Sexual Segregation and Population Dynamics in Ungulates
Summary
Sexual segregation in ungulates manifests in spatial, nutritional and social dimensions whereby males and females occupy different habitats and use distinct resources outside the breeding season. These patterns arise from marked sexual dimorphism, divergent digestive physiology and varying predation risks. Males, often larger, seek habitats rich in high-quality forage, while females prioritise areas offering cover and safety for rearing young. Such segregation influences group structure, individual survival and reproductive success, thereby shaping population dynamics. Environmental changes—climate warming, altered disturbance regimes and resource fluctuations—can shift segregation patterns, with cascading effects on distribution, demography and management of ungulate populations worldwide.
Research from Nature Portfolio
Recent work on mountain-adapted ungulates has uncovered critical drivers of demographic change. Long-term tracking of coastal mountain goats revealed that snow avalanches account for a substantial share of annual mortality, disproportionately removing prime-aged individuals and causing pronounced fluctuations in population growth rates. Another study on Alpine ibex demonstrated that rising temperatures force individuals to adjust space use to minimise heat stress, reducing foraging time and predicting upward shifts into constrained thermal refugia. Together, these studies highlight how climate-mediated mortality and behavioural thermoregulation shape the population trajectories of slow-growing ungulates in high-altitude ecosystems.
Sexual Segregation and Population Dynamics in Ungulates publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in sexual segregation and population dynamics in ungulates across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Sexual segregation: The phenomenon by which males and females of a species use different habitats or resources outside the breeding season.
Population dynamics: The study of how and why population sizes and structures change over time due to births, deaths, immigration and emigration.
Resource partitioning: The division of resources among individuals or groups to reduce competition and allow coexistence.
Polygyny: A mating system in which a male mates with multiple females during a breeding season.
References
- Animal conflicts escalate in a warmer world. The Science of The Total Environment (2023).
- Snow avalanches are a primary climate-linked driver of mountain ungulate populations. Communications Biology (2024).
- Forecasting the response to global warming in a heat-sensitive species. Scientific Reports (2019).
- Density-Dependent Effects on Group Size Are Sex-Specific in a Gregarious Ungulate. PLOS ONE (2013).
- Elevational range shifts in four mountain ungulate species from the Swiss Alps. Ecosphere (2017).
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