Estimating lichen volume and reindeer winter pasture quality from Landsat imagery

Reindeer and caribou are keystone species in the circumpolar region, and rely on lichens as their main winter forage to survive in some of the most extreme environments on Earth. Lichen mats, however, can be heavily overgrazed at high deer densities, triggering area abandonment or population declines. Although the species' management and conservation require precise information on the quality of winter grazing areas, no reliable and cost-efficient methods are available to date to measure lichen volume across wide and remote areas. We developed a new Lichen Volume Estimator, LVE, using remote sensing and field measurements. We used a Landsat TM land cover mask to separate lichen heath communities from other vegetation types and, therein, we predicted lichen volume from a two dimensional Gaussian regression model using two indexes: the Normalized Difference Lichen Index, NDLI (Band 5−Band 4 / Band 5+Band 4), and the Normalized Difference Moisture Index, NDMI (Band 4−Band 5 / Band 4+Band 5). The model was parameterized using 202 ground measurements equally distributed across a gradient ranging from 0 to 80 lichen dm3/m2 (R2=0.74 between predicted and observed ground measurements), and was validated with a ten-fold cross validation procedure (R2=0.67), which also showed a high parameter stability. The LVE can be a valuable tool to predict the quality of winter pastures for reindeer and caribou and, thus, help to improve the species' management and conservation. Remote sensing Habitat mapping Reindeer Lichen volume and biomass Winter pasturespublishedVersio

Cumulative Impacts of Tourist Resorts on Wild Reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus) during Winter

Potential avoidance by wild reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus) of high-altitude tourist resorts during winter was investigated in and near Rondane National Park in Norway. Distribution of reindeer was mapped using systematic snowmobile surveys during 1991-96 and compared with results from investigations of snow and vegetation characteristics. Maternal reindeer avoided a 10 km zone around the resort. Cows and calves increased in density from 0.6 ± 0.6 reindeer/km² at 5-10 km from the resort to 7.6 ± 2.2 reindeer/km² at 15-25 km from the resort. Bulls and yearlings were more tolerant, constituting nearly 92% of all observed animals 5-10 km from the resort. Nearly all animals avoided the zone within 5 km of the resort. There were no significant differences in distribution of lichen heath, hardness of snow, integrated ram hardness index (IRH) values, or snow depths on ridges with increasing distance from the resort. Available biomass of lichens was ca. 1200 g/m² 0-5 km from the resort and decreased to a low of ca. 250 g/m² at 15-25 km distance, a pattern that probably reflects overgrazing as a result of avoiding the tourist resort. Such avoidance implies reduced forage intake during winter, substantial reduction in available habitat, and lower productivity of the herd. The results suggest that avoidance by wild animals of sources of anthropogenic disturbance may involve long-term impacts, such as reductions in carrying capacity, that are more serious than those expected from direct physiological stress.On a étudié le comportement d'évitement des stations touristiques de haute altitude que semble manifester le renne sauvage (Rangifer tarandus tarandus) en hiver, dans le parc national Rondane même et dans ses environs, en Norvège. La distribution du renne a été cartographiée à l'aide de relevés systématiques effectués en motoneige entre 1991 et 1996, et comparée avec les résultats d'études des caractéristiques de la neige et de la végétation. Les mères rennes évitaient une zone de 10 km autour de la station. Les femelles et leurs petits augmentaient en densité de 0,6 ± 0,6 renne/km² entre 5 et 10 km de la station, à 7,6 ± 2,2 renne/km² entre 15 et 25 km de la station. Les mâles et les jeunes d'un an manifestaient une plus grande tolérance, représentant près de 92 p. cent de tous les animaux observés entre 5 et 10 km de la station. Pratiquement tous les animaux évitaient la zone située dans un rayon de 5 km. On n'a pas trouvé de différences significatives en fonction de l'éloignement de la station, dans la distribution de la bruyère à lichens, la dureté de la neige, les valeurs de l'indice intégré de dureté au bélier ou l'épaisseur nivale sur les crêtes. La biomasse de lichens disponible était d'environ 1200 g/m² entre 0 et 5 km de la station et diminuait à un minimum d'environ 250 g/m² à une distance de 15 à 25 km, répartition qui reflète probablement un surpâturage résultant de l'évitement de la station touristique. Ce comportement a pour conséquence une réduction de la consommation de végétation durant l'hiver, une réduction substantielle de l'habitat disponible et une diminution de la productivité du troupeau. Les résultats suggèrent que l'évitement de sources de perturbation anthropogénique par les animaux sauvages peut avoir des répercussions à long terme, comme des baisses de la capacité de charge biogénique, répercussions qui sont plus graves que celles auxquelles on s'attend d'un stress physiologique direct

Dietary and Reproductive Responses of Arctic Foxes to Changes in Small Rodent Abundance

Between 1988 and 1995, dens in three adjacent arctic fox (Alopex lagopus) territories were monitored in an alpine environment in south-central Norway (the Snøhetta plateau). A total of 675 scats were collected at dens in both winter and summer, and the numbers of resident adults and pups at emergence were counted each summer. Small rodents (mainly Lemmus sp. and Microtus sp.) were the most frequently consumed prey and made up the greatest volume within scats, in all seasons and at all stages of the rodent cycle. Small rodents were followed in frequency by reindeer (Rangifer tarandus), hares (Lepus timidus), birds, and vegetation. Birds and vegetation were more common in the summer diet than in the winter diet, reflecting their seasonal availability. The relative volume of reindeer and birds in the diet decreased with increasing rodent abundance. Increased pup production was associated with years of high rodent abundance and a high occurrence of rodents in the diet. Adult numbers were not associated with rodent abundance.Entre 1988 et 1995, on a observé les terriers du renard arctique (Alopex lagopus), dans trois territoires contigus situés dans un environnement alpin du centre-sud de la Norvège (le plateau Snøhetta). En hiver et en été, on a recueilli un total de 675 excréments sur le site des terriers, et chaque été, on a compté le nombre de résidents adultes et de petits qui faisaient leur première sortie du terrier. Les petits rongeurs (surtout Lemmus sp. et Microtus sp.) étaient la proie la plus fréquemment consommée et constituaient le plus gros volume des excréments, en toute saison et à toute étape de la vie du rongeur. Les petits rongeurs étaient suivis en fréquence par le renne (Rangifer tarandus), le lièvre (Lepus timidus), les oiseaux et la végétation. Les oiseaux et les plantes étaient plus courants dans le régime alimentaire estival que dans celui hivernal, ce qui reflétait la disponibilité saisonnière. Le volume relatif de renne et d'oiseaux dans l'alimentation diminuait avec l'augmentation de rongeurs. La production accrue de petits était associée aux années de grande abondance de rongeurs et à une occurrence élevée de rongeurs dans l'alimentation. Le nombre des adultes n'était pas relié à l'abondance de rongeurs

Public – private partnership: A critical discussion

Public-private partnerships have long been highly valued in Western welfare states, and the valuation of such cooperation has become even stronger in light of last year’s economic turbulence, particularly with voluntary non-profit organizations (VNPOs). At the same time, the voluntary sector is changing. The broad popular movements have generally declined in favour of more individual interests as the basis for forming VNPOs, and those organisations still involved in the provision of social services are becoming more and more similar to public service, due to requirements placed on them by the public sector. This is believed to have consequences for the value of such cooperation. If voluntary organisations in public services – or other private organisations for the matter – are becoming copies of public services, there is not much value to be gained from such cooperation, except for some financial gain.In this article, we argue that this conclusion is based on a rather narrow perception of public-voluntary cooperation. Research and debate on such cooperation are mainly preoccupied by what we call supplementary relations, in which voluntary organizations are assessed according to whether they can deliver cheaper or better services than the public sector. Based on an example of public-voluntary cooperation in preventive social work among young adults in Norway, the article show that public-voluntary collaboration can be truly valuable when it is based on a complimentary relation, in which parties collaborate because they command different resources equally important to the task at hand

Mechanisms regulating oocyte recruitment and skippedspawning in Northeast Arctic cod (Gadus morhua L.)

Journal homepage: http://pubs.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/rp-ps/journalDetail.jsp?jcode=cjfas&lang=engTo examine mechanisms that affect fecundity, atresia and skipped spawning in Northeast Arctic cod (Gadus morhua L.), we conducted an experiment where wild-caught cod (>60 cm) kept under restricted food regimes were subjected to monthly biopsies, hormonal and physical measurements. The power of body weight as a fecundity proxy increased until the presumed end of follicle proliferation in early November, thereafter it remained stable. Atresia occurred in most females; but, for maturing females, mainly close to spawning. 18 % of the females had small gonads with predominantly previtellogenic oocytes at sacrifice in January. These females were past-spawners, verified by post ovulatory follicles in their gonadss. These „skippers‟ had lower condition than maturing cod from December, smaller livers upon sacrifice and lower plasma 17-β estradiol values from early November. Until November, oocytes developed similarly for all females, but in November oocyte development was arrested at the early cortical alveoli stage and atresia occurred in all skippers. In sum, fecundity and skipped spawning seem highly influenced by energy reserves during early vitellogenesis and limited to females only. Finally, skippers were identifiable long before the predicted onset of spawning, which could have implications for forecasting of egg production and hence stock-recruitment relationships

No replication of previously reported association with genetic variants in the T cell receptor alpha (TRA) locus for myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS)

This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons license, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons license and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this license, visit http:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is a disease with a variety of symptoms such as post-exertional malaise, fatigue, and pain, but where aetiology and pathogenesis are unknown. An increasing number of studies have implicated the involvement of the immune system in ME/CFS. Furthermore, a hereditary component is suggested by the reported increased risk for disease in relatives, and genetic association studies are being performed to identify potential risk variants. We recently reported an association with the immunologically important human leucocyte antigen (HLA) genes HLA-C and HLA-DQB1 in ME/ CFS. Furthermore, a genome-wide genetic association study in 42 ME/CFS patients reported significant association signals with two variants in the T cell receptor alpha (TRA) locus (P value.publishedVersio

Estimating and managing broad risk of chronic wasting disease spillover among cervid species

The management of infectious wildlife diseases often involves tackling pathogens that infect multiple host species. Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a prion disease that can infect most cervid species. CWD was detected in reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) in Norway in 2016. Sympatric populations of red deer (Cervus elaphus) and moose (Alces alces) are at immediate risk. However, the estimation of spillover risk across species and implementation of multispecies management policies are rarely addressed for wildlife. Here, we estimated the broad risk of CWD spillover from reindeer to red deer and moose by quantifying the probability of co-occurrence based on both (1) population density and (2) habitat niche overlap from GPS data of all three species in Nordfjella, Norway. We describe the practical challenges faced when aiming to reduce the risk of spillover through a marked reduction in the population densities of moose and red deer using recreational hunters. This involves setting the population and harvest aims with uncertain information and how to achieve them. The niche overlap between reindeer and both moose and red deer was low overall but occurred seasonally. Migratory red deer had a moderate niche overlap with the CWD-infected reindeer population during the calving period, whereas moose had a moderate niche overlap during both calving and winter. Incorporating both habitat overlap and the population densities of the respective species into the quantification of co-occurrence allowed for more spatially targeted risk maps. An initial aim of a 50% reduction in abundance for the Nordfjella region was set, but only a moderate population decrease of less than 20% from 2016 to 2021 was achieved. Proactive management in the form of marked population reduction is invasive and unpopular when involving species of high societal value, and targeting efforts to zones with a high risk of spillover to limit adverse impacts and achieve wider societal acceptance is important. disease management, host range, moose, multihost pathogens, niche overlap, Norway, population estimation, red deer, reindeerpublishedVersio

Estimating the cumulative impact and zone of influence of anthropogenic features on biodiversity

1. The concept of cumulative impacts is widespread in policy documents, regulations and ecological studies, but quantification methods are still evolving. Infrastructure development usually takes place in landscapes with preexisting anthropogenic features. Typically, their impact is determined by computing the distance to the nearest feature only, thus ignoring the potential cumulative impacts of multiple features. We propose the cumulative ZOI approach to assess whether and to what extent anthropogenic features lead to cumulative impacts.2. The approach estimates both effect size and zone of influence (ZOI) of anthropogenic features and allows for estimation of cumulative effects of multiple features distributed in the landscape. First, we use simulations and an empirical study to understand under which circumstances cumulative impacts arise. Second, we demonstrate the approach by estimating the cumulative impacts of tourist infrastructure in Norway on the habitat of wild reindeer (Rangifer t. tarandus), a near-threatened species highly sensitive to anthropogenic disturbance.3. In the simulations, we showed that analyses based on the nearest feature and our cumulative approach are indistinguishable in two extreme cases: when features are few and scattered and their ZOI is small, and when features are clustered and their ZOI is large. The empirical analyses revealed cumulative impacts of private cabins and tourist resorts on reindeer, extending up to 10 and 20 km, with different decaying functions. Although the impact of an isolated private cabin was negligible, the cumulative impact of `cabin villages' could be much larger than that of a single large tourist resort. Focusing on the nearest feature only underestimates the impact of `cabin villages' on reindeer.4. The suggested approach allows us to quantify the magnitude and spatial extent of cumulative impacts of point, linear, and polygon features in a computationally efficient and flexible way and is implemented in the oneimpact R package. The formal framework offers the possibility to avoid widespread underestimations of anthropogenic impacts in ecological and impact assessment studies and can be applied to a wide range of spatial response variables, including habitat selection, population abundance, species richness and diversity, community dynamics and other ecological processes