Ruffed grouse stress-scape dataset

Context Variability in temperature and snow cover are characteristics of
high-latitude environments that impose significant pressures on
overwintering species. To cope with increased energetic demands and
decreased resources, species occupying seasonal environments often seek
out refugia that buffer them from inclement conditions. Ruffed grouse
(Bonasa umbellus) roosting in the thermally stable microhabitat beneath
deep snow are buffered from negative effects of cold temperatures on
physiological stress (glucocorticoid hormone levels). Objective Despite
physiological advantages of accessing warmer refugia during winter, it is
unknown how land cover and winter climate promote the occurrence of such
refugia over space and time. Analogous to the landscape of fear, which
mediates how prey navigate spatial variation in predation risk, mapping a
landscape of stress, or stress-scape, may identify hotspots where
metabolic challenges persist. Methods We assayed droppings for fecal
corticosterone metabolites (FCMs) collected from radio-tagged ruffed
grouse over three winters and developed a spatial model of FCM
concentrations across the extent of our study area, thus quantifying a
stress-scape. Results FCMs increased with shallower snow depths, less
dense snow, colder ambient temperatures, and more open habitat. However,
despite considerable spatiotemporal variation in snow depth, snow density,
and temperature, the regions across the landscape where grouse had
elevated FCM levels were consistent and predictable across years.
Conclusions Stress-scapes offer a new tool for understanding and
quantifying indirect effects of stressors and can identify areas of the
landscape where there may be consistent hotspots of stress that are the
result of multiple ecological and environmental challenges.