Phenological Dynamics and the Development of Trophic Mismatch in the Arctic

One of the ecological consequences of rising temperatures in the Arctic is an advancement of the timing of spring events such as the onset of the plant growing season. Here, we present data from Greenland illustrating that, while plant growth is occurring earlier there, the timing of arrival on breeding grounds by species such as caribou and muskoxen that are dependent upon those plants has not advanced. The result is a developing "trophic mismatch" between the timing of resource demand by reproducing females and the timing of resource availability by newly emergent forage plants. We will discuss the consequences this warming-induced trophic mismatch may pose for the persistence of mammalian herbivores in the Arctic.