MODULE 2: 

Here you can compare statistical vs. expert-based maps

Norwegian wild reindeer management - the Quality Standards (kvalitetsnorm)

Norway hosts the last wild mountain reindeer in Europe and has international responsibility for their conservation. A major threat is the cumulative impact of infrastructures and human activities, which resulted in significant habitat loss and in the fragmentation of the previously 2-3 panmittic populations into 23 separate managemetn areas [1,2,3]. To meet international and national conservation objectives, Norway recently developed a set of guidelines, the "Quality Standards" [4,5,6]. Every 4 years the status of each herd is assessed based on 3 Criterias - 1. population conditions, 2. lichens, 3. habitat & anthropogenic disturbance - using a «traffic light system». If the status of a herd is sub-optimal (red light), measures should be taken to improve it. 


Criterium 3 relies on expert-based approaches to identify areas where human activities are not sustainable and may require mitigation measures. This is achieved based on expert assessments of changes in reindeer observations/area use caused by changes in human pressure. The process starts with delineating polygons representing seasonal ranges, corridors, and a set of focal areas defined based on socio-ecological challenges. Experts assess the degree of reduction in use of the focal areas in the last decade compared to the previous four decades. Each reindeer area is then classified as red, yellow or green by assessing the proportion of habitat and corridors lost within all focal areas, compared to habitat and corridors available within the seasonal range.


Comparing statistical vs. expert-based assessments of habitat loss and loss of connectivity 

The maps presented here are obtained using statistical methods to quantify the cumulative impact of a range of infrastructure and human activities, and to identify functional habitat and movement corridors for reindeer. The models are based on a large number of GPS-positions and of environmental covariates describing the landscape (topography, vegetation, NDVI etc), infrastructures (density of roads, hydropower, trails, private cabins, tourist cabins, tourist volume, etc.), climate and, in some areas, local knowledge. 

Module 2 (below) allows to view, zoom in and compare statistical maps [1,2,6-15] with the polygons produced through expert-assessment. This is done in support to a project commissioned by the Norwegian Environment Agency to explore the potential of using analytical approaches to support the classification of the status of wild reinder areas. A statistical comparison of the two approaches and of their performance with respect to GPS data and to reindeer observations, followed by and a discussion on their strenghts and weaknesses is provided in [0]. 

REFERENCES

[0] Panzacchi, M., van Moorter, B., Tveraa, T., Rolandsen, C. M., Gundersen, V., Lelotte, L., Dos Santos, B. B. N., Bøthun, S. W., Andersen, R., Strand, O. 2022. Statistisk modellering av samlet belastning av menneskelig aktivitet på villrein. Identifisering av viktige leveområder og scenarioanalyser for konsekvensutredning og arealplanlegging. NINA Rapport 2189.

[1] Panzacchi M, van Moorter B Strand O, Loe LE, Reimers E (2015) Searching for the fundamental niche using individual-based habitat selection modelling across populations. Ecography 38: 659-669

[2] Panzacchi, M, van Moorter B, Strand B, Saerens M, Kivimäki I, St. Clair CC, Herfindal I, Boitani L (2016) Predicting the continuum between corridors and barriers to animal movements using Step Selection Functions and Randomized Shortest Paths. J Anim Ecol 85: 32-42

[3] Panzacchi M., Van Moorter B., Strand, O. (2013) Learning from the past to predict the future: Modelling archaeological findings and GPS data to quantify reindeer sensitivity to anthropogenic disturbance in Norway. Landscape Ecology, Special Issue 28:847–859

[4] "Kvalitetsnorm for villrein" Kvalitetsnorm for villrein - regjeringen.no. Ministry for Climate and Environment. Accessed Mar 2022

[5] Kjørstad, M., Bøthun, S. W., Gundersen, V., Holand, Ø., Madslien, K., Mysterud, A., Myren, I. N., Punsvik, T., Røed, K. H., Strand, O., Tveraa, T., Tømmervik, H., Ytrehus, B. & Veiberg, V. 2017. Miljøkvalitetsnorm for villrein - Forslag fra en ekspertgruppe. NINA Rapport 1400. 193 s

[6] Rolandsen, C.M., Tveraa, T., Gundersen, V., Røed, K.H., Tømmervik, H., Kvie, K., Våge, J., Skarin, A. & Strand, O. 2022. Klassifisering av de ti nasjonale villreinområdene etter kvalitets-norm for villrein. Første klassifisering – 2022. NINA Rapport 2126. Norsk institutt for naturforskning.



FURTHER READS

Mechanics and its Applications 393: 600-616