RESEARCH NOTE Svalbard reindeer population size and trends in four sub-areas of Edgeøya

In summer 2006 Svalbard reindeer (Rangifer tarandus platyrhynchus) in south-western Edgeøya (Plurdalen, Grunnlinjesletta, Siegelfjellet and Burmeisterfjel-let) showed a low population (181 animals) and recruitment rate, in terms of both calves (9.4%) and yearlings (1.2%). The low recruitment rates w...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Eigil Reimers, Mortality Rangifer Tar, Us Platyrhynchus
Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
Format: Text
Language:English
Subjects:
and high die-off in some winters along with low recruit
Edgeøya
Plurdalen
Siegelfjellet
Svalbard
Rangifer tarandus
Rangifer tarandus platyrhynchus
svalbard reindeer
Ursus maritimus
Online Access:http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.645.7383
http://www.polarresearch.net/index.php/polar/article/download/11089/pdf_1/
Description
Summary:In summer 2006 Svalbard reindeer (Rangifer tarandus platyrhynchus) in south-western Edgeøya (Plurdalen, Grunnlinjesletta, Siegelfjellet and Burmeisterfjel-let) showed a low population (181 animals) and recruitment rate, in terms of both calves (9.4%) and yearlings (1.2%). The low recruitment rates were not accompanied by high winter mortality: of only five carcasses found, none were calves born in 2005. A comparison with survey data from 1969 in a restricted part of the study area (Plurdalen and Grunnlinjesletta) shows a consistently low recruitment rate since 1975, indicating a stable or slowly decreasing population. Comprising the northernmost populations of Rangifer, the insular Svalbard reindeer (Rangifer tarandus platyrhynchus) inhabits an environment without grazing competitors or parasitizing insects. Besides polar bears (Ursus maritimus), which occasionally prey on Svalbard reindeer (Derocher

Similar Items