Five-year population dynamics of plateau pikas (Ochotona curzoniae) on the east of Tibetan Plateau

Small mammals mediate trajectories of vegetation change where both their density and the growing season are moderated by temperature and precipitation. On the Tibetan Plateau, the cold and arid climate particularly restricts the plant growing season, but the role of mammals’ density and climate in moderating small mammal populations remains unknown. We conducted a 5-year mark-recapture study of plateau pikas (Ochotona curzoniae) to test the relative importance of density-dependent and climatic factors on survival and reproduction. Plateau pikas had seasonal fluctuations in density and survival. During the warm summer season (May–August), monthly survival was density-independent, ranging from 74.7 to 90.4%, but varied with sex and age, increased with precipitation and NDVI, and decreased with temperature. During the cold season (September–April), monthly survival was around 98%. Density and precipitation had negative effects on reproductive success for the first and second litters of the year, and temperature showed consistently positive effects on reproductive success for both litters of the year. Pika density and climate regulated together the population dynamics of plateau pikas. These data on the relationships between density and climatic factors on survival and reproduction are critical for the management and conservation of plateau pikas on the Tibetan Plateau.