Predator-rodent-plant interactions along a coast-inland gradient in Fennoscandian tundra

Spatial variation in the strength of trophic cascades in arctic tundra has been related to flows of subsidies across ecosystem boundaries. Here, we ask whether the input of marine subsidies in tundra systems would cause spatial variation in the strength of rodent-plant interactions between coastal areas, where predators have access to marine-derived resources, and non-subsidized inland areas of northern Fennoscandia. We present a detailed evaluation of predator-rodent-vegetation interactions along a coast-inland gradient, during the 2011 rodent outbreak and the two following decline years, by using direct assessments of rodent impacts and tracing of marine-derived nutrients in the food web. Our results revealed that the main rodent predator during summer, the long-tailed jaeger Stercorarius longicaudus, did not benefit from marine resources while breeding (relative dietary proportion in chicks’ diet = 0-3%). Contrary to this pattern, parasitic jaegers S. parasiticus, bred exclusively ne...