Wild reindeer winter migratory patterns (Hardangervidda, Norway): what resilience under climate change?

• Main Authors: Courault, Romain, Cohen, Marianne, ronchail, josyane
• Other Authors: Sorbonne Université (SU), Université Paris-Sorbonne - Paris 4 - UFR Géographie et Aménagement (UP4 UFR GA), Université Paris-Sorbonne (UP4), Espaces, Nature et Culture (ENeC), Université Paris-Sorbonne (UP4)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Océan et variabilité du climat (VARCLIM), Laboratoire d'Océanographie et du Climat : Expérimentations et Approches Numériques (LOCEAN), Institut Pierre-Simon-Laplace (IPSL (FR_636)), École normale supérieure - Paris (ENS Paris), Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (UVSQ)-Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-École polytechnique (X)-Centre National d'Études Spatiales Toulouse (CNES)-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université de Paris (UP)-École normale supérieure - Paris (ENS Paris), Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (UVSQ)-Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-École polytechnique (X)-Centre National d'Études Spatiales Toulouse (CNES)-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université de Paris (UP)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Institut Pierre-Simon-Laplace (IPSL (FR_636)), Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (UVSQ)-Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-École polytechnique (X)-Centre National d'Études Spatiales Toulouse (CNES)-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université de Paris (UP)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Sorbonne Université (SU), Université Paris Diderot - Paris 7 (UPD7)
• Format: Other/Unknown Material
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2018
• Subjects: geo; envir; Forbes; Norway; Rangifer tarandus; Subarctic
• Online Access: https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-01800370

International audience In subarctic areas, global warming has strong consequences on ecosystems (IPCC, 2014). Reindeer (Rangifer tarandus L. 1758) is a northern ungulate with a subarctic distribution. Its long-distance seasonal migration between forests and altitudinal forbes and grasses is particularly important for ecosystem structures and functions. During winter, reindeers move on shorter distances. Little is known about the links between climatological variability and migration of herbivorous. We test these relationships during the winter season, to assess the adaptability of reindeer to climate irregularity, increasing with global warming. 7 to 8 reindeers individuals have been equipped with GPS-collar in Hardangervidda plateau, Southern Norway, during 3 years (2007-2010), with a 3 hours repetitiveness. Datasets from Cagnacci et al. 2013, have been down-loaded from Datadryad portal. We aggregated GPS locations for the whole surveyed population and on a daily basis. In winter, the Northern Atlantic Oscillation is the most prevalent teleconnexion (Rødsvik Kolloen, 2015). We downloaded daily NAO index dataset (NOAA-NCEP portal), standardized by the 1981-2010 period. During 2007-2010 winters, NAO anomalies are ranging from positive (+0.7), slightly negative (-0.1) to strongly negative (-2.4), corresponding to three types of weather conditions. We also acquired (Norwegian Meteorological Institute) daily minimal, mean, maximal temperatures, rainfall and snow depth, from two meteorological stations located less than 10km to reindeer's vital areas (Høydalsmo, 590m; Rauland, 715m). We processed datasets using Spear-man correlation matrix to test the links between climatology and reindeer locations. We further checked if these correlations are consistent with reindeer ecology (e.g. reindeer' seasonal and diurnal behavior) and biogeography (movements into reindeer' vital area). Results shows significant relationships between reindeers' GPS location, NAO values and climatic records. The more the NAO is positive, the ...