Norway Wolverine Study,
Arild Landa, Ph.D.,
Norwegian Institute
for
Nature Research (NINA NIKU)
In the winter of 1996, the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA NIKU)
started a five-year research project on wolverine (Gulo gulo) in Troms, northern Norway. The project will complement a wolverine study conducted as a part of the High Alpine Project, which was conducted in southern Norway from 1990 to 1995.
Project Summary:
An intense eradication campaign in recent time resulted in fragmented and
reduced populations of wolverine in Norway. In 1972, wolverines received
protection in southern Norway and in 1983 throughout the entire country. This
has led to the return of wolverines to many places.
Our knowledge of population size, reproduction, spatial use, and dispersal of
wolverines is limited. This project will focus on developing reliable methods
for population monitoring, and will measure spatial use, dispersal, genetic
variation, and the realized reproductive success of wolverines.
The wolverine, generally considered a carrion-feeder, appears to function as a
primary predator in many areas of Scandinavia. Since protection, numbers of
wolverines have increased, as have numbers of domestic livestock. As a result,
conflicts between the wolverine and the livestock industry have increased.
This project will investigate the potential importance of a lack of large
predators on wolverine, and alternatives to killing wolverines to reduce the
loss of domestic sheep (Ovis aries) and reindeer (Rangifer tarandus).
In our collaboration with the University of Troms and Norwegian University of
Science and Technology (NTNU) in Trondheim, we will develop graduate level
projects to address varying aspects within the main project. Presently, five
students have been accepted. In addition, we will continue our extensive
collaboration with the Swedish wolverine project.
Products:
Peer-reviewed publications - 1996-2000:
Landa, A., and B. Å. Tømmerås. 1997. A test of aversive agents on wolverines.
Journal of Wildlife Management 61:510-516.
Landa, A., and B. Å. Tømmerås. 1996. Do volatile repellents reduce wolverine
predation on sheep? Wildlife Biology 2:119-126.
Landa, A., S. Krogstad, B. Å.Tømmerås, and J. Tufto.
(In press): Do volatile repellents reduce wolverine (Gulo gulo) predation on sheep?
Results of a large-scale experiment. Wildlife Biology.
Landa, A., J. Tufto, R. Franzen, T. Bø, M. Linden, and J. E. Swenson. (In press). Active wolverine dens as a minimum population estimator in Scandinavia. Wildlife Biology.
Duffy, A. J. , A. Landa, M. O'Connell, C. Stratton, and J. M. Wright. (In press). Four polymorphic microsatellites in wolverine (Gulo gulo). Animal Genetics.
Published abstracts/talks from international conferences 1996-2000:
The 9th Nordic Workshop on Reindeer Research. Uppsala, Sweden, November 18-20,
1996: Landa, A., Strand, O., Swenson, J. E., and Skogland, T. 1996.
Interrelationships between wolverines and prey in Southern Norway (talk).
Nordic Congress of Wildlife Research, Trondheim 7-9 February 1997. Poster:
Arild Landa, Olav Strand and John Linnell. Norwegian Institute for Nature
Research, Tungasletta 2, N-7005 Trondheim, Norway. Wolverine use of space and
management of core areas.
Seventh International Theriological Congress, Acapulco, Mexico 6-11 September,
1997. Arild Landa, Olav Strand and John Linnell. Norwegian Institute for Nature
Research, Tungasletta 2, N-7005 Trondheim, Norway. Wolverine use of space and
management of core areas.
For further information:
Dr. Arild Landa
NINA, Tungasletta 2, N-7005
Trondheim, Norway.
phone: +47 73 80 14 58
fax: +47 73 90 14 01
e-mail:Arild.Landa@.ninatrd.ninaniku.no
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