"Recent vegetation phenology variability and wild reindeer migration in Hardangervidda plateau (Norway)"

• Main Authors: Courault, Romain, Franclet, Alexiane, Bourrand, Kevin, Bilodeau, Clélia, Said, Sonia, Cohen, Marianne
• Other Authors: Espaces, Nature et Culture (ENeC), Université Paris-Sorbonne (UP4)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN), Université Paris Diderot - Paris 7 (UPD7), Laboratoire Dynamiques Sociales et Recomposition des Espaces (LADYSS), Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne (UP1)-Université Paris 8 Vincennes-Saint-Denis (UP8)-Université Paris Nanterre (UPN)-Université Paris Diderot - Paris 7 (UPD7)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), ONCFS
• Format: Other/Unknown Material
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2017
• Subjects: ungulates; vegetation; phenology; choices; habitat; arctic; Spatial analysis statistics; geo; envir; Arctic; Forbes; Gunn; Norway; The Sentinel; Climate change; Fennoscandia; Rangifer tarandus; Subarctic; Tundra
• Online Access: https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01462267/file/Courault_ICC2017_v2.pdf; https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01462267

International audience More than others, arctic and subarctic ecosystems are affected by rapid consequences of global climate changes. The effects on Scandinavian reindeer migrations and interactions with environment are studied here. The herbivorous plays numerous roles both in Scandinavian natural and cultural landscapes (Forbes et al., 2007). In particular, reindeer grazing history is suspected to strongly interact with balance of carbon in tundra ecosystems (Väisanen et al., 2014). Moreover, the sentinel-specie allow us a better understanding of interactions between arctic ungulates and cold ecotones in the context of increasing extent and biomass of vascular plants (shrubs, forbes) for Eurasiatic subpolar latitudes (Macias-Fauria et al., 2012). The IUCN red list of endangered species has just classified reindeer Rangifer tarandus as vulnerable (Gunn, IUCN, 2016). Wild reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus L.) herds in Hardangervidda mountainous plateau (Norway) constitute one of the three isolated populations along Fennoscandia mountain range. Population is declining (above 30 000 individuals in 1960, above 5000 in 2010, Uboni et al., 2016) threatening it to bottle-neck effects and then serious difficulties to adapt to potential effects of climate change (directs: summer and weather conditions; indirect: forage resources availability and accessibility, insect harassment and parasitism). The study aims firstly to understand temporal and spatial variability of seasonal habitat choices for all individuals. We then characterize phenological variability with Corine Land Cover ecological habitat assessment and bi-monthly NDVI index (MODIS 13Q1, 2000-2015, 250 m.). Thirdly, we test relationships between 2000-2015 averaged onset and monthly median center location for population and individuals.The GPS-tracks dataset comes from Cagnacci et al., 2015, monitoring 7 individuals with GPS collars. The temporal coverage is 2007-2010, with a bi-monthly accuracy. The biogeophysical descriptors are represented by altitudes, ...