The North Pole is no longer what it used to be. This climate change is responsible for The Arctic is the region of the world where temperatures rise the fastest.. This situation causes the ground to be covered with ice rather than snow for part of the year. affecting local wildlife. But there is hope. for at least reindeer: a scientific study shows that they fight global warming much better than feared. Reindeer can be considered a “climate winner”researchers say
Climate change is causing prolonged periods of mild weather in the Arctic. The Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU) conducted a study in Norway’s Svalbard archipelago to see how reindeer adapt to these new conditions.
In that polar region, precipitation occurs more and more in the form of rain. High temperatures melt the snow, and during colder periods the water freezes again.
are alternating between hot and cold It causes the ground to become covered with ice, which is a problem for reindeer in Svalbard because there is no food when ice covers the ground.
Until a few years ago, the ground was often covered with snow, allowing animals to dig for food. Snow is fluffy and easy to pass, while hard ice is much harder, sometimes impossible.
NMBU researchers have been studying reindeer for the past 25 years. They tracked population numbers and captured and weighed about 1,000 females. The results were published in the journal ‘Global Change Biology’.
growing population
Until recently, icy winters, size of animal populations: their numbers increased for several years, but then fell when the ground was covered with ice and many had to compete for the few plants that could be found. But in the last ten years everything has changed, something new has happened.
because surprisingly The reindeer population has grown steadily over the past decade, despite the icy winters. And in the spring they are heavier than usual. This, according to the researchers,Animals cope well with existing new, milder winters.
“In years and regions with late snowfall, animals averaged 5 pounds heavier and 10% heavier at the end of winter,” says Leif Egil Loe, Professor of Wildlife Biology at NMBU. Reason increased fat layer of reindeer changes in food availability.
The growing season generally runs from early June to mid-August in Svalbard, although there are great variations between years.
With the warming of the weather, plants start to grow earlier in the spring and live longer until autumn. A hot summer produces twice as much food for reindeer than a cold summer. In Svalbard and this food is available most of the year.
Then, warmer autumns with later snowfalls more than compensated for the fact that the ground is icy in winter. “This is probably the main explanation for why the population size in our study area has nearly tripled over the past three decades,” Loe says.
A changing ecosystem
The truth is that ecosystem is changing due to climate change Recommends Svalbard and by extension The entire Arctic will look “quite different in the future”says Kari Klanderud, professor of plant ecology at NMBU.
This scientist researched how climate change would affect Scandinavian plant communities. “Warmer weather favors lawns and flowering plants At the expense of the algae that currently dominates,” he explains.
“Changes in plant communities will likely reinforce themselves because plants will change the soil. Therefore, The reindeer food supply will likely continue to increase‘, say the researchers.
In addition to changes in local vegetation, it is possible that there will be more winter grazing for animals in the future. High winter temperatures will produce more pastures in winterinstead of covering them with ice.
“If these trends take hold andThe future of reindeer in Svalbard may be brighter than we’ve ever feared.Loe admits.
But not everything is optimism: “Animal activity levels also drop sharply when temperatures exceed 12 degrees Celsius.“. And this is happening more and more often.
“While reindeer may be seen as the ‘climate winner’ over the past 28 years and the food supply will continue to increase, physiological difficulties because this Ice Age animal will probably be felt in the near future,” Loe concludes.
Reference report: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/gcb.15458
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