The new study conducted at Stanford reveals muskrats as indicators of a shrinking delta.

The Peace-Athabasca Delta in northeastern Alberta, Canada, home to the muskrat, a rodent the size of a Chihuahua, has been the focus of a recent study published in Communications Biology. The research, led by Elizabeth Hadly, an environmental biologist from Stanford University, and co-authored by Katherine Solari and Amruta Varudkar, suggests that the delta's muskrat population is vulnerable to human-driven changes in water systems and global climate.

The study analysed 288 muskrat tail tissue samples, revealing a long history of rapid die-offs and genetic bottlenecks in the muskrat population today. This is concerning as muskrats rely heavily on floodwaters, rivers, and streams to travel and disperse beyond their natal ponds.

Intriguingly, no single portion of the Peace-Athabasca Delta is more important for muskrat persistence than another. However, the most recent year of net population increase after flooding, 2014, was less productive than any such growth year going back to the 1970s. This indicates a shrinking boom in recent decades, a pattern that has been observed in the muskrat's boom-and-bust cycle, where numbers crash in dry years and peak after major floods.

The research also found that there is not as much genetic diversity in the muskrat population as would be expected, even during peak years. This lack of diversity could potentially make the population more susceptible to environmental changes.

The computer simulations account for all stages of muskrat life, including travels, diet, reproduction, and mortality causes. Stanford Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, the Stanford Graduate Fellowship program, and Stanford Earth provided graduate student support for the study.

The Peace-Athabasca Delta is central to the culture and livelihoods of Indigenous peoples, including the Mikisew Cree First Nation, Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation, and Métis Local 125. Wood Buffalo National Park, where the delta is located, is home to the planet's biggest herd of free-roaming bison and the last natural nesting ground for the endangered whooping crane.

The research was supported by an Environmental Venture Project Grant from Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment. The organization that supported the research on the population and population dynamics of the muskrat in the Peace-Athabasca Delta is not explicitly stated in the provided search results.

In conclusion, the study underscores the need for careful management of water systems in the Peace-Athabasca Delta to ensure the continued survival of the muskrat population and the many other plants, animals, and people who depend on this unique ecosystem.