Abstract

The 13th International Arctic Ungulate Conference was held in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada, from 22-26 August 2011. This biennial conference is the primary venue for meetings of the International Arctic Ungulate Society. Over 200 delegates attended the conference with representation from Canada, the United States, Norway, Sweden, Greenland, Finland, Russia, and Japan. The theme of the conference was “Challenges of Managing Northern Ungulates”. The goal of the conference organizers was to address the difficulties of managing ungulate populations that are faced with the unpredictable effects of climate change and an ever-increasing human presence on the land. The conference also focussed on the challenges associated with developing recovery actions for declining caribou and reindeer populations that are an integral part of Aboriginal cultures and ways of life.

Highlights

  • Movement is one of the most striking features of the ecology of reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus). e species inhabits the highly seasonal circumpolar environment, and typically follows greening vegetation by migrating from lichen-rich winter habitat with relatively little snow cover to highly productive and insect-free calving and summer pastures. e importance of the search for the optimal seasonal habitat to tness is such that some Rangifer populations perform the longest overland movements in the world (Bergman et al, 2000)

  • We monitored 10 reindeer for a total of 21 reindeer-years; for each reindeer-year we obtained a minimum of 1085 locations, and a maximum of 2921 locations, for a total of 48 256 global positioning system (GPS) positions, which can be viewed at http://www. dyreposisjoner.no

  • All spring crossings occurred between April 11th and May 8th and during autumn/winter between Sept. 9th and Jan. 2nd (Oct. 9th ± 23 days, n = 22; note: in only two cases reindeer crossed after Oct. 13th)

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Summary

Introduction

Movement is one of the most striking features of the ecology of reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus). e species inhabits the highly seasonal circumpolar environment, and typically follows greening vegetation by migrating from lichen-rich winter habitat with relatively little snow cover to highly productive and insect-free calving and summer pastures. e importance of the search for the optimal seasonal habitat to tness is such that some Rangifer populations perform the longest overland movements in the world (Bergman et al, 2000). Examining interrelationships between various health indicators, as well as their trends over time and across herds and geographic regions, provides new insights into the ecology of a species and functioning of an ecosystem Animals aggregate into small groups in alpine areas, often occurring on snow patches for thermoregulation and insect avoidance (Ion & Kershaw, 1989). e summer, or post-calving, season lasts until roughly lateSeptember at which time males and females begin to aggregate on alpine plateaus during breeding (i.e., the rut) which lasts until approximately the middle of October at which time breeding groups break up and animals prepare to move to their winter ranges

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