Effects of Power Lines on Area Use and Behaviour of Semi-Domestic Reindeer in Enclosures

Flydal, Kjetil; Korslund, Lars; Reimers, Eigil; Johansen, Fredrik E.; Colman, Jonathan E.

doi:10.1155/2009/340953

Cited by 11 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 44 publications

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“…As in studies of wild reindeer (e.g. Hanson 1981; Reimers and Svela 2001), few signs of avoidance or disturbance were found for domesticated reindeer at this scale of perception (Flydal et al 2004(Flydal et al , 2009). Baskin and Hjältén (2001) found that domesticated reindeer had a shorter flight distance than wild reindeer, but still they fled from an approaching person.…”

Section: Relevance Of a Large-scale Perspective For Domesticated Reinsupporting

confidence: 67%

“…A regional study could, therefore, include all scales of selection from region to patch, while an intermediate study could include both the landscape and patch scale of selection. Two studies by Flydal et al (2004Flydal et al ( , 2009 were defined as strictly local as they describe observations over a shorttime period, involving a few individuals in enclosures with a wind turbine and two parallel high voltage power lines, respectively. The short-term observations consisted of scan and focal sampling of animals.…”

Section: Local Scalementioning

confidence: 99%

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Do human activity and infrastructure disturb domesticated reindeer? The need for the reindeer’s perspective

Skarin

Åhman

2014

Polar Biol

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In recent decades, human-Rangifer (reindeer and caribou) interactions have increasingly been studied from a scientific perspective. Many of the studies have examined Norwegian wild reindeer or caribou in North America. It is often questioned whether results from these studies can be applied to reindeer in managed herds, as these animals have been exposed to domestication and are also more used to humans. In order to examine the domesticated reindeer's reactions to various disturbance sources, we reviewed 18 studies of the effects of human activity and infrastructure on 12 populations of domesticated reindeer and compared these to studies on wild reindeer and caribou; based on this, we discuss the effects of domestication and tameness on reindeer responses to anthropogenic disturbance. We also consider the relevance of spatial and temporal scales and data collection methods when evaluating the results of these studies. The reviewed studies showed that domesticated reindeer exhibit avoidance behaviours up to 12 km away from infrastructure and sites of human activity and that the area they avoid may shift between seasons and years. Despite a long domestication process, reindeer within Sami reindeer-herding systems exhibit similar patterns of large-scale avoidance of anthropogenic disturbance as wild Rangifer, although the strength of their response may sometimes differ. This is not surprising since current Sami reindeer husbandry represents an extensive form of pastoralism, and the reindeer are not particularly tame. To obtain a true picture of how reindeer use their ranges, it is of fundamental importance to study the response pattern at a spatial and temporal scale that is relevant to the reindeer, whether domesticated or wild.

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Section: Relevance Of a Large-scale Perspective For Domesticated Reinsupporting

confidence: 67%

Section: Local Scalementioning

confidence: 99%

Do human activity and infrastructure disturb domesticated reindeer? The need for the reindeer’s perspective

Skarin

Åhman

2014

Polar Biol

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“…), elk (Cervus canandensis) and other ungulates fed in a power line ROW (500 kV, 41 m wide) without signs of disturbance apart from a five-minute motionless period when entering the ROW (Goodwin Jr, 1975). Also semidomestic reindeer in an enclosure experiment did not clearly avoid power lines (132 and 300 kV) (Flydal et al, 2009).…”

Section: Visual Distractionmentioning

confidence: 90%

“…Fluctuations in electric fields of a 500 kV power line did not influence cattle behaviour (Ganskopp et al, 1991). Domestic-tame reindeer in enclosures became more restless and moved away from power lines (132 and 300 kV) when transmission load increased, although these results were ambiguous (Flydal et al, 2009).…”

Section: Electromagnetic Fieldsmentioning

confidence: 96%

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The effects of power lines on ungulates and implications for power line routing and rights-of-way management

Bartzke¹,

May²,

Bevanger³

et al. 2014

Int. J. Biodivers. Conserv.

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Thousands of kilometres of power lines exist and more are planned. Ungulates that range over large areas are likely to encounter power lines, but a synthesis of power line effects on ungulates is lacking. Reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus) are suspected to avoid power lines up to distances of 4 km. In contrast, some forest ungulates preferentially forage in power line rights-of-way, cleared areas under power lines. We reviewed the factors that possibly influence avoidance and attraction effects of power lines on ungulates, construct a conceptual framework, and make suggestions on how to mitigate avoidance effects through power line routing and rights-of-way management. Power line construction, noise and electromagnetic fields are possible sources of disturbance, while rights-of-way management influences habitat use under power lines. Disturbance and altered habitat use can induce barrier and corridor effects, thereby influencing connectivity. Species-specific effects influence behavioural disturbance and habitat use. We found little evidence for behavioural disturbance of reindeer or forest ungulates under power lines. Forest ungulates could benefit from browsing in power line rights-of-way if they are managed to provide abundant and preferred forage as well as sufficient cover. However, power lines may facilitate access for hunters and predators. As a precaution, construction of power lines should be avoided in calving areas. To establish a causal relationship between the construction of power lines and potential avoidance, before-after-impact-control studies are recommended. More research is needed to make recommendations for the optimal design of power line networks.

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Cryptic impact: Visual detection of corona light and avoidance of power lines by reindeer

Tyler

Stokkan²,

Hogg

et al. 2016

Wildl. Soc. Bull.

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Assessing the impact of human development on animals is complicated by the fact that overt effects may have covert causes. Cryptic impacts (sensu Raiter et al. 2014) can arise where sensory stimuli to which species respond fall outside the human sensory range. Ultraviolet (UV) light, which is detected by a range of nonprimate mammals, is a potential example. We review evidence that dark-adapted eyes of reindeer-caribou Rangifer tarandus can detect light at 330-410 nm emitted by electrical corona on highvoltage power lines, which is necessarily barely visible to humans. Based on this, we suggest that the superior ability of Rangifer to detect corona UV light may partly account for the tendency of the animals to avoid power lines. Rangifer has UV-permissive ocular media that transmit approximately 15 times more corona light than human eyes. Retinal irradiance under full dilation is in the order of 7 times greater in Rangifer compared with humans. Seasonal transformation of the tapetum lucidum substantially increases retinal sensitivity in this species in winter. Threshold distances of detection of corona by Rangifer are in the order of hundreds of meters. Displays of corona may catch the animals' attention, and plume coronas, in particular, may induce the illusion of motion (the phi phenomenon), thereby falsely signaling the presence of potential predators. Both features are likely to increase wariness and cause animals to withdraw from the source of the stimulus. We suggest that spatial and temporal variability of corona contributes to substantial variation observed in the strength and persistence of avoidance responses in Rangifer at these structures. Ó 2016 The Wildlife Society.KEY WORDS Arctic, barrier effects, environmental impact, Rangifer tarandus, tapetum lucidum, ultraviolet light, vision.Assessing the impact of human development on animals in natural habitat is complicated by the fact that overt effects may have covert causes. "Cryptic impacts" (sensu Raiter et al. 2014) arise, for instance, where anthropogenic stimuli to which species respond fall outside the human sensory range and are, therefore, liable to be overlooked because of divergence in the sensory abilities of animals and man. Ultraviolet (UV) light, which is detected by a range of large, nonprimate mammals (Douglas and Jeffery 2014), is a potential example. In this paper we argue 1) that darkadapted eyes of reindeer-caribou (Rangifer tarandus; hereafter, "Rangifer") can detect light emitted by corona discharges on high-voltage power lines, which is barely visible to humans; and 2) that threshold distances of detection are in the order of hundreds of meters. The corona effect is described below. In this paper the term "power line" includes masts (also known as "towers" or "utility poles"), insulators and cables (wire conductors) but does not include linear clearings (also known as "utility corridors" or "easements") cut where power lines pass through dense vegetation. We do not distinguish power lines by operating voltage but refer t...

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Effects of Power Lines on Area Use and Behaviour of Semi-Domestic Reindeer in Enclosures

Cited by 11 publications

References 44 publications

Do human activity and infrastructure disturb domesticated reindeer? The need for the reindeer’s perspective

Do human activity and infrastructure disturb domesticated reindeer? The need for the reindeer’s perspective

The effects of power lines on ungulates and implications for power line routing and rights-of-way management

Cryptic impact: Visual detection of corona light and avoidance of power lines by reindeer

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