Preliminary results on snow surveys of Pyrenean grey partridge (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Perdix perdix hispaniensis</Emphasis>) in the Cantabrian Mountains

Peripheral populations tend to be smaller and more prone to extinction than those in core areas. Grey partridge Perdix perdix in its southern-most edge occupies mountain habitats, which is unlike any habitat in its northern European range. This makes these mountain ecotypes especially susceptible to range contractions and population decrease is likely the result of the current global change process. In Iberia, the so-called Pyrenean grey partridge subspecies P. p. hispaniensis is considered to be declining but little is known about its real trends and numbers. We locally studied the abundance of the Pyrenean grey partridges in winter by direct observations in the Cantabrian Mountains (NW Spain), while driving on a paved road. In addition, we related observed partridge abundances to different context variables to find the ones better helping to detect this species. The paved road-based censuses were successful, and we detected the presence and abundance of the Pyrenean grey partridge. Individuals and groups were more easily detected from December to February while couples were observed at the end of the winter (i.e. February–March). Wherever open paved roads exist, we strongly recommend using direct observations from them during winter as an adequate tool for Pyrenean grey partridge monitoring. This easy and cost-effective method affordable to managers and conservationists can contribute to a better understanding of the European mountain’s changing ecosystems and help us understanding the population trends of this vulnerable subspecies.     

Impacts of El Niño-Southern Oscillation Events on the Distribution of Wintering Raptors

Abstract We report the effects of El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events on the distribution and abundance of 3 raptor species at continental, regional, and landscape scales. We correlated values from the southern oscillation index (SOI), an index of ENSO phase and strength, with Christmas Bird Count data over a 30-year period. We investigated the relationship between the SOI and winter raptor distributions at 3 spatial scales: continental (central United States), regional (TX, USA), and landscape (3 roadside transects within TX). At the continental scale, ENSO events resulted in regional shifts for American kestrel (Falco sparverius), northern harrier (Circus cyaneus), and red-tailed hawk (Buteo jamaicensis) winter abundances. As expected, these shifts were northward during El Niño (warm) winters, and southward for red-tailed hawks and northern harriers during La Niña (cold) winters. Within Texas, northern harrier distributions shifted towards arid west Texas during wet El Niño winters but were restricted to mesic coastal Texas during dry La Niña winters. Red-tailed hawk abundance increased in eastern Texas during La Niña winters responding to cooler than normal temperatures throughout the northern Midwest. Data from local roadside transects over a 3-year period encompassing 2 El Niño winters and one La Niña winter supported the abundance patterns revealed by continental and regional data, and added evidence that fluctuations in winter abundances result from demographic pulses as well as spatial shifts for wintering populations. This study underscores the need for long-term monitoring at both local and regional spatial scales in order to detect changes in continental populations. Short-term or local studies would have erroneously assumed local population declines or increases associated with ENSO events, rather than facultative movements or demographic pulses supported by this study.     

不同积雪覆盖期荒漠齿肋赤藓结皮层丛枝菌根真菌多样性变化

【背景】温带荒漠有积雪背景条件下的荒漠苔藓植物与丛枝菌根真菌(arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi,AMF)共生关系的研究非常有限。【目的】揭示不同积雪覆盖期(降雪前、雪盖期、融雪期)齿肋赤藓结皮层中AMF多样性的差异,为正确认识荒漠特色植物与微生物在冬季积雪期互利的重要生存策略提供数据支撑。【方法】利用高通量测序技术,分析稳定积雪期的古尔班通古特沙漠优势苔藓齿肋赤藓结皮AMF群落组成与多样性状况,尤其是降雪前和融雪期AMF群落结构差异。【结果】降雪前、雪盖期及融雪期检测到的OTU分属于球囊菌门(Glomeromycota)的5目9科11属,其中,近明球囊霉属(Claroideoglomus)、原囊霉属(Archaeospora)、类球囊霉属(Paraglomus)和球囊霉属(Glomus)为优势类群;降雪前和融雪期齿肋赤藓结皮层中绝对优势属(>50%)均为近明球囊霉属。群落丰富度Chao1指数和ACE指数均表现为雪盖前>积雪期>融雪期,表明降雪减少了AMF群落丰富度。近明球囊霉属融雪期比例大幅增加,而类球囊霉属、球囊霉属则较降雪前比例下降。基于MEGAN的分类学组成信息可视化分析表明,低丰度AMF类群更容易受到影响,无梗囊霉属(Acaulospora)主要集中在降雪前采集的样品中,而多样孢囊霉属(Diversispora)主要集中在融雪期样品中。结合聚类分析的属水平群落组成热图发现,高丰度分类单元的类别由降雪前的5种集中为2种。主成分分析结果表明,主成分1能够区分降雪前后的AMF群落结构特征,进一步验证降雪缺失对藓类结皮层AMF群落组成有筛选作用。高丰度优势属近明球囊霉属和球囊霉属之间、类球囊霉属和原囊霉属之间均呈现负相关,可能存在竞争关系;低丰度属巨孢囊霉属(Gigaspora)、隔球囊霉属(Septoglomus)、双型囊霉属(Ambispora)、盾巨孢囊霉属(Scutellospora)呈现正相关,可能存在协作关系以适应降雪。【结论】古尔班通古特沙漠的冬季降雪对苔藓结皮层AMF类群中的优势属和低丰度属有不同的选择策略。融雪期绝对优势属会降低存在竞争关系优势属的比例,进一步巩固优势地位,而存在正相关的低丰度属会同步降低比例,而且苔藓结皮层AMF优势属在该沙漠为近明球囊霉属。     

Surviving winter: Food,but not habitat structure,prevents crashes in cyclic vole populations

Vole population cycles are a major force driving boreal ecosystem dynamics in northwestern Eurasia. However, our understanding of the impact of winter on these cycles is increasingly uncertain, especially because climate change is affecting snow predictability, quality, and abundance. We examined the role of winter weather and snow conditions, the lack of suitable habitat structure during freeze‐thaw periods, and the lack of sufficient food as potential causes for winter population crashes. We live‐trapped bank voles Myodes glareolus on 26 plots (0.36 ha each) at two different elevations (representing different winter conditions) in southeast Norway in the winters 2013/2014 and 2014/2015. We carried out two manipulations: supplementing six plots with food to eliminate food limitation and six plots with straw to improve habitat structure and limit the effect of icing in the subnivean space. In the first winter, all bank voles survived well on all plots, whereas in the second winter voles on almost all plots went extinct except for those receiving supplemental food. Survival was highest on the feeding treatment in both winters, whereas improving habitat structure had no effect. We conclude that food limitation was a key factor in causing winter population crashes.     

Tawny owl prey remains indicate differences in the dynamics of coastal and inland vole populations in southern Finland

Some studies suggest that mild winters decrease overwinter survival of small mammals or coincide with decreased cyclicity in vole numbers, whereas other studies suggest non-significant or positive relationships between mild winter conditions and vole population dynamics. We expect for the number of voles to be higher in the rich and low-lying habitats of the coastal areas than in the less fertile areas inland. We assume that this geographical difference in vole abundances is diminished by mild winters especially in low-lying habitats. We examine these relationships by generalized linear mixed models using prey remains of breeding tawny owls Strix aluco as a proxy for the abundance of voles. The higher number of small voles in the coastal area than in the inland area suggest that vole populations were denser in the coastal area. Vole populations of both areas were affected by winter weather conditions particularly in March, but these relationships differed between areas. The mild ends of winter with frequent fluctuations of the ambient temperature around the freezing point (“frost seesaw”) constrained significantly the coastal vole populations, while deep snow cover, in general after hard winters, was followed by significantly lowered number of voles only in the inland populations. Our results suggest that coastal vole populations are more vulnerable to mild winters than inland ones. We also show that tawny owl prey remains can be used in a meaningful way to study vole population dynamics.     

Freezing in a warming climate: Marked declines of a subnivean hibernator after a snow drought

Recent snow droughts associated with unusually warm winters are predicted to increase in frequency and affect species dependent upon snowpack for winter survival. Changes in populations of some cold‐adapted species have been attributed to heat stress or indirect effects on habitat from unusually warm summers, but little is known about the importance of winter weather to population dynamics and how responses to snow drought vary among sympatric species. We evaluated changes in abundance of hoary marmots (Marmota caligata) over a period that included a year of record‐low snowpack to identify mechanisms associated with weather and snowpack. To consider interspecies comparisons, our analysis used the same a priori model set as a concurrent study that evaluated responses of American pikas (Ochotona princeps) to weather and snowpack in the same study area of North Cascades National Park, Washington, USA. We hypothesized that marmot abundance reflected mechanisms related to heat stress, cold stress, cold exposure without an insulating snowpack, snowpack duration, atmospheric moisture, growing‐season precipitation, or select combinations of these mechanisms. Changes in marmot abundances included a 74% decline from 2007 to 2016 and were best explained by an interaction of chronic dryness with exposure to acute cold without snowpack in winter. Physiological stress during hibernation from exposure to cold, dry air appeared to be the most likely mechanism of change in marmot abundance. Alternative mechanisms associated with changes to winter weather, including early emergence from hibernation or altered vegetation dynamics, had less support. A post hoc assessment of vegetative phenology and productivity did not support vegetation dynamics as a primary driver of marmot abundance across years. Although marmot and pika abundances were explained by strikingly similar models over periods of many years, details of the mechanisms involved likely differ between species because pika abundances increased in areas where marmots declined. Such differences may lead to diverging geographic distributions of these species as global change continues.     

Snow depth does not affect recruitment in a low-density population of boreal woodland caribou (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Rangifer tarandus caribou</Emphasis>)

Winter snow depth may be an important driver of annual variability in recruitment of ungulate calves, and low calf recruitment has been implicated as a factor in declining boreal caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) populations. We used 11 consecutive years (2006–2016) of aerial survey data to document calf recruitment in a low-density population of boreal woodland caribou in the Northwest Territories, Canada. We measured snow depth in winter and tested two hypotheses: (1) that calf recruitment was lower in winters with greater snow depth and (2) that calf recruitment was lower following winters with greater snow depth (1-year time lag). Recruitment, the number of calves/adult female in March, ranged twofold from 0.23 to 0.45, and snow depth also ranged twofold from 41 to 85 cm. Yet, we found no support for the hypothesis that late-winter snow depth in the current or previous year was inversely related to calf recruitment.     

Under‐ice metabolism in a shallow lake in a cold and arid climate

相似文献   

The effect of snow cover on lemming population cycles in the Canadian High Arctic

Rising temperatures and changes in the precipitation regime will have a strong impact on the quality of the snow cover in the Arctic. A snow cover of good quality protecting lemmings from cold temperatures and predators is thought to be an important factor for maintaining the cyclic dynamic of their populations in the tundra. We examined if the characteristics of annual fluctuations (amplitude and shape of phases) in brown lemming (Lemmus trimucronatus) density could be determined by snow depth, snow density, sub-nivean temperature and persistence of snow. Using an 18-year time series of brown lemming abundance on Bylot Island in the Canadian Arctic, we tested if snow variables could explain the residual variation between the observed lemming density and the one predicted by models where cyclicity had been accounted for. Our analysis provides support for the hypothesis that snow cover can affect the amplitude and possibly also the periodicity of lemming population cycles in the High Arctic. Summer abundance of brown lemmings was higher following winters with a deep snow cover and a low-density snow pack near the ground but was unaffected by the date of establishment or melting and duration of the snow cover. Two snow variables showed a temporal trend; mean winter snow depth tended to increase and date of establishment of the hiemal threshold occurred earlier over time. These temporal trends, which should be favourable to lemmings, may explain why healthy population cycles have apparently been maintained at our study site contrary to other Arctic sites.     

Reduced Snow Cover Increases Wintertime Nitrous Oxide (N<Subscript>2</Subscript>O) Emissions from an Agricultural Soil in the Upper U.S. Midwest

Throughout most of the northern hemisphere, snow cover decreased in almost every winter month from 1967 to 2012. Because snow is an effective insulator, snow cover loss has likely enhanced soil freezing and the frequency of soil freeze–thaw cycles, which can disrupt soil nitrogen dynamics including the production of nitrous oxide (N₂O). We used replicated automated gas flux chambers deployed in an annual cropping system in the upper Midwest US for three winters (December–March, 2011–2013) to examine the effects of snow removal and additions on N₂O fluxes. Diminished snow cover resulted in increased N₂O emissions each year; over the entire experiment, cumulative emissions in plots with snow removed were 69% higher than in ambient snow control plots and 95% higher than in plots that received additional snow (P < 0.001). Higher emissions coincided with a greater number of freeze–thaw cycles that broke up soil macroaggregates (250–8000 µm) and significantly increased soil inorganic nitrogen pools. We conclude that winters with less snow cover can be expected to accelerate N₂O fluxes from agricultural soils subject to wintertime freezing.     

The influence of environmental factors on the dynamics of the size and spatial structure of the chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra caucasica) population on the Caucasian Reserve

The size and structure of the chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra caucasica) population as well as the influence of anthropogenic factors on it were studied on the Caucasian Reserve (Western Caucasus). The negative effect of the snow cover, the thickness of which differed from the usual level, is shown. The effect of winters with thick snow cover is confirmed by the relation between these factors and the proportion of yearlings in the population one year after the winter. An increased death rate of animals in winters with a deep snow cover is observed in the case when their density exceeds the optimal one. Wolf predation does not affect the chamois population on the reserve. The number of wolves increases with an increase in the chamois population density to 15–20 ind./1000 ha. The adverse impact of humans on the chamois population is manifested in the regions with motor roads. The chamois, as compared to the deer, suffers from poachers to a lesser degree because it inhabits inaccessible areas and its trophy value is low.     

Effects of snow cover on the benthic fauna in a glacier-fed stream

1. Alpine streams above the tree line are covered by snow for 6–9 months a year. However, winter dynamics in these streams are poorly known. The annual patterns of macroinvertebrate assemblages were studied in a glacial stream in the Austrian Alps, providing information on conditions under the snow.
2. Snow cover influenced water temperature, the content of benthic organic matter and insect development. Taxa richness and abundance of macroinvertebrates did not show a pronounced seasonal pattern. The duration of the autumn period with stable stream beds was important in determining the abundance and composition of the winter fauna.
3. There were significant differences in species composition between summer and winter. Two potential strategies in larval survival were evident: adaptation to the extreme abiotic conditions in summer (e.g. Diamesa spp.) or avoidance of these conditions and development during winter (e.g. Ephemeroptera and Plecoptera).
4. A comparison of a stream reach with continuous snow cover and a stream reach that remained open throughout winter showed that conditions under snow are suboptimal. At the open stream site, with higher water temperatures and greater food supply (benthic organic matter content), abundance and taxa richness was higher and larval growth was faster. Several taxa were found exclusively at this site.
5. Winter conditions did not provide an entirely homogeneous environment, abiotic conditions changed rapidly, especially at the onset of snowfall and at snowmelt. Continuous monitoring is necessary to recognize spatial and temporal heterogeneity in winter environments and the fauna of alpine streams.     

A longer vernal window: the role of winter coldness and snowpack in driving spring transitions and lags

Climate change is altering the timing and duration of the vernal window, a period that marks the end of winter and the start of the growing season when rapid transitions in ecosystem energy, water, nutrient, and carbon dynamics take place. Research on this period typically captures only a portion of the ecosystem in transition and focuses largely on the dates by which the system wakes up. Previous work has not addressed lags between transitions that represent delays in energy, water, nutrient, and carbon flows. The objectives of this study were to establish the sequence of physical and biogeochemical transitions and lags during the vernal window period and to understand how climate change may alter them. We synthesized observations from a statewide sensor network in New Hampshire, USA, that concurrently monitored climate, snow, soils, and streams over a three‐year period and supplemented these observations with climate reanalysis data, snow data assimilation model output, and satellite spectral data. We found that some of the transitions that occurred within the vernal window were sequential, with air temperatures warming prior to snow melt, which preceded forest canopy closure. Other transitions were simultaneous with one another and had zero‐length lags, such as snowpack disappearance, rapid soil warming, and peak stream discharge. We modeled lags as a function of both winter coldness and snow depth, both of which are expected to decline with climate change. Warmer winters with less snow resulted in longer lags and a more protracted vernal window. This lengthening of individual lags and of the entire vernal window carries important consequences for the thermodynamics and biogeochemistry of ecosystems, both during the winter‐to‐spring transition and throughout the rest of the year.     

Nonlinear effects of climate on boreal rodent dynamics: mild winters do not negate high‐amplitude cycles

Small rodents are key species in many ecosystems. In boreal and subarctic environments, their importance is heightened by pronounced multiannual population cycles. Alarmingly, the previously regular rodent cycles appear to be collapsing simultaneously in many areas. Climate change, particularly decreasing snow quality or quantity in winter, is hypothesized as a causal factor, but the evidence is contradictory. Reliable analysis of population dynamics and the influence of climate thereon necessitate spatially and temporally extensive data. We combined data on vole abundances and climate, collected at 33 locations throughout Finland from 1970 to 2011, to test the hypothesis that warming winters are causing a disappearance of multiannual vole cycles. We predicted that vole population dynamics exhibit geographic and temporal variation associated with variation in climate; reduced cyclicity should be observed when and where winter weather has become milder. We found that the temporal patterns in cyclicity varied between climatically different regions: a transient reduction in cycle amplitude in the coldest region, low‐amplitude cycles or irregular dynamics in the climatically intermediate regions, and strengthening cyclicity in the warmest region. Our results did not support the hypothesis that mild winters are uniformly leading to irregular dynamics in boreal vole populations. Long and cold winters were neither a prerequisite for high‐amplitude multiannual cycles, nor were mild winters with reduced snow cover associated with reduced winter growth rates. Population dynamics correlated more strongly with growing season than with winter conditions. Cyclicity was weakened by increasing growing season temperatures in the cold, but strengthened in the warm regions. High‐amplitude multiannual vole cycles emerge in two climatic regimes: a winter‐driven cycle in cold, and a summer‐driven cycle in warm climates. Finally, we show that geographic climatic gradients alone may not reliably predict biological responses to climate change.     

The recent expansion of the brown hare (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Lepus europaeus</Emphasis>) in Sweden with possible implications to the mountain hare (<Emphasis Type="Italic">L. timidus</Emphasis>)

The brown hare (Lepus europaeus) expanded its Swedish distribution since the 1980s northwards and locally to new areas within its former range. Of 115 brown hare populations within the former range reported in a hunter enquiry, those established after 1980 were situated higher above the sea level than older ones and higher than neighbouring (<50 km) older populations. Reports on increased use of forest habitats by brown hares were equally frequent among recent and older populations, suggesting a process promoted solely by less harsh winters. Supposed hare hybrids were more often reported from hunting grounds with recent brown hare establishment, i.e. where the species expands in time and in space. In a 27-year dataset on brown hare observations, the recent increased use of forest habitats was supported in that maximum distances to agricultural land for brown hare sightings were higher in mild winters, whereas the proportions of the annual observations made during winter were lower. In 40-year bag records from two Swedish counties, the dynamics of the mountain hare (Lepus timidus) responded positively to snow parameters, whereas brown hares responded negatively. We suggest that the state of mountain hare populations primarily depends on winter conditions and predation pressure, whereas possible effects of hybridization are unclear. If winter conditions remain as in the last 15 years, mountain hare numbers are not likely to increase in southern Sweden, whereas the brown hare may expand even further. In either case, hybrids will occur in sympatric areas in frequencies probably related to the density of the respective true species.     

Lignin Degradation in Foliar Litter of Two Shrub Species from the Gap Center to the Closed Canopy in an Alpine Fir Forest

To understand the effects of forest gaps on lignin degradation during shrub foliar litter decomposition, a field litterbag experiment was conducted in an alpine fir (Abies faxoniana) forest of the eastern Tibet Plateau. Dwarf bamboo (Fargesia nitida) and willow (Salix paraplesia) foliar litterbags were placed on the forest floor from the gap center to the closed canopy. The litterbags were sampled during snow formation, snow coverage, snow melting and the growing season from October 2010 to October 2012. The lignin concentrations and loss in the litter were measured. Over 2 years, lignin loss was lower in the bamboo litter (34.64–43.89%) than in the willow litter (38.91–55.10%). In the bamboo litter, lignin loss mainly occurred during the first decomposition year, whereas it occurred during the second decomposition year in the willow litter. Both bamboo and willow litter lignin loss decreased from the gap center to the closed canopy during the first year and over the entire 2-year decomposition period. Compared with the closed canopy, the gap center showed higher lignin loss for both bamboo and willow litter during the two winters, but lower lignin loss during the early growing period. Additionally, the dynamics of microbial biomass carbon during litter decomposition followed the same trend as litter lignin loss during the two winters and growing period. These results indicated that alpine forest gaps had significant effects on shrub litter lignin loss and that reduced snow cover during winter warming would inhibit shrub lignin degradation in this alpine forest.     

Fading out of vole and predator cycles?

Northern voles and lemmings are famous for their spectacular multiannual population cycles with high amplitudes. Such cyclic vole populations in Scandinavia have shown an unexpected and marked long-term decline in density since the early 1970s, particularly with a marked shift to lower spring densities in the early 1980s. The vole decline, mainly characterized by a strongly decreased rate of change in numbers over winter, is associated with an increased occurrence of mild and wet winters brought about by a recent change in the North Atlantic Oscillation. This has led to a decrease in winter stability and has shortened the period with protective snow cover, the latter considered as an important prerequisite for the occurrence of multiannual, high-amplitude cycles in vole populations. Although the vole decline is predicted to be negative for predators' reproduction and abundance, empirical data showing this are rare. Here we show that the dynamics of a predator-prey system (Tengmalm's owl, Aegolius funereus, and voles), have in recent years gradually changed from 3-4 yr, high-amplitude cycles towards more or less annual fluctuations only.     

Emerging climate‐driven disturbance processes: widespread mortality associated with snow‐to‐rain transitions across 10° of latitude and half the range of a climate‐threatened conifer

Climate change is causing rapid changes to forest disturbance regimes worldwide. While the consequences of climate change for existing disturbance processes, like fires, are relatively well studied, emerging drivers of disturbance such as snow loss and subsequent mortality are much less documented. As the climate warms, a transition from winter snow to rain in high latitudes will cause significant changes in environmental conditions such as soil temperatures, historically buffered by snow cover. The Pacific coast of North America is an excellent test case, as mean winter temperatures are currently at the snow–rain threshold and have been warming for approximately 100 years post‐Little Ice Age. Increased mortality in a widespread tree species in the region has been linked to warmer winters and snow loss. Here, we present the first high‐resolution range map of this climate‐sensitive species, Callitropsis nootkatensis (yellow‐cedar), and document the magnitude and location of observed mortality across Canada and the United States. Snow cover loss related mortality spans approximately 10° latitude (half the native range of the species) and 7% of the overall species range and appears linked to this snow–rain transition across its range. Mortality is commonly >70% of basal area in affected areas, and more common where mean winter temperatures is at or above the snow–rain threshold (>0 °C mean winter temperature). Approximately 50% of areas with a currently suitable climate for the species (相似文献   

Long-term variation in the winter resident bird community of Guánica Forest, Puerto Rico: lessons for measuring and monitoring species richness

ABSTRACT.   Because the winter season is potentially limiting for migratory birds, understanding their nonbreeding distributional patterns is essential. At a given site, patterns of species occurrence and abundance may vary over time and, within a species, wintering strategies may vary with regard to the degree that individuals are site-faithful both within and between winters. We examined long-term patterns in the composition of a winter resident bird community to determine how long a site must be studied to understand the wintering community. Over a 34-yr period of constant-effort mist netting at a site in Guánica, Puerto Rico, we captured 21 species of winter resident birds, with mean total captures varying from 8.3 to 18.9 individuals per net line and 6–14 species captured per year. Species richness capture/recapture models generated numbers similar to actual capture rates. Capture and recapture data allowed us to categorize winter residents into three groups: sporadic winter residents (14 species), regular winter residents (four species captured nearly every year), and dominant winter residents (three species captured each year with high rates of recapture). Our results suggest that sampling for at least three consecutive winters is needed to accurately characterize the bird community at a site. However, sampling for 5 yr is better, and 10-yr samples generate patterns similar to those based on our entire 34-yr sample. A 1-yr sample provides minimal information about the composition and characteristics of a winter resident bird community.     

Effect of Ascaridia compar infection on rock partridge population dynamics: empirical and theoretical investigations

Helminth parasites have the potential to significantly affect the dynamics of their hosts. As a consequence, they can dramatically threaten the persistence of endangered species, such as rock partridge Alectoris graeca saxatilis, found in the Province of Trento (northern Italy). The aim of this work was to understand the effect of helminth parasites on rock partridge fitness, and the subsequent potential effects on host population dynamics. In particular, we investigated the hypothesis that infections from Ascaridia compar induce rock partridge population cycles observed in Trentino. In order to support this hypothesis, we compared the predictions obtained from a host–parasite interaction model including variable parasite aggregation with multi‐annual empirical data of A. compar infection in natural host populations. We estimated host demographic parameters using rock partridge census data from Trentino, and the parasitological parameters from a series of experimental infections in a captive rock partridge population. The host–parasite model predicted higher A. compar abundance in rock partridge populations exhibiting cyclic dynamics compared to non‐cyclic ones. In addition, for cyclic host populations, the model predicted an increase in mean parasite burden with the length of cycle period. Model predictions were well‐supported by field data: significant differences in parasite infection between cyclic and non‐cyclic populations and among cyclic populations with different oscillation periods were observed. On the basis of these results, we conclude that helminth parasites can not be ruled out as drivers of rock partridge population dynamics in Trentino and must be considered when planning conservation strategies of this threatened species.