The Wild Reindeer (Rangifer Tarandus)
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Nature Conservation Research. Заповедная наука 2018. 3(3): 1–14 DOI: 10.24189/ncr.2018.040 ============== ОБЗОРНЫЕ СТАТЬИ ============== =============== REVIEW ARTICLES =============== THE WILD REINDEER (RANGIFER TARANDUS: CERVIDAE, MAMMALIA) ON THE ARCTIC ISLANDS OF RUSSIA: A REVIEW Ivan A. Mizin1, Taras P. Sipko2, Andrey V. Davydov3, Alexander R. Gruzdev4 1Russian Arctic National Park, Russia e-mail: [email protected] 2A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of RAS, Russia e-mail: [email protected] 3Information and Analysis Control Centre of Hunting Game and Their Habitats, Russia e-mail: [email protected] 4State Nature Reserve Wrangel Island, Russia e-mail: [email protected] Received: 20.02.2018 The article presents summary data on the wild reindeer’s (Rangifer tarandus) distribution on islands in the Rus- sian Arctic. It discusses the abundance, diet, and general state of knowledge about the species in remote areas, especially on Novaya Zemlya and Wrangel Island. Brief data are provided about domestic reindeer grazing on the Arctic islands. Literature data are complemented with research findings in recent years. A negative trend is demonstrated in the wild reindeer abundance; also the need for studying isolated populations is emphasised. Key words: abundance, Arctic, distribution, domestic and wild reindeer, living environment, Novaya Zemlya, nutrition peculiarities, Wrangel Island Introduction on other populations are not available, although it Currently, information about the reindeer (Ran- seems likely that the taxonomic status of the rein- gifer tarandus (Linnaeus, 1758)) on the Arctic is- deer on the Arctic islands is significantly different. lands is fragmented and scarce. The populations of Studies of reindeer inhabiting the Russian is- these reindeer are under the impact of extreme con- lands are utterly scarce, and they do not cover all ditions of high latitudes, and are not numerous. The aspects of the species’ biology. Some archipelagos natural fluctuations typical of this species can reach remain practically uninvestigated. extremely low numbers. In the last twenty years, we Thus, we have identified the purpose of this have observed adverse trends both in the reindeer review, which is to collect all the available infor- abundance and in deterioration of the suitable habi- mation and to analyse the current situation of the tats. Also, recently, industrial development of the reindeer on the Arctic islands. Arctic has increased, resulting in a rise of anthro- pogenic impact. The general climate warming trend Material and Methods alongside the rise of weather condition’s variability Reindeer on the Arctic islands in Eurasia, in the is having additional impact on the survival rate of Russian Arctic, have been selected as the object of the island reindeer, and the consequences are not this review. At the same time, reindeer on the Spits- sufficiently studied or clear (Yannic et al., 2014). bergen Archipelago have been excluded from this The taxonomic status of reindeer on many is- study because reindeer on this Archipelago are well- lands remains unknown, which causes a certain studied and protected (see for example, http://www. problem. The history of origin and evolution of rein- npolar.no/en/species/svalbard-reindeer.html). This deer population on each island has its own peculiari- publication includes the authors’ observations, and ties. For example, the populations whose taxonomy information collected by way of survey or from dif- has been described (on Spitsbergen and Novaya ferent publications and official documents. Zemlya Archipelagos) have been assigned a subspe- Nutrition of reindeer on the Novaya Zemlya cies status (R. t. platyrhynchus (Vrolik, 1829) and Archipelago was studied by S. Rozenfeld based R. t. pearsoni Lydekker, 1903, respectively). Data on analysis of fecal pellet samples according to 1 Nature Conservation Research. Заповедная наука 2018. 3(3): 1–14 DOI: 10.24189/ncr.2018.040 the previously described method (Rozenfeld et 20th century, then they went wild and since then al., 2012). The samples for that study were col- they have lived there freely. lected by the authors. In the Arctic sector of Eurasia, the wild reindeer inhabits the large archipelagos (Svalbard, Novaya General information Zemlya, Severnaya Zemlya, New Siberian Islands). In the previous centuries, the number of reindeer Most certainly, a majority of these reindeer have in the Russian territory was estimated at 4 millions been reproductively isolated from other populations. (Andreev, 1968) to 5–7 millions (Syroechkovsky, Based on genetic studies, one is able to assume that 1986). Presently, their number amounts to 1 565 900 the reindeer living on these islands have a common domestic reindeer and 939 500 wild reindeer (Fig. origin (Kvie et al., 2016). Most likely, their ances- 1). The number of reindeer inhabiting Arctic islands tors evolved on the north of «Beringia» on the then – both wild and domestic – is noticeably lower; this glaciers-free valleys that are mostly covered with is true in the past, and this ratio has remained until oceans today. How these reindeer were expanding today. However, in specific years in summer large on those islands is yet to be investigated. islands (for example, in the New Siberian Archipel- Also, it is known that in the early 20th century ago) are visited, or used to be visited, by thousands a large group of domestic reindeer was brought to of animals. On the other hand, in some years there the Novaya Zemlya and released on Southern Is- are very few reindeer on islands. land, while reindeer were not brought to the North- The history of origin and expansion of rein- ern Island of this archipelago. There is an assump- deer on different islands is significantly differ- tion that Russian Pomors also brought reindeer to ent (Lorenzen et al., 2011). On the Franz Joseph Svalbard because they are known to have appeared Land Archipelago reindeer are not found today, there already in the 12th century, and since the 17th but they inhabited those islands approximately century, permanent settlements were established 2–5 thousand years ago, and then became extinct there (Starkov, 1998). The Russian Pomors in the (Grosvald et al., 1961). Also, reindeer died out on north commonly kept and relocated domestic ani- Wrangel Island about 2.5–3.0 thousand years ago mals, and that reindeer were introduced to the So- (Gruzdev & Sipko, 2007; Stishov, 2004). Domes- lovetsky Archipelago in the White Sea since the tic reindeer were brought there in the middle of 16th century (Korepanov et al., 2003). Fig. 1. Dynamics of reindeer abundance in Russia. 2 Nature Conservation Research. Заповедная наука 2018. 3(3): 1–14 DOI: 10.24189/ncr.2018.040 On small islands situated near the mainland in the north-east of the Southern Island (Tik- (Bely, Shokalsky, Neupokoev, Sibiryakov and honov & Khakhin, 2003). According to the lat- others) reindeer also live in small groups. But est observations, reindeer are regularly seen in these reindeer arrive from the mainland, usu- the area of Litke Peninsula – Russian Harbour, ally across the ice-covered areas, or sometimes and, obviously, live here all year round (Mizin, swimming. They may stay on the islands for a 2015). This reindeer’s habitation area is situated long time or inhabit them periodically, moving in a rather large and ice-free territory, also with from one island to another and returning back relatively good pastures (Fig. 2). to the mainland. Late in the 19 century when the first colonists Reindeer also used to live on large islands were settling on Novaya Zemlya, the number of situated relatively close to the mainland shore- wild reindeer on the archipelago amounted to 20 line: on Islands Kildin, Kolguev, and Vaigach, thousand animals (Khakhin, 1984). Since then in- Begichev (Geptner et al., 1961), and Ayon. How- tensive hunting began. By 1930s the number of ever, presently reindeer are not found on these animals decreased to a critical level. In 1934 the islands and their territory is used as pastures for Arctic Institute Bulletin informed that reindeer domestic reindeer. could be found only on the unexploited shore of the Northern Island (Vekhov, 2013). In 1935 The Novaya Zemlya Archipelago hunting was banned on the Southern Island but There is no exact information about the illegal hunting continued on a large rather scale time of appearance of reindeer on the Novaya (Khakhin, 1984; Vekhov, 2013). Zemlya archipelago. However, it is known that The total area of Novaya Zemlya is 81 300 reindeer appeared on the islands of this region in km2, and glaciers cover approximately 29 000 km2. the Atlantic period of the Middle Holocene, i.e. They are located mainly on the Northern Island approximately 7–5 thousand years ago (Gros- (Kholomyanskiy, 2009). vald et al., 1961). In the conditions of long-term 600 domestic reindeer have been brought to isolation they obtained a specific phenotypical the Southern Island from Kolguev Island in 1928– appearance which became a reason to identify 1933. But they were not strictly protected. At the them as a separate subspecies R. t. pearsoni. same time reindeer were not brought to the Northern This subspecies is included in the Red Data Island . In the 1940s reindeer herding was no Book of the Russian Federation (2001) where longer practiced; the reindeer were left unattended it is regarded as restored but rare. Some zoolo- and have partially mixed with aboriginal reindeer. gists and reindeer experts believe that the to- Also, the Russian Empire Academy of Science day’s status of Novaya Zemlya reindeer is not released 18 domestic reindeer in 1896. Their fate completely identified, or, more than that, dis- is not known. In 1980 partial air survey of Novaya putable (Novikov et al., 1982; Novikov, 1983; Zemlya reindeer was carried out. The number of Danilkin, 1999; Tikhonov & Khakhin, 2003). In reindeer was estimated at 4500 animals. their opinion, the aboriginal reindeer that should be regarded as pearsoni, did not survive (or the remaining individuals are extremely few), and the reindeer inhabiting the archipelago are for- merly domestic reindeer that have become wild, possibly partly mixed with the aboriginal wild reindeer.