considered crucial to maintaining their populations 24 . Wolverines ( Gulo gulo ) are circumboreal apex predators with large home ranges, extremely low densities and slow life histories 25 , which have undergone extensive range contractions worldwide but remained little studied until relatively recently (reviewed in Fisher et al 26 ). Conservation risks include but are not limited to vulnerability to overharvest 27 , 28 , habitat loss 29 , and disturbances from recreation 30 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Protection status, human disturbance, snow cover and trapping drive density of a declining wolverine population in the Canadian Rocky Mountains

Barrueto

Forshner

Whittington

et al. 2022

Sci Rep

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Protected areas are important in species conservation, but high rates of human-caused mortality outside their borders and increasing popularity for recreation can negatively affect wildlife populations. We quantified wolverine (Gulo gulo) population trends from 2011 to 2020 in > 14,000 km2 protected and non-protected habitat in southwestern Canada. We conducted wolverine and multi-species surveys using non-invasive DNA and remote camera-based methods. We developed Bayesian integrated models combining spatial capture-recapture data of marked and unmarked individuals with occupancy data. Wolverine density and occupancy declined by 39%, with an annual population growth rate of 0.925. Density within protected areas was 3 times higher than outside and declined between 2011 (3.6 wolverines/1000 km2) and 2020 (2.1 wolverines/1000 km2). Wolverine density and detection probability increased with snow cover and decreased near development. Detection probability also decreased with human recreational activity. The annual harvest rate of ≥ 13% was above the maximum sustainable rate. We conclude that humans negatively affected the population through direct mortality, sub-lethal effects and habitat impacts. Our study exemplifies the need to monitor population trends for species at risk—within and between protected areas—as steep declines can occur unnoticed if key conservation concerns are not identified and addressed.

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Dining with a glutton: an intraguild interaction between scavenging wolverine (Gulo gulo) and lynx (Lynx canadensis)

Jung,

Peers,

Drummond

et al. 2023

Ecosphere

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Intraspecific interactions between mesocarnivores are not commonly observed and consequentially not well understood, particularly for species inhabiting wilderness regions. Using a remote camera, we captured interactions between a Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) and wolverine (Gulo gulo) scavenging on the remains of a bison (Bison bison). Over a 23‐min period representing nine photographic sequences (1–3 photographs per sequence), we observed (1) a wolverine approach the remains that were being fed on by a lynx, (2) the two animals feeding on the remains at the same time for about 19 min, (3) the wolverine chasing the lynx off of the carcass and, thereafter, (4) the wolverine excluding the lynx from the carcass. Our observation is of potential scientific value because it sheds light on behavioral interactions between these two species, particularly at a rich food source. Intraguild interactions between these species appear to include tolerance toward one another, as well as interference competition, with the wolverine being the dominant species. Our observation highlights the new information on interactions between mesocarnivores that are becoming illuminated with the use of remote cameras, revealing that these interactions may be more complex than once thought.

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Wolverines (Gulo gulo) in a changing landscape and warming climate: A decadal synthesis of global conservation ecology research

Cited by 17 publications

References 128 publications

Wolverines (Gulo gulo) in the Arctic: Revisiting distribution and identifying research and conservation priorities amid rapid environmental change

Wolverines (Gulo gulo) in the Arctic: Revisiting distribution and identifying research and conservation priorities amid rapid environmental change

Protection status, human disturbance, snow cover and trapping drive density of a declining wolverine population in the Canadian Rocky Mountains

Dining with a glutton: an intraguild interaction between scavenging wolverine (Gulo gulo) and lynx (Lynx canadensis)

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