While coccidia are unlikely to fully explain the declining juvenile proporton, they represent a plausible contributng factor. Monitoring coccidian burden and species compositon also offers a promising ecological indicator for assessing Svalbard’s rock ptarmigan health and antcipating future populaton fluctuatons.
Coccidia in Svalbard rock ptarmigan as a health and population-regulating factor (RypeHOP)
This study reveals that coccidia are widespread in Svalbard’s rock ptarmigan and that environmental conditions under a warming Arctic climate may increasingly favour their transmission.
