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Habitat use of wild Reindeer (Rangifer t.tarandus) in Hardangervidda, Norway

Falldorf, Tobias
Research report
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URI
http://hdl.handle.net/11250/2397707
Date
2013
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  • NINA Rapport/NINA Report [2019]
  • Publikasjoner fra CRIStin - NINA [1827]
Original version
Falldorf, T. 2013. Habitat use of wild Reindeer (Rangifer t. tarandus) in Hardangervidda, Norway. - NINA Report 982. 254 pp.  
Abstract
As a migratory species living in the (sub-)arctic reindeer are highly sensitive to the effects of

habitat fragmentation, cumulated human disturbance and climate change. In a rapidly changing

environment a better understanding of their habitat use is therefore crucial for the longterm

conservation of wild reindeer and in order to improve management plans. In this thesis I

present research on the habitat selection of wild reindeer (Rangifer t. tarandus) in Hardangervidda,

Norway, focusing on (A) how seasonal differences in distribution and movement

patterns of wild reindeer can be described and quantified (chapter 2), (B) how the land cover

of the alpine study area can be classified accurately using selected parametric and nonparametric

classifiers on satellite imagery with and without ancillary data (chapter 3), (C)

how the current status of lichen pastures can be mapped and quantified (chapter 4) and (D)

how reindeer habitat selection can be modeled at different temporal and spatial scales (chapter

5).

To answer question (A), 28 wild, female reindeer in Hardangervidda were equipped with

global positioning system collars (GPS). Based on the recorded tracking data, a method is

presented to detect and define annual seasons empirically (floating cut-off points within correlated

random walks (CRW) models). Reindeer are shown to perform seasonal migrations

within the study area and the underlying movement patterns are described and quantified using

multiple parameters (directionality and regularity of movement, activity level and

size/stability of seasonal home range). Significant seasonal differences in movement patterns

are detected and related to (potential) underlying factors (climate, differences in spatial distribution

of resources between seasons, human disturbance and social behaviour of reindeer).

Answering question (B), a method for land cover classification within a mountainous area is

proposed based on Landsat imagery and ancillary data (DEM and derivates, images from different

seasons). Relevant land cover classes for resource selection of wild reindeer are defined

and the study area is classified accordingly. The kNN classifier demonstrates superior results

as compared to maximum likelihood and decision tree classifiers. It is shown, that the use of

ancillary data can significantly improve the overall classification accuracies for all tested

classifiers and the class accuracies of the vast majority of classes.
Publisher
Norsk institutt for naturforskning
Series
NINA Rapport;982

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