Low spatial habitat overlap of herbivores in the High Arctic tundra
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https://hdl.handle.net/10037/34634Date
2024-01-04Type
Journal articleTidsskriftartikkel
Peer reviewed
Author
Ravolainen, Virve; Paulsen, Ingrid Marie Garfelt; Eischeid, Isabell; Forbey, Jennifer Sorensen; Fuglei, Eva; Hájek, Tomás; Hansen, Brage Bremset; Loe, Leif Egil; Macek, Petr; Madsen, Jesper; Soininen, Eeva M; Speed, James David Mervyn; Stien, Audun; Tømmervik, Hans; Pedersen, Åshild ØnvikAbstract
Herbivores play a crucial role in shaping tundra ecosystems through their effects on vegetation,
nutrient cycling, and soil abiotic factors. Understanding their habitat use, co-occurrence, and
overlap is therefore essential for informing ecosystem-based management and conservation. In
the High Arctic, only a marginal proportion of the land area is vegetated, and climate change is
impacting herbivore population sizes and their habitats. In this study, we assessed the spatial
habitat overlap of a vertebrate herbivore community based on: 1) regional predictive summer
habitat suitability models for the resident Svalbard reindeer (Rangifer tarandus platyrhynchus),
resident Svalbard rock ptarmigan (Lagopus muta hyperborea), and the migratory pink-footed goose
(Anser brachyrhynchus), and 2) presence of fecal pellets, reflecting the annual habitat use of
reindeer, ptarmigan, and geese, including the pink-footed goose and barnacle goose (Branta
leucopsis). Our findings revealed that only small proportions of the available land cover
(~ 12,516 km2
; all land area excluding glaciers and freshwater) are suitable for each of the
species (habitat suitability [HS] > 0.5): reindeer (22 %), ptarmigan (11 %), and pink-footed goose
(4 %). Overlapping suitable habitat [HS > 0.5] for reindeer and goose accounted for only 3 % of
the total vegetated area (~ 8848 km2
) and was primarily found in heath and moist habitats
dominated by mosses, graminoids, and herbaceous plants. The overlapping suitable habitat for
reindeer and ptarmigan covered 8 % of the vegetated area, in higher elevation ridges with vegetation on drier substrates. The shared habitat for ptarmigan and goose, and all three species
of herbivores, was less than 1 % of the vegetated area. Additionally, an assessment of fecal pellets
suggested that the highest overlap in habitat use among reindeer and goose occurred in bird cliff
moss tundra, followed by moss tundra and heath habitats. The small proportion of the vegetated
area suitable for all three herbivores indicates a high degree of habitat differentiation. Therefore,
different habitats need to be considered for the management and conservation of resident and
migratory herbivore species in this High Arctic Archipelago. Moreover, our results underscore the
importance of the small but productive parts of the landscape that were used by all herbivores.
Publisher
ElsevierCitation
Ravolainen V, Paulsen IM, Eischeid I, Forbey JS, Fuglei E, Hájek T, Hansen BB, Loe LE, Macek P, Madsen J, Soininen EM, Speed JDM, Stien A, Tømmervik H, Pedersen ÅØ. Low spatial habitat overlap of herbivores in the High Arctic tundra. Global Ecology and Conservation. 2024;49Metadata
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