Volume 80, Issue 6 Highlights

Articles highlighted by the Editors or readers of the journal
(images are provided by Authors and under copyright)

Neonatal mortality of elk driven by climate, predator phenology and predator community composition 
Authors: K A Griffin et al
Published online: 25 MAY 2011, J Animal Ecol Vol 80 Iss 6 pp (1246-1257) DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2656.2011.01856.x
The first 90-days of an elk calf's life is a risky prospect, with the chances of survival determined by a combination of predation, especially by bears, and climatic variation.  The authors present the largest synthesis of ungulate neonatal survival in the literature, using 2,000 radio-marked elk calves across 12 study areas in the north-western USA. They show that elk calf survival is driven by additive ursid mortality combined with compensatory mortality from other predators and climate mediation. Their study has important implications for ungulate ecology in areas facing predator recovery

Predicting prey population dynamics from kill rate, predation rate and predator–prey ratios in three wolf-ungulate systems 
Authors: John A. Vucetich, Mark Hebblewhite, Douglas W. Smith, Rolf O. Peterson
Published online: 13 MAY 2011, J Animal Ecol Vol 80 Iss 6 pp (1236-1245) DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2656.2011.01855.x
There have been few syntheses of predator-prey dynamics across systems in large mammal systems. Here, the authors present a synthesis of over 72 years of wolf and ungulate predator-prey dynamics from three systems in North America. Their results show that substantial variation between systems is perhaps the hallmark of such systems, making prediction of the effects of predators such as wolves on ungulate prey challenging.  Image courtesy Mark Bradley

Long-term priority effects among insects and fungi colonizing decaying wood 
Authors: Jan Weslien, Line B. Djupström, Martin Schroeder, Olof Widenfalk
Published online: 13 MAY 2011, J Animal Ecol Vol 80 Iss 6 pp (1155-1162) DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2656.2011.01860.x
The study gives new insight in why insect and fungus communities develop differently in different trees. Many threatened species live in dead trees and the results can be used in species conservation.

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