Effects of disturbance on geese in Svalbard: implications for regulating increasing tourism

Polar research

Ingunn Tombre¹  Jesper Madsen²  Nina E. Eide³ 

[1] Department of Arctic Ecology, Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, Polar Environmental Centre, NO-9296 Tromsø, Norway;Department of Arctic Environment, National Environmental Research Institute, Aarhus University, Frederiksborgvej 399, DK-4000 Roskilde, DenmarkCorrespondence;Department of Terrestrial Ecology, Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, Tungasletta 2, NO-7485 Trondheim, Norway

关键词: Barnacle goose;    brent goose;    disturbance impact;    pink-footed goose;    recreational activities;    tourism;   

DOI  :  10.1111/j.1751-8369.2009.00120.x

学科分类：自然科学（综合）

来源: Co-Action Publishing

【 摘 要 】

Tourism in the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard, Norway, has increased significantly in the last decade. Cruise ships make landings all around the archipelago, and there are numerous snowmobile, boat and hiking excursions. We describe disturbance effects on the three geese species that breed in Svalbard: the pink-footed goose (Anser brachyrhynchus), the barnacle goose (Branta leucopsis) and the light-bellied brent goose (Branta bernicla hrota). All three are regarded as highly vulnerable to disturbance. Behavioural responses by geese to humans on foot were analysed by estimating the distances at which geese become alerted, the escape flight distances and the length of escape flights, during pre-nesting, nesting and brood-rearing periods. We evaluate the consequences of human intrusion on the reproductive success in breeding colonies. During all three phases, pink-footed geese responded at longer ranges, and flew/ran longer distances, than both brent and barnacle geese: when disturbed on the nest site, both ...

【 授权许可】

CC BY-NC