Abstract

Amid intensive transformations in the Arctic environment and biota, differences in population trends demonstrated by predominant and widespread Arctic herbivores are of great scientific interest. In this regard, the primary purpose of this study was to perform a comparative assessment of trophic selectivity in the barnacle goose and greater white-fronted goose in the area of their highest reproductive concentrations and estimate the role of competition in their population dynamics. The data indicate that differences in quantitative shares of plants consumed by these species are not sufficient to avoid competition and that the diet of barnacle geese is more selective (i.e., sensitive to food quality and energy consumption). However, the status of a relatively weak competitor contradicts the exponential growth of the barnacle goose population in the study area, as well as its entire Arctic population. We believe that differences in the population dynamics of barnacle goose and greater white-fronted goose are currently determined not by competition in reproductive concentration periods, but by effects exercised by anthropogenic and climatic factors far outside of their nesting range.

中文翻译：

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藤壶雁 (Branta Leucopsis) 和大白额雁 (Anser Albifrons) 在繁殖集中区的营养选择性

摘要

在北极环境和生物群发生剧烈变化的过程中，主要且分布广泛的北极食草动物所表现出的种群趋势差异具有重大的科学意义。在这方面，本研究的主要目的是对藤壶雁和大白额雁在其最高繁殖集中区域的营养选择性进行比较评估，并估计竞争在其种群动态中的作用。数据表明，这些物种消耗的植物数量份额的差异不足以避免竞争，而且藤壶雁的饮食更具选择性（即对食品质量和能源消耗敏感）。然而，相对较弱的竞争对手的地位与研究地区藤壶雁种群以及整个北极种群的指数增长相矛盾。我们认为，藤壶雁和大白额雁种群动态的差异目前不是由繁殖集中期的竞争决定的，而是由远离其筑巢范围的人为和气候因素所产生的影响决定的。