Avoidance of cabins, roads, and power lines by reindeer during calving
By I. Vistnes, C. Nellemann. 2001
151 citations recorded by the source corpus.
We investigated possible avoidance behavior of calving semi-domesticated reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus) near recreational cabins, roads, and power transmission lines in Repparfjord Valley, northern Norway. The distribution, sex, and general age composition of the reindeer were mapped during the 1998 and 1999 calving seasons (n = 776 and n = 678, respectively) using systematic snowmobile and ski surveys. Mean reindeer density within preferred habitat was 78% lower in the area 4 km from the resort (1.47 vs. 6.68 reindeer/km 2 , respectively). Mean reindeer density by the power line corridor without traffic was 73% lower in the area 4 km from the power line for comparable habitat. Areas <4 km from anthropogenic structures were avoided despite low levels of human traffic and a high proportion of preferred habitat. Within snow-free sites available for grazing, no significant differences occurred in phenological development of cotton-grass (Eriophorum spp.), in live:dead ratio of plant material, or in graminoid biomass with distance to the tourist resort. Almost 74% of all available forage was located within the avoided 0-4-km zones from the resort or the separate power line. Our results suggest that power lines, even without human traffic, may result in substantial reductions in the use of foraging areas. The combined actions of power lines, roads, and cabins may increase potential avoidance, thereby increasing the use of remaining undisturbed grazing grounds. Possible increased competition for high-quality forage may affect lactation, body condition, and, hence, reproductive success in the long term.
Subfields: Ecology, General Health Professions
View Paper: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/a21ce5cef1f39ef42555a3b3404c4dfc318b87cc
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In Ecology
In General Health Professions
Citations in the corpus
- Resident Attitudes Towards Mountain Second-Home Tourism Development in Norway: The Effects of Environmental Attitudes (2008, background): “The rapid expansion of second homes in sub-alpine and ecologically sensitive areas in Scandinavia (Kaltenborn et al., 2006; Nellemann et al., 2000, 2001; Støen, 2006; Vistnes & Nellemann, 2001, 2006) has led to a debate about potential negative environmental consequences.”
- The matter of spatial and temporal scales: a review of reindeer and caribou response to human activity (2008, background): “In Norway, several reindeer studies showed avoidance at varying levels to roads, power lines, resorts and dams (Nellemann et al. 2000, 2001, 2003; Vistnes and Nellemann 2001; Vistnes et al. 2001, 2004a).”
- Terrain use by an expanding brown bear population in relation to age, recreational resorts and human settlements (2007, background): “…caribou (Rangifer tarandus granti), muskoxen (Ovibos moschatus) and African elephants (Loxodonta africana) (Nellemann and Cameron, 1996; Nellemann and Reynolds, 1997; Vistnes and Nellemann, 2001; Nellemann et al., 2002), and small predators like the Arctic fox (Alopex lagopus; Eide et al., 2001).”
- Synchrony between caribou calving and plant phenology in depredated and non-depredated populations (2003, background): “As a consequence, large herbivores adapted to reproducing in the far north, such as caribou and wild reindeer, display considerable selectivity and sensitivity to patterns of plant phenology in their use of calving sites (Eastland et al. 1989; Fancy and Whitten 1991; Nellemann and Thomsen 1994; Vist”