Ibex in a changing climate
The response of a large ungulate to severe weather conditions
Adeline Bonaglia1,2, Benedikt Gehr2,3, Flurin Filli1, Pia Anderwald1
1 Schweizerischer Nationalpark
2 Universität Zürich
3 Wildtier Schweiz
Climate change is predicted to strongly impact alpine environments, with increased temperatures and altered precipitation patterns. These changes are expected to lead to more frequent and extreme weather events, such as summer heatwaves and strong rainfalls. The Alpine ibex (Capra ibex) is highly sensitive to heat stress, and variability in weather as well as climate may severely influence survival and reproduction. Understanding how ibex respond to different weather conditions is essential for predicting its long-term persistence under climate change.
In this study, we investigated the fine-scale behavioral responses of Alpine ibex to severe weather conditions. We used integrated step selection analysis (iSSA) to analyze summer habitat selection for 22 GPS-collared adult ibex in the Swiss National Park. Our findings reveal that ibex respond to changing weather conditions by performing altitudinal shifts and adjusting their position with respect to the aspect of the slopes.
The results indicate that ibex exhibit the potential to behaviourally adapt to changing climatic conditions by fine-scale adjustments in habitat selection. As extreme weather events will increase in frequency and severity, it is yet unclear if ibex are able to further adapt to the increasing pace of climate change. To better understand the impact of climate change on fine-scale habitat selection, further research will be necessary, encompassing larger sample sizes and multiple study areas.
