Wild Forest Reindeer Rangifer tarandus fennicus · Wild forest reindeer - Speciation • Wild...

Wild Forest Reindeer –

Rangifer tarandus fennicus

www.suomenpeura.fi

www.forestreindeer.fi

www.forestreindeer.ru

Distribution of Wild forest

reindeer in Finland and

Northwest Russia

Wild reindeer arrived in Fennoscandia 10,000 years ago during the retreating phase of the Ice Age

Most extensive distribution in the 1600s

Distribution and populations (years 2013-2014): Kainuu (800 individuals) Suomenselkä region and Ähtäri (1,100) Republic of Karelia (2,400) Arkhangelsk Oblast (1,500, estimate)* Komi Republic (2,500, estimate)* * The question of the taxonomic status of wild reindeer of

Arkhangelsk province and Komi Republic is open and requires special research

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Wild forest reindeer –

Appearance and reproduction

• Males weigh 150-200 kg and females weigh 60-100 kg

• Differences vs. semi-domesticated reindeer include longer legs, longer muzzle and narrower antlers – Adaptations for deep snow and forest

environment • Both sexes have antlers

– Males lose their antlers after the autumn rut, females usually don’t lose their antlers until after winter

• In the autumn, come together into rutting herds, which are guarded by a dominant male

• Females give birth to one calf in the spring

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Wild forest reindeer– habitats

Prefer wilderness areas, old forests and undisturbed bogs

Lush bogs in the summer

Lichen-rich ground in winter

Ridge lands during migration

Prefer open areas, which provide protection against predators and insects

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Wild forest reindeer- Yearly cycle

• The yearly cycle of wild forest reindeer and caribou (subspecies of the species Rangifer tarandus) include long autumn and spring migrations

• In the spring and summer the female and small calf prefer peaceful bogs where the female eats hare's-tail cottongrass and other fresh vegetation

• As summer passes they form small summer herds on bogs

• In autumn they form rutting herds with several females and one dominant male

• In winter they migrate into large herds and go to lichen fields

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Wild forest reindeer– Rangifer

genus

The Rangifer genus contains only one species: Rangifer tarandus or reindeer or caribou

Across a circumpolar area, there are several subspecies of reindeer, of which wild forest reindeer (Rangifer tarandus fennicus) is one

The semi-domestic reindeer of Finland were domesticated from mountain reindeer Rangifer tarandus tarandus

The subspecies can still interbreed with each other

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Wild forest reindeer - Speciation

• Wild reindeer spread out to Fennoscandia after the last ice age while the ice sheet was retreating

• There was a variety of enviroments in the region, such as forest and mountain zones to which the subspecies of reindeer adapted

• The wild forest reindeer subspecies most likely originated from Siberia, from which it arrived in Fennoscandia

• The subspecies was named Rangifer tarandus fennicus (E. Lönnberg 1909)

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Wild forest reindeer -

Conservation Status

(NT, near threatened) in Finland according to IUCN classification

Not endangered

Annex II species of the EU’s Habitat Directive

Special conservation areas must be established for protection

Belongs to the Red Book of Karelia

Status 3 / Rare species, protected

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Humans and wild forest reindeer

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- History

Wild reindeer were important prey after the last ice age

Reindeer-related rock paintings and place names

The yearly cycle of ancient peoples was based on the migrations of reindeer

The balance was disrupted when the human population increased and hunting methods became more effective

In the early 1900s wild forest reindeer disappeared from Finland but remained in Russian Karelia

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- Hunting

After they were re-introduced, wild forest reindeer have been hunted in the Suomensälkä region since 1998, mostly due to agricultural damage Number of permits has been reduced

since 2008 Annual bag 10-40 individuals

In Kainuu the number of permits was about ten wild forest reindeer/year in 1996-2003 In 2003 hunting was stopped

completely The hunting of wild forest reindeer was

banned in the Republic of Karelia in 2002



– Nature Tourism

Seeing a wild forest reindeer in nature is an unforgetable experience.

In areas with wild forest reindeer in Kainuu, Suomenselkä and Russian Karelia there are several natural sites, such as national parks, where it is possible to see wild forest reindeer.



- Damages

Damages can be caused to:

Agriculture

Road traffic

Forestry industry

Collection of decorative lichen

Compensation is paid for some kinds of damages in Finland

Damages to livelihoods/industry has not been found to be significant

Hunting organised to prevent crop damages


Threats

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Humans have modified habitats significantly Drying of bogs, logging of old-growth forests,

infrastructure, fences, mines Natural habitats of wild forest reindeer are

changing

Current landscape structure favours moose Maintains higher large carnivore

populations

Wild forest reindeer does not recover from changes quickly because it reproduces slowly Only 1 calf per year

Threats – Changes in

habitats


Wild forest reindeer are prey to wolves, bears, lynx and wolverines

However, coexistance has already continued functionally for thousands of years

Changes to habitat caused by humans affect the populations of animals and ratio of predator-to-pray

For example → a lot of moose →

nutrition for predators→ sudden drop in number of moose every year (human regulation, hunting) → predators seek other nutrition, such as wild forest reindeer

Threats – Large

predators


Poaching is common in wild forest reindeer areas of Russia

Substantial factor in the decline in population

Challenging to monitor large and roadless areas

Snowmobiling is not restricted

Entire herds can be poached in the winter

Poaching is ”hunting for home consumption” or amusement

Threats –Poaching


Risk of traffic accidents is the greatest during migrations, and in winter if there are a lot of reindeer wintering in the same area near roads

Tens of accidents every year

notable mortality factor in the population

Traffic routes in Russia affect migration patterns

Railways, canals

Threats - Traffic


Threats – Diseases and parasites

Affect directly or indirectly

A sick reindeer is more vulnerable to other diseases and predators

Nematode Setaria tundra can cause mass illnesses

Deer flies wear out fur and cause loss of heat

Warming of climate increases spread of parasites to the north

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In addition to poaching, there is other harassment, especially in Karelia

Following reindeer tracks in winter by snowmobile

Camping on calving islands in summer

Number of tourists has increased significantly in the traditional summer pasture area of wild forest reindeer in the great lakes in the Republic of Karelia

Threats - Harassment


Population management

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Finnish Game and Fisheries Research Institute (RKTL) counts the wild forest reindeer in Finland every 1-3 years by helicopter

Proportion of calves is counted at the same time

RKTL and The Finnish Wildlife Agency fit wild forest reindeer with GPS collars

Habitats, migration pattern, mortality, survival of calves

Field monitoring and observations

Population management –

Research and monitoring


Wild forest reindeer and semi-domesticated reindeer can interbreed with each other

Threat to the genetic purity of the wild forest reindeer

Blocking measures

Fence on south and east border of reindeer husbandry area

Bridge and road structures

Removal of hybrids and removal of semi-domesticated and wild reindeer

Russian reindeer husbandry area is more north

Threat to genetic purity of species comes primarily from Finnish side

Population management –

Genetic purity of subspecies


The wild forest reindeer belongs to the Annex II species of the EU’s Habitat Directive Finland shall protect the habitats of wild

forest reindeer Basis/reason in the selection of over 30

Natura areas Additional other reserves/refuges like

national parks in wild forest reindeer area (such as Salamajärvi National Park)

Several reserves and national parks in Republic of Karelia based on protecting wild forest reindeer (such as Kostamus National Park) Additional areas also being planned

Population management-

Conservation areas


There is a substantial fine in Russia for poaching wild forest reindeer

Number of gamekeepers has been increased

Plans for restrictions on snowmobiling

Plans for new protected areas of varying degrees

More publicity/information on the decline in wild forest reindeer population and size of sanctions

Population management–

Prevention of poaching


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Populations of lynx and bears have increased in Finland, hunting for population control has been directed at wild forest reindeer areas

Possible consequence: proportion of calves in wild forest reindeer population in Kainuu has improved in recent years (2013)


Hunting of large predators

Local people such as hunters, help in pre-surveying of aerial surveys

Planning of area to flown over

Observations of wild forest reindeer herds are collected every year in Suomenselkä by local hunters

Estimate of the sex and age structure of population

Volunteers play a key role in the re-introduction in Suomeselkä as well as any future re-introductions

Population management

- voluntary work


Re-introduction in Suomenselkä had succeeded

Population of Suomenselkä originated from the descendants of ten farmed wild forest reindeer in late 1970s, early 1980s -> Now about 1,100 individuals

The planning of the next re-introduction project is in progress (Metsähallitus 2014-2015)


Re-introductions


Forest management in state-owned areas (Finland) in wild forest reindeer areas must comply with specific measures

Preserve lichen cover

Groups of trees with hanging moss and lichen are saved as retention trees

Guideliness in the environmental guide of Metsähallitus


Forestry industry



Karelia ENPI CBC project

Finnish-Russian collaborative project in 2013-2014

The aims include estimation of numbers of wild forest reindeer in Karelia, preparation of joint action plan and production of wild forest reindeer materials

Aerial survey in Karelia in 2014

Website, brochure, exhibition, Powerpoint, video

Action plan


This Powerpoint presentation was prepared during a project co-funded by the European

Union, the Russian Federation and the Republic of Finland.

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