The Hardangervidda wild reindeer herd: a problematic management history
The unique and internationally important wild reindeer Rangifer tarandus herd on the Hardangervidda plateau of southern Norway has shown frequent and extreme fluctuations in harvest numbers for the past 60 years, despite considerable effort to stabilize the herd size at a winter carrying capacity of...
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Language: | English |
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Septentrio Academic Publishing
2014
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Online Access: | https://septentrio.uit.no/index.php/rangifer/article/view/2951 https://doi.org/10.7557/2.34.1.2951 |
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ftunitroemsoe:oai:ojs.henry.ub.uit.no:article/2951 2023-05-15T18:03:55+02:00 The Hardangervidda wild reindeer herd: a problematic management history Bjerketvedt, Dag K. Reimers, Eigil Parker, Howard Borgstrøm, Reidar 2014-05-13 application/pdf https://septentrio.uit.no/index.php/rangifer/article/view/2951 https://doi.org/10.7557/2.34.1.2951 eng eng Septentrio Academic Publishing https://septentrio.uit.no/index.php/rangifer/article/view/2951/2882 https://septentrio.uit.no/index.php/rangifer/article/view/2951 doi:10.7557/2.34.1.2951 Copyright (c) 2015 Dag K. Bjerketvedt, Eigil Reimers, Howard Parker, Reidar Borgstrøm http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ CC-BY Rangifer; Årg 34 Nr 1 (2014); 57-72 Rangifer; Vol 34 No 1 (2014); 57-72 1890-6729 Hardangervidda harvest success hunting landowners management population dynamics Rangifer tarandus wild reindeer info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion 2014 ftunitroemsoe https://doi.org/10.7557/2.34.1.2951 2021-08-16T15:13:55Z The unique and internationally important wild reindeer Rangifer tarandus herd on the Hardangervidda plateau of southern Norway has shown frequent and extreme fluctuations in harvest numbers for the past 60 years, despite considerable effort to stabilize the herd size at a winter carrying capacity of 9000 – 12 000 animals . In the absence of large mammalian predators, herd size is managed through hunting. Here we attempt to unravel the causes of the management problems related to this population by examining the relative roles of historical, biological and management-related processes. From 1900 - 1950 the population remained mainly low due to a combination of generous harvest quotas, poaching and competition from domestic reindeer. From 1950 - 2012 three extreme harvest peaks of between 4500 - 9500 animals occurred, followed by three equally extreme troughs including two shorter periods of total protection. This extreme harvest fluctuation contrasts with the estimated annual harvest of 2300 - 3000 needed to stabilize the winter herd between 9000 - 12 000 animals. We conclude that this population has been difficult to manage mainly because of 1) a management based on frequently unreliable population data on herd size (especially before 2001), 2) lack of in depth analyses and evaluation of both recruitment and sex and age composition and 3) a low and highly variable harvest success (harvest/quota) due mainly to poor hunter mobility, a disadvantage when reindeer must be harvested from large flocks that constantly move upwind, seeking refuge on small areas with few hunters. More reliable population data to create better harvest models plus increased hunter mobility are necessary to attain a more sustainable herd size, implying an improvement of the current herd survey methodology available to local reindeer boards. Finally, a critical and independent evaluation of the scientific methodology employed to study and manage this herd is needed. Article in Journal/Newspaper Rangifer Rangifer tarandus University of Tromsø: Septentrio Academic Publishing Norway Rangifer 34 1 57 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
University of Tromsø: Septentrio Academic Publishing |
op_collection_id |
ftunitroemsoe |
language |
English |
topic |
Hardangervidda harvest success hunting landowners management population dynamics Rangifer tarandus wild reindeer |
spellingShingle |
Hardangervidda harvest success hunting landowners management population dynamics Rangifer tarandus wild reindeer Bjerketvedt, Dag K. Reimers, Eigil Parker, Howard Borgstrøm, Reidar The Hardangervidda wild reindeer herd: a problematic management history |
topic_facet |
Hardangervidda harvest success hunting landowners management population dynamics Rangifer tarandus wild reindeer |
description |
The unique and internationally important wild reindeer Rangifer tarandus herd on the Hardangervidda plateau of southern Norway has shown frequent and extreme fluctuations in harvest numbers for the past 60 years, despite considerable effort to stabilize the herd size at a winter carrying capacity of 9000 – 12 000 animals . In the absence of large mammalian predators, herd size is managed through hunting. Here we attempt to unravel the causes of the management problems related to this population by examining the relative roles of historical, biological and management-related processes. From 1900 - 1950 the population remained mainly low due to a combination of generous harvest quotas, poaching and competition from domestic reindeer. From 1950 - 2012 three extreme harvest peaks of between 4500 - 9500 animals occurred, followed by three equally extreme troughs including two shorter periods of total protection. This extreme harvest fluctuation contrasts with the estimated annual harvest of 2300 - 3000 needed to stabilize the winter herd between 9000 - 12 000 animals. We conclude that this population has been difficult to manage mainly because of 1) a management based on frequently unreliable population data on herd size (especially before 2001), 2) lack of in depth analyses and evaluation of both recruitment and sex and age composition and 3) a low and highly variable harvest success (harvest/quota) due mainly to poor hunter mobility, a disadvantage when reindeer must be harvested from large flocks that constantly move upwind, seeking refuge on small areas with few hunters. More reliable population data to create better harvest models plus increased hunter mobility are necessary to attain a more sustainable herd size, implying an improvement of the current herd survey methodology available to local reindeer boards. Finally, a critical and independent evaluation of the scientific methodology employed to study and manage this herd is needed. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Bjerketvedt, Dag K. Reimers, Eigil Parker, Howard Borgstrøm, Reidar |
author_facet |
Bjerketvedt, Dag K. Reimers, Eigil Parker, Howard Borgstrøm, Reidar |
author_sort |
Bjerketvedt, Dag K. |
title |
The Hardangervidda wild reindeer herd: a problematic management history |
title_short |
The Hardangervidda wild reindeer herd: a problematic management history |
title_full |
The Hardangervidda wild reindeer herd: a problematic management history |
title_fullStr |
The Hardangervidda wild reindeer herd: a problematic management history |
title_full_unstemmed |
The Hardangervidda wild reindeer herd: a problematic management history |
title_sort |
hardangervidda wild reindeer herd: a problematic management history |
publisher |
Septentrio Academic Publishing |
publishDate |
2014 |
url |
https://septentrio.uit.no/index.php/rangifer/article/view/2951 https://doi.org/10.7557/2.34.1.2951 |
geographic |
Norway |
geographic_facet |
Norway |
genre |
Rangifer Rangifer tarandus |
genre_facet |
Rangifer Rangifer tarandus |
op_source |
Rangifer; Årg 34 Nr 1 (2014); 57-72 Rangifer; Vol 34 No 1 (2014); 57-72 1890-6729 |
op_relation |
https://septentrio.uit.no/index.php/rangifer/article/view/2951/2882 https://septentrio.uit.no/index.php/rangifer/article/view/2951 doi:10.7557/2.34.1.2951 |
op_rights |
Copyright (c) 2015 Dag K. Bjerketvedt, Eigil Reimers, Howard Parker, Reidar Borgstrøm http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ |
op_rightsnorm |
CC-BY |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.7557/2.34.1.2951 |
container_title |
Rangifer |
container_volume |
34 |
container_issue |
1 |
container_start_page |
57 |
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1766175026977964032 |