Hares and Small Rodent Cycles: a 45-year Perspective on Predator-prey Dynamics in the Yukon Boreal Forest

A 45-year study in the Yukon's boreal forest reveals shifting predator-prey dynamics, with snowshoe hare cycles potentially decreasing in amplitude while red-backed vole cycles intensify. Microtus voles, previously fluctuating independently, became synchronous post-1998, though their dominant species varied. Deer mice exhibited irregular patterns, disappearing entirely for five years in the early 1990s. Predation drives hare cycles but its role in small rodent dynamics remains unclear, suggesting social behavior may play a critical yet untested role. The study highlights complex, out-of-phase fluctuations between hares and voles, challenging universal explanations for boreal forest boom-bust dynamics.

Krebs, C. J., Boonstra, R., Kenney, A. J., & Gilbert, B. S. (2018). Hares and Small Rodent Cycles: a 45-year Perspective on Predator-prey Dynamics in the Yukon Boreal Forest. Australian Zoologist, 39(4), 724–732. https://doi.org/10.7882/az.2018.012