Influence of Transport Infrastructure on Nature

Abstract: In 2002 scientists from the Norwegian Institute of Nature Research (NINA) were engaged by the Norwegian Public Roads Administration (NPRA) in a 5-year study to undertake research on patterns of reindeer habitat use and movements in areas believed to be influenced by the road.The main purpose of the project was to findout to which degree the road and/or the traffic generated by the road constitute a barrier for the wild reindeer, and if it has a repelling effect on the animals.
The project equipped altogether 37 animals with GPS-transmitters providing detailed and accurate data on their habitat use and movements. The GPS units were programmed to register the position of each animal every 3rd hour, and the data were stored in the collar. Since the wild reindeer are living in herds up to some thousand animals, approximately 70-80 % of the total population was covered.
Maps of the distribution of different reindeer food resources (e.g. lichens) were produced by using field surveys and satellite images (LANDSAT 5). The winter grazing areas were found mainly in the eastern parts and along the Hw 7, while the summer areas were located in the south west and around the Hardangerjøkulen glacier.
The major findings of the project were that Hw7 in fact has a repelling effect on the wild reindeer, as have other areas with human activity, e.g. the major hiking and skiing tracks between the tourist cottages. The GPS-data show that there is a significant reduction of the reindeer use of the areas close to the Hw7,up to 8 kms from the road. This zone of avoidance also strengthens the barrier effect of the road such that the migration routes to and from the north are more or less cut off. The same effect can be found in the vegetation maps, but the correlation is not as strong as in the GPS-data. When the GPS-data were compared with the distribution of lichen resources, it appeared that animals do not use some of the areas richest in lichens. Hw 7 can be seen as a behavioral barrier, hindering the migration of reindeer between the central and the northern parts of Hardangervidda.
The project has also documented that the movements of the reindeer are heavily influenced by the direction of the wind, and, in winter time, the snow conditions. During winters with a lot of snow the animals are found in the eastern parts; where there is usually less snow that in the western parts. The wild reindeer’s use of the terrain is dependent on the population density and the available food resources. The possibility for the animals to have access to winter grazing grounds in the northern and eastern parts in years with much snow, can be crucial.
Key words: Wild reindeer, roads, barrier, fragmentation, disturbance, GPS

Suggested citation: Iuell B.Ä.Â. & Strand O. 2007. The effects of highway traffic on wild reindeer. In: B. Jackowiak (ed.). Influence of Transport Infrastructure on Nature. General Directorate of National Roads and Motorways, p. 119-132. Warszawa-PoznaÅ„-Lublin.
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