High seasonal overlap in habitat suitability in a non-migratory High Arctic ungulate
Understanding drivers of space use and habitat selection is essential for management and conservation, especially under rapid environmental change. Here, we develop summer and winter habitat suitability models for the endemic wild Svalbard reindeer (Rangifer tarandus platyrhynchus). The High Arctic...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2023-09-01
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| Series: | Global Ecology and Conservation |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2351989423001634 |
| _version_ | 1797802217083764736 |
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| author | Å.Ø. Pedersen E.M. Soininen B.B. Hansen M. Le Moullec L.E. Loe I.M.G. Paulsen I. Eischeid S.R. Karlsen E. Ropstad A. Stien A. Tarroux H. Tømmervik V. Ravolainen |
| author_facet | Å.Ø. Pedersen E.M. Soininen B.B. Hansen M. Le Moullec L.E. Loe I.M.G. Paulsen I. Eischeid S.R. Karlsen E. Ropstad A. Stien A. Tarroux H. Tømmervik V. Ravolainen |
| author_sort | Å.Ø. Pedersen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Understanding drivers of space use and habitat selection is essential for management and conservation, especially under rapid environmental change. Here, we develop summer and winter habitat suitability models for the endemic wild Svalbard reindeer (Rangifer tarandus platyrhynchus). The High Arctic Svalbard tundra is currently subject to the fastest temperature increases on Earth, and reindeer spatial responses to associated environmental change are strongly restricted due to landscape barriers (including 60% glacial coverage) and lack of sea ice as movement corridors. We used an extensive dataset of GPS-collared adult females (2009–2018; N = 268 individual-years) to model seasonal habitat selection as a function of remotely sensed environmental variables , and subsequently built habitat suitability models using an ensemble modelling framework. As expected, we found that reindeer preferred productive habitats, described by the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and plant biomass (derived from a vegetation map), in both seasons. This was further supported by selection for bird cliff areas, rich in forage, improving habitat suitability especially in winter. Contrary to our expectations, the terrain variables had similar, impact on habitat suitability in the two seasons, except for use of higher elevations in winter, likely related to improved forage access due to less snow. Suitable habitat patches covered only a small proportion of the landscape and were highly clustered in both seasons. About 13.0% of the total land area was suitable in both seasons, while summer-only and winter-only areas contributed a marginal addition of around 4.7% and 1.5%, respectively. This suggests, that unlike many continental and migratory Rangifer populations, even small geographic areas may encompass suffiscient suitable habitat. These first archipelago-wide habitat suitability models provide seasonal baseline maps relevant for the management and conservation of Svalbard reindeer, particularly under rapid environmental alterations from climate change. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-13T05:02:22Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-09731315fe5f417c921a7b66799488c5 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2351-9894 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-13T05:02:22Z |
| publishDate | 2023-09-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Global Ecology and Conservation |
| spelling | doaj.art-09731315fe5f417c921a7b66799488c52023-06-17T05:18:45ZengElsevierGlobal Ecology and Conservation2351-98942023-09-0145e02528High seasonal overlap in habitat suitability in a non-migratory High Arctic ungulateÅ.Ø. Pedersen0E.M. Soininen1B.B. Hansen2M. Le Moullec3L.E. Loe4I.M.G. Paulsen5I. Eischeid6S.R. Karlsen7E. Ropstad8A. Stien9A. Tarroux10H. Tømmervik11V. Ravolainen12Norwegian Polar Institute, Fram - High North Research Centre for Climate and the Environment, NO-9296 Tromsø, Norway; Corresponding author.UiT – Arctic University of Norway, Department of Arctic sand Marine Biology, NO-9037 Tromsø, NorwayNorwegian Institute for Nature Research, Department of Terrestrial Ecology, NO-7485 Trondheim, Norway; Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, NO-7491 Trondheim, NorwayNorwegian University of Science and Technology, Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, NO-7491 Trondheim, NorwayNorwegian University for Life Sciences, Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Høgskoleveien 12, NO-1432 Ås, NorwayNorwegian Polar Institute, Fram - High North Research Centre for Climate and the Environment, NO-9296 Tromsø, NorwayNorwegian Polar Institute, Fram - High North Research Centre for Climate and the Environment, NO-9296 Tromsø, Norway; UiT – Arctic University of Norway, Department of Arctic sand Marine Biology, NO-9037 Tromsø, NorwayNORCE Norwegian Research Centre AS, P.O. Box 6434, NO-9294 Tromsø, NorwayNorwegian University for Life Sciences, Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Høgskoleveien 12, NO-1432 Ås, NorwayUiT – Arctic University of Norway, Department of Arctic sand Marine Biology, NO-9037 Tromsø, NorwayNorwegian Institute for Nature Research, Fram - High North Research Centre for Climate and the Environment, NO-9296 Tromsø, NorwayNorwegian Institute for Nature Research, Fram - High North Research Centre for Climate and the Environment, NO-9296 Tromsø, NorwayNorwegian Polar Institute, Fram - High North Research Centre for Climate and the Environment, NO-9296 Tromsø, NorwayUnderstanding drivers of space use and habitat selection is essential for management and conservation, especially under rapid environmental change. Here, we develop summer and winter habitat suitability models for the endemic wild Svalbard reindeer (Rangifer tarandus platyrhynchus). The High Arctic Svalbard tundra is currently subject to the fastest temperature increases on Earth, and reindeer spatial responses to associated environmental change are strongly restricted due to landscape barriers (including 60% glacial coverage) and lack of sea ice as movement corridors. We used an extensive dataset of GPS-collared adult females (2009–2018; N = 268 individual-years) to model seasonal habitat selection as a function of remotely sensed environmental variables , and subsequently built habitat suitability models using an ensemble modelling framework. As expected, we found that reindeer preferred productive habitats, described by the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and plant biomass (derived from a vegetation map), in both seasons. This was further supported by selection for bird cliff areas, rich in forage, improving habitat suitability especially in winter. Contrary to our expectations, the terrain variables had similar, impact on habitat suitability in the two seasons, except for use of higher elevations in winter, likely related to improved forage access due to less snow. Suitable habitat patches covered only a small proportion of the landscape and were highly clustered in both seasons. About 13.0% of the total land area was suitable in both seasons, while summer-only and winter-only areas contributed a marginal addition of around 4.7% and 1.5%, respectively. This suggests, that unlike many continental and migratory Rangifer populations, even small geographic areas may encompass suffiscient suitable habitat. These first archipelago-wide habitat suitability models provide seasonal baseline maps relevant for the management and conservation of Svalbard reindeer, particularly under rapid environmental alterations from climate change.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2351989423001634Biomod2ENFANDVIPlant biomassPredictive habitat modelRangifer tarandus platyrhynchus |
| spellingShingle | Å.Ø. Pedersen E.M. Soininen B.B. Hansen M. Le Moullec L.E. Loe I.M.G. Paulsen I. Eischeid S.R. Karlsen E. Ropstad A. Stien A. Tarroux H. Tømmervik V. Ravolainen High seasonal overlap in habitat suitability in a non-migratory High Arctic ungulate Global Ecology and Conservation Biomod2 ENFA NDVI Plant biomass Predictive habitat model Rangifer tarandus platyrhynchus |
| title | High seasonal overlap in habitat suitability in a non-migratory High Arctic ungulate |
| title_full | High seasonal overlap in habitat suitability in a non-migratory High Arctic ungulate |
| title_fullStr | High seasonal overlap in habitat suitability in a non-migratory High Arctic ungulate |
| title_full_unstemmed | High seasonal overlap in habitat suitability in a non-migratory High Arctic ungulate |
| title_short | High seasonal overlap in habitat suitability in a non-migratory High Arctic ungulate |
| title_sort | high seasonal overlap in habitat suitability in a non migratory high arctic ungulate |
| topic | Biomod2 ENFA NDVI Plant biomass Predictive habitat model Rangifer tarandus platyrhynchus |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2351989423001634 |
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