Phenology of brown bear breeding season and related geographical cues

García-Rodríguez, Alberto (author), Rigg, Robin (author), Elguero-Claramunt, I. (author), Bojarska, K. (author), Krofel, Miha (author), Parchizadeh, J. (author), Pataky, T. (author), Seryodkin, I. (author), Skuban, Michaela (author), Wabakken, P. (author), Zięba, F. (author), Zwijacz-Kozica, T. (author), Selva, Nuria (author)

Knowledge about breeding biology is often incomplete in species with complex reproductive strategies. The brown bear Ursus arctos is a polygamous seasonal breeder inhabiting a wide variety of habitats and environmental conditions. We compiled information about brown bear breeding season dates from 36 study areas across their distribution range in the Palearctic and Nearctic regions and investigated how their breeding phenology relates to geographical factors (latitude, photoperiod, altitude and region). Brown bear matings were observed for 8 months, from April to November, with a peak in May%July. We found a 59-day difference in the onset of bear breeding season among study areas, with an average 2.3 days delay for each degree of latitude northwards. The onset of the breeding season showed a strong relationship with photoperiod and latitude, but not with region (i.e. Palearctic vs Nearctic) and altitude. First observa- tions of bear mating occurred earlier in areas at lower latitudes. Photoperiod ranged between 14 and 18 hours at the beginning of the season for most of the study areas. The duration of the breeding season ranged from 25 to 138 days among study areas. None of the investigated factors was related to the length of the breeding season. Our results support the relevance of photoperiod to the onset of breeding, as found in other ursids, but not a shorter breeding season at higher latitudes, a pattern reported in other mammals. Our findings suggest a marked seasonality of bear reproductive behaviour, but also certain level of plasticity. Systematic field observations of breeding behaviour are needed to increase our knowledge on the factors determining mating behaviour in species with complex systems and how these species may adapt to climate change.

• Language: English
• Keywords: brown bear, latitude, mating, photoperiod, season, Ursus arctos
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: BF - Biotechnical Faculty
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2020
• Number of pages: Str. 552-558
• Numbering: Vol. 87, iss. 1
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-121417
• UDC: 630*15
• ISSN on article: 2475-0263
• DOI: 10.1080/24750263.2020.1801866
• COBISS.SI-ID: 30001411
• Publication date in RUL: 08.10.2020

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: The European zoological journal
• Shortened title: European zool. j.
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis
• ISSN: 2475-0263
• COBISS.SI-ID: 526898713

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.
• Licensing start date: 08.10.2020

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: rjavi medved, geografska širina, parjenje, fotoperiodika, sezone, Ursus arctos

Projects

• Funder: ARRS - Slovenian Research Agency
• Project number: P4-0059
• Name: Gozd, gozdarstvo in obnovljivi gozdni viri