Climatic influences on survival and reproductive transitions of big-eared woodrats in California oak woodland.

This article investigates how climatic factors, specifically temperature and rainfall, influence the survival and reproductive transitions of female big-eared woodrats (Neotoma macrotis) in California oak woodlands from 2002 to 2014. Using capture-mark-recapture data, the study found that warmer average temperatures during the breeding (winter) season significantly reduce the probability of juveniles and adult females transitioning to reproductive states, while rainfall from the previous season had limited and state-specific effects on survival. Nonreproductive adult females exhibited higher winter survival than reproductive females, indicating a cost of reproduction. The findings suggest that climate warming may negatively impact the reproductive success and population persistence of this keystone species, highlighting the need for further research on its adaptive capacity under changing environmental conditions.