Tilbake til søkeresultatene

SSF-Svalbard Science Forum

Resource partitioning by Arctic scavengers in Svalbard

Tildelt: kr 49 876

Dead organic matter from animals represents a central ecological resource in many food webs globally and promotes biodiversity, landscape heterogeneity, and ecosystem stability. Little knowledge currently exists about the ecological significance of carcasses in terrestrial ecosystems, particularly in the Arctic tundra. My study assess the ecological effect of carrion in the arctic tundra by looking at resource partitioning within the scavenger community on Svalbard. The hypothesis is that resource partitioning might be spatially differentiated and thereby modulates effects on soil and vegetation induced by carrion. To assess resource partitioning, twenty cadavers will in march 2022 be deployed together with a camera trap system at twenty sites in the area of Colesdalen, Helvetiadalen and De Geerdalen. In cooperation with The Norwegian Polar Institute (NPI), snow scooters will be used for the deployment. Camera trap data will be retrieved regularly during snow scooter season by NPI personnel and other researchers we cooperate with. In July/August I will collect data once at each site as a final collection of data for my thesis.

Budsjettformål:

SSF-Svalbard Science Forum