Reindeer use of low Arctic tundra correlates with landscape structure
Rapid climate change in Arctic regions is linked to the expansion of woody taxa (shrubification), and an increase in biomass as tundra becomes greener. Reindeer and caribou (Rangifer tarandus) are considered able to suppress vegetative greening through grazing and trampling. Quantifying reindeer use...
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Högskolan Dalarna, Statistik
2020
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ftunivdalarna:oai:DiVA.org:du-35513 2023-10-29T02:29:40+01:00 Reindeer use of low Arctic tundra correlates with landscape structure Skarin, Anna Verdonen, Mariana Kumpula, Timo Macias-Fauria, Marc Alam, Moudud Kerby, Jeffrey Forbes, Bruce C. 2020 application/pdf http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:du-35513 https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/abbf15 eng eng Högskolan Dalarna, Statistik Department of Animal Nutrition and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden Department of Geographical and Historical Studies, University of Eastern Finland, FI-80101, Joensuu, Finland School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QY, United Kingdom Aarhus Institute of Advanced Studies, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark Arctic Centre, University of Lapland, FI-96101, Rovaniemi, Finland Environmental Research Letters, 1748-9326, 2020, 15, orcid:0000-0003-3221-1024 orcid:0000-0002-3183-3756 http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:du-35513 doi:10.1088/1748-9326/abbf15 ISI:000593138400001 Scopus 2-s2.0-85094146592 info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess Rangifer habitat selection woody taxa NDVI albedo active layer thickness climate change Ecology Ekologi Article in journal info:eu-repo/semantics/article text 2020 ftunivdalarna https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/abbf15 2023-09-29T14:55:49Z Rapid climate change in Arctic regions is linked to the expansion of woody taxa (shrubification), and an increase in biomass as tundra becomes greener. Reindeer and caribou (Rangifer tarandus) are considered able to suppress vegetative greening through grazing and trampling. Quantifying reindeer use of different land cover types can help us understand their impact on the growth and recruitment of deciduous shrubs, many of which serve as fodder (e.g. Salix spp.), in favourable habitats, such as naturally denuded landslides in permafrost areas. Understanding the spatial distribution of reindeer pressure on vegetation is important to project future patterns of greening, albedo, snow capture, active layer development, and the overall resilience of tundra rangelands under ongoing climate change. Here we quantify reindeer habitat use within the low Arctic tundra zone of Yamal, West Siberia estimated from pellet-group counts, and also how active layer thickness (ALT) relates to reindeer use. Our results confirm intensive use by reindeer of terrain with high June-July time integrated normalised difference vegetation index, steeper slopes, ridges, upper slopes and valleys, and a preference for low erect shrub tundra. These sites also seem to have a shallower ALT compared to sites less used by reindeer, although we did not find any direct relationship between ALT and reindeer use. Low use of tall Salix habitats indicated that reindeer are unlikely to suppress the growth of already tall-erect woody taxa, while they exert maximum pressure in areas where shrubs are already low in stature, e.g. ridgetops. Reindeer ability to suppress the regrowth and expansion of woody taxa in landslide areas (i.e. concavities) seems limited, as these types were less used. Our results suggest that reindeer use of the landscape and hence their effects on the landscape correlates with the landscape structure. Future research is needed to evaluate the role and efficiency of reindeer as ecosystem engineers capable of mediating the effects of ... Article in Journal/Newspaper Active layer thickness albedo Arctic Climate change permafrost Rangifer tarandus Tundra Siberia Dalarna University: Publications (DiVA) Environmental Research Letters 15 11 115012 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Dalarna University: Publications (DiVA) |
op_collection_id |
ftunivdalarna |
language |
English |
topic |
Rangifer habitat selection woody taxa NDVI albedo active layer thickness climate change Ecology Ekologi |
spellingShingle |
Rangifer habitat selection woody taxa NDVI albedo active layer thickness climate change Ecology Ekologi Skarin, Anna Verdonen, Mariana Kumpula, Timo Macias-Fauria, Marc Alam, Moudud Kerby, Jeffrey Forbes, Bruce C. Reindeer use of low Arctic tundra correlates with landscape structure |
topic_facet |
Rangifer habitat selection woody taxa NDVI albedo active layer thickness climate change Ecology Ekologi |
description |
Rapid climate change in Arctic regions is linked to the expansion of woody taxa (shrubification), and an increase in biomass as tundra becomes greener. Reindeer and caribou (Rangifer tarandus) are considered able to suppress vegetative greening through grazing and trampling. Quantifying reindeer use of different land cover types can help us understand their impact on the growth and recruitment of deciduous shrubs, many of which serve as fodder (e.g. Salix spp.), in favourable habitats, such as naturally denuded landslides in permafrost areas. Understanding the spatial distribution of reindeer pressure on vegetation is important to project future patterns of greening, albedo, snow capture, active layer development, and the overall resilience of tundra rangelands under ongoing climate change. Here we quantify reindeer habitat use within the low Arctic tundra zone of Yamal, West Siberia estimated from pellet-group counts, and also how active layer thickness (ALT) relates to reindeer use. Our results confirm intensive use by reindeer of terrain with high June-July time integrated normalised difference vegetation index, steeper slopes, ridges, upper slopes and valleys, and a preference for low erect shrub tundra. These sites also seem to have a shallower ALT compared to sites less used by reindeer, although we did not find any direct relationship between ALT and reindeer use. Low use of tall Salix habitats indicated that reindeer are unlikely to suppress the growth of already tall-erect woody taxa, while they exert maximum pressure in areas where shrubs are already low in stature, e.g. ridgetops. Reindeer ability to suppress the regrowth and expansion of woody taxa in landslide areas (i.e. concavities) seems limited, as these types were less used. Our results suggest that reindeer use of the landscape and hence their effects on the landscape correlates with the landscape structure. Future research is needed to evaluate the role and efficiency of reindeer as ecosystem engineers capable of mediating the effects of ... |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Skarin, Anna Verdonen, Mariana Kumpula, Timo Macias-Fauria, Marc Alam, Moudud Kerby, Jeffrey Forbes, Bruce C. |
author_facet |
Skarin, Anna Verdonen, Mariana Kumpula, Timo Macias-Fauria, Marc Alam, Moudud Kerby, Jeffrey Forbes, Bruce C. |
author_sort |
Skarin, Anna |
title |
Reindeer use of low Arctic tundra correlates with landscape structure |
title_short |
Reindeer use of low Arctic tundra correlates with landscape structure |
title_full |
Reindeer use of low Arctic tundra correlates with landscape structure |
title_fullStr |
Reindeer use of low Arctic tundra correlates with landscape structure |
title_full_unstemmed |
Reindeer use of low Arctic tundra correlates with landscape structure |
title_sort |
reindeer use of low arctic tundra correlates with landscape structure |
publisher |
Högskolan Dalarna, Statistik |
publishDate |
2020 |
url |
http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:du-35513 https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/abbf15 |
genre |
Active layer thickness albedo Arctic Climate change permafrost Rangifer tarandus Tundra Siberia |
genre_facet |
Active layer thickness albedo Arctic Climate change permafrost Rangifer tarandus Tundra Siberia |
op_relation |
Environmental Research Letters, 1748-9326, 2020, 15, orcid:0000-0003-3221-1024 orcid:0000-0002-3183-3756 http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:du-35513 doi:10.1088/1748-9326/abbf15 ISI:000593138400001 Scopus 2-s2.0-85094146592 |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/abbf15 |
container_title |
Environmental Research Letters |
container_volume |
15 |
container_issue |
11 |
container_start_page |
115012 |
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1781056191206522880 |