Preliminary results of a Taimyr-Evenk reindeer population study using the Argos/GPS satellite system in 2015-2016

Abstract

The goal of the study was to investigate the distribution of tagged wild reindeers on the territory of Evenkiya and to provide recommendations on preserving and rational use of the population. The study was performed in 2015–2016 by the Department of Hunting Resources Research and Nature Reserve Management of the Siberian Federal University. The relocations of 10 wild reindeers equipped with Argos satellite tags were monitored, land and aerial surveys of the reindeers were also performed. Besides, taxation and cartographic documents of the State Hunting Register, as well as information received from hunters and hunting providers were used during the research. The areas of divisions were delimited mostly with the help of GIS-technologies. The borders of habitats, their size and the character of animal moving were found through signals received from satellite radio tags. To assess the behavior of the animals, the speed of their movements was analyzed both by the azimuth straight line between two daily points and by a tortuous trajectory. The maximum duration of signal from collars with new battery blocks in 2015-2016 was 438 and 444 days. The total distance covered by reindeers by the beginning of the third decade of July was 1641.1 km from locations of tagging, according to the satellite positioning data. The average speed was 13.5 km per day. A radical decrease in the number of tagged reindeers occurs with the beginning of spring migration. Two large waves of reindeer migration with an interval of 20–26 days have been observed in recent years. The positioning of tagged animals provides objective information on the migration of the herds, their fawning and wintering grounds. The possibilities of using a database for complex quality assessment of the population size and location of reindeer resources of Yessey group, as well as features of their habitats, are discussed in the article, with the biotic, abiotic and anthropogenic factors being taken into consideration.