Atle Mysterud

• Mysterud, Atle; Flagstad, Øystein & Strand, Olav (2024). Feralization: A threat to conservation of wild reindeer. Conservation Science and Practice (CSP). ISSN 2578-4854. 6(4). doi: 10.1111/csp2.13105.
• Figueiredo, Ana M.; Santín, Mónica; Köster, Pamela C.; Dashti, Alejandro; Maloney, Jenny G. & Torres, Rita [Vis alle 15 forfattere av denne artikkelen] (2024). Molecular detection and characterization of Blastocystis in herbivore livestock species in Portugal. Veterinary Parasitology. ISSN 0304-4017. 327. doi: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2024.110147.
• Mysterud, Atle; Davey, Marie Louise; Fossøy, Frode; Grøntvedt, Carl Andreas & Rolandsen, Christer Moe (2024). Using DNA metabarcoding to separate natural and human provided food in wild boar diet at the northern distribution range of Europe. Wildlife Biology. ISSN 0909-6396. doi: 10.1002/wlb3.01217. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Lindsø, Lars; Viljugrein, Hildegunn & Mysterud, Atle (2024). Vector competence of Ixodes ricinus instars for the transmission of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato in different small mammalian hosts. Parasites & Vectors. ISSN 1756-3305. 17(1), s. 1–10. doi: 10.1186/s13071-023-06110-7.
• Hopp, Petter; Rolandsen, Christer Moe; Korpenfelt, Sirkka-Liisa; Våge, Jørn; Sörén, Kaisa & Solberg, Erling Johan [Vis alle 19 forfattere av denne artikkelen] (2024). Sporadic cases of chronic wasting disease in old moose - an epidemiological study. Journal of General Virology. ISSN 0022-1317. 105(1). doi: 10.1099/jgv.0.001952. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Mysterud, Atle; Tranulis, Michael A.; Strand, Olav & Rolandsen, Christer Moe (2024). Lessons learned and lingering uncertainties after seven years of chronic wasting disease management in Norway. Wildlife Biology. ISSN 0909-6396. doi: 10.1002/wlb3.01255. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Figueiredo, Ana Manuel; Köster, Pamela C.; Dashti, Alejandro; Torres, Rita; Fonseca, Carlos & Mysterud, Atle [Vis alle 18 forfattere av denne artikkelen] (2023). Molecular Detection and Distribution of Giardia duodenalis and Cryptosporidium spp. Infections in Wild and Domestic Animals in Portugal. Transboundary and Emerging Diseases. ISSN 1865-1674. 2023. doi: 10.1155/2023/5849842. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Lindsø, Lars; Anders, Jason Lee; Viljugrein, Hildegunn; Herland, Anders; Stigum, Vetle Malmer & Easterday, William Ryan [Vis alle 7 forfattere av denne artikkelen] (2023). Individual heterogeneity in ixodid tick infestation and prevalence of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato in a northern community of small mammalian hosts. Oecologia. ISSN 0029-8549. 203(3), s. 421–433. doi: 10.1007/s00442-023-05476-w. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Mysterud, Atle; Solberg, Erling Johan; Meisingset, Erling L.; Panzacchi, Manuela; Rauset, Geir Rune & Strand, Olav [Vis alle 9 forfattere av denne artikkelen] (2023). Estimating and managing broad risk of chronic wasting disease spillover among cervid species. Ecosphere. ISSN 2150-8925. 14(9), s. 1–17. doi: 10.1002/ecs2.4663. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  The management of infectious wildlife diseases often involves tackling pathogens that infect multiple host species. Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is aprion disease that can infect most cervid species. CWD was detected in reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) in Norway in 2016. Sympatric populations of red deer(Cervus elaphus) and moose (Alces alces) are at immediate risk. However, the estimation of spillover risk across species and implementation of multispecies management policies are rarely addressed for wildlife. Here, we estimated the broad risk of CWD spillover from reindeer to red deer and moose by quantifying the probability of co-occurrence based on both (1) population density and(2) habitat niche overlap from GPS data of all three species in Nordfjella,Norway. We describe the practical challenges faced when aiming to reduce the risk of spillover through a marked reduction in the population densities of moose and red deer using recreational hunters. This involves setting the popu-lation and harvest aims with uncertain information and how to achieve them.The niche overlap between reindeer and both moose and red deer was low overall but occurred seasonally. Migratory red deer had a moderate niche over-lap with the CWD-infected reindeer population during the calving period, whereas moose had a moderate niche overlap during both calving and winter. Incorporating both habitat overlap and the population densities of the respective species into the quantification of co-occurrence allowed for more spatially targeted risk maps. An initial aim of a 50% reduction in abundance for the Nordfjella region was set, but only a moderate population decrease of less than 20% from 2016 to 2021 was achieved. Proactive management in the form of marked population reduction is invasive and unpopular when involving species of high societal value, and targeting efforts to zones with a high risk ofspillover to limit adverse impacts and achieve wider societal acceptance is important. disease management, host range, moose, multihost pathogens, niche overlap, Norway,population estimation, red deer, reindeer

• Vindenes, Yngvild; Langvatn, Rolf & Mysterud, Atle (2023). Shifting seasonality of annual growth through ontogeny for red deer at northern latitudes. Ecosphere. ISSN 2150-8925. 14(8), s. 1–11. doi: 10.1002/ecs2.4639. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  Large mammals at northern latitudes show annual cycles of body mass gain insummer and body mass loss in winter. The amplitude and seasonal timing ofthese cycles may vary through ontogeny depending on trade-offs towardinvestments in structural growth versus fat storage, reproduction, and futuresurvival. Despite this knowledge, there is no detailed model of how the season-ality of body mass develops through ontogeny. Here, we define a new seasonalgrowth model that accounts for shifting seasonality through two sine compo-nents: one included in the growth coefficient and the other on the asymptoticsize. We fitted 12 candidate models to longitudinal data on body mass of cap-tive male and female red deer (Cervus elaphus) in Norway, with different base-line growth structures (von Bertalanffy, Gompertz, and Brody) and includingzero, one, or both of the seasonal components. The best fitting model was theBrody model with both seasonal components included, allowing the annualpeak to shift through ontogeny: The annual peak occurred in December forcalves, shifting to November in yearlings, and October in 2- and 3-year-olds,ending with September for adults. All age classes showed an annual minimumat the end of winter around March. Males and females showed similar sea-sonal peaks through ontogeny, although males grow bigger and have largerseasonal amplitudes. Our new growth model provides a flexible framework tomodel seasonal growth changing through ontogeny, applicable to differentspecies. Brody, Gompertz, growth model, ontogenetic shift, red deer, seasonal growth, seasonality,ungulates, von Bertalanffy

• Goren, Asena; Mysterud, Atle; Jore, Solveig; Viljugrein, Hildegunn; Bakka, Haakon & Vindenes, Yngvild (2023). Demographic patterns in Lyme borreliosis seasonality over 25 years. Zoonoses and Public Health. ISSN 1863-1959. 70(7), s. 647–655. doi: 10.1111/zph.13073. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Mumme, Steffen; Middleton, Arthur D.; Ciucci, Paolo; De Groeve, Johannes; Corradini, Andrea & Aikens, Ellen O. [Vis alle 32 forfattere av denne artikkelen] (2023). Wherever I may roam—Human activity alters movements of red deer (Cervus elaphus) and elk (Cervus canadensis) across two continents. Global Change Biology. ISSN 1354-1013. 29(20), s. 5788–5801. doi: 10.1111/gcb.16769. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Figueiredo, Ana Manuel; Dashti, Alejandro; Santín, Mónica; Köster, Pamela C.; Torres, Rita & Fonseca, Carlos [Vis alle 16 forfattere av denne artikkelen] (2023). Occurrence and molecular characterization of Enterocytozoon bieneusi in wild and domestic animal species in Portugal. Medical Mycology. ISSN 1369-3786. 61(2), s. 1–14. doi: 10.1093/mmy/myad018.
• Mysterud, Atle (2023). An epidemiological framework for chronic wasting disease in multihost communities. Journal of Applied Ecology. ISSN 0021-8901. 60(8), s. 1545–1550. doi: 10.1111/1365-2664.14441. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Tucker, Marlee A.; Schipper, Aafke M.; Adams, Tempe S.F.; Attias, Nina; Avgar, Tal & Babic, Natarscha L. [Vis alle 82 forfattere av denne artikkelen] (2023). Behavioral responses of terrestrial mammals to COVID-19 lockdowns. Science. ISSN 0036-8075. 380(6649), s. 1059–1064. doi: 10.1126/science.abo6499. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Mysterud, Atle; Viljugrein, Hildegunn; Andersen, Roy; Rauset, Geir Rune; Reiten, Malin Rokseth & Rolandsen, Christer Moe [Vis alle 7 forfattere av denne artikkelen] (2023). An infectious disease outbreak and increased mortality in wild alpine reindeer. Ecosphere. ISSN 2150-8925. 14(3), s. 1–10. doi: 10.1002/ecs2.4470. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  Climate changes may lead to tipping points where the epidemiologicalcharacteristics of infectious wildlife diseases suddenly change, leading tooutbreaks. However, empirically documented cases of the extent to whichemerging infectious diseases (EIDs) affect populations of large vertebrates arefew, partly because of the limited surveillance of remote wildlife populations.EIDs may potentially lead to higher mortality than mean mortality levels. Here,we quantified the likely impact of digital necrobacillosis on the survivaland population dynamics of wild alpine reindeer (Rangifer tarandus)inHardangervidda National Park (NP), Norway. The outbreak of digitalnecrobacillosis in 2019 contributed to a decrease in the summer survival rate ofjuveniles to 51% compared to an average of 88% in 2005–2018 and 77% in 2020.However, since the outbreak mainly reduced juvenile survival, the impact onshort-term population dynamics was moderate, lowering the population growthrate (λ) before harvest from an average value of 1.18 (2005–2018) to 1.08 (2019)before harvest. In 2019, anomalous climate conditions with a high daily meantemperature combined with the highest recorded daily precipitation in late sum-mer were observed. Further studies are required to document the pathologicaldevelopment of digital necrobacillosis across demographic groups and proximateand ultimate causes of mortality. demography, digital necrobacillosis, disease ecology, National Park, population dynamics,reindeer, surviva

• Mysterud, Atle; Rivrud, Inger Maren; Brekkum, Øystein & Meisingset, Erling L. (2023). Effect of legal regulation of supplemental feeding on space use of red deer in an area with chronic wasting disease. European Journal of Wildlife Research. ISSN 1612-4642. 69(1). doi: 10.1007/s10344-022-01630-6. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  Supplemental feeding of cervids during winter is a widespread management practice, but feeding may increase the risk of disease transmission. Therefore, legal regulations to limit supplemental feeding are often implemented when dealing with severe infectious diseases, such as chronic wasting disease (CWD) in cervids. However, it is currently unclear whether these regulations result in decreased spatial clustering and aggregation as intended. Supplemental feeding is expected to restrict the movement of cervids. Therefore, a ban on feeding may also result in wider space use and a risk of geographic spread of disease. The space use of 63 GPS-marked red deer (Cervus elaphus) was investigated before (n = 34) and after (n = 29) the implementation of a legal regulation aimed at limiting the supplemental feeding of cervids during winter in a CWD-affected region of Nordfjella, Norway. Snow depth was the main determinant of the space use for red deer. A moderate reduction in the number of GPS positions in spatial clusters was evident during periods of deep snow once the ban was in place. Sizes of core areas (Kernel 50%), home ranges (Kernel 95%), and dispersion (MCP 100%, number of 1 km2 pixels visited per deer) declined from January to March and with increasing snow depth. Dispersion (number of 1 km2 pixels visited per deer) did not depend on snow depth after the ban, and red deer used larger areas when snow depth was high after the ban compared to before. The ban on supplementary feeding had no effect on size of core areas or home ranges. Several potential factors can explain the overall weak effect of the ban on space use, including the use of agricultural fields by red deer, other anthropogenic feeding, and landscape topography. This study highlights that snow depth is the main factor determining space use during winter, and it remains to be determined whether the moderate reduction in spatial clustering during deep snow after the ban was sufficient to lower the risk of disease transmission.

• Goren, Asena; Viljugrein, Hildegunn; Rivrud, Inger Maren; Jore, Solveig; Bakka, Haakon & Vindenes, Yngvild [Vis alle 7 forfattere av denne artikkelen] (2023). The emergence and shift in seasonality of Lyme borreliosis in Northern Europe. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Biological Sciences. ISSN 0962-8452. 290(1993). doi: 10.1098/rspb.2022.2420. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  Climate change has had a major impact on seasonal weather patterns, resulting in marked phenological changes in a wide range of taxa. However, empirical studies of how changes in seasonality impact the emergence and seasonal dynamics of vector-borne diseases have been limited. Lyme borreliosis, a bacterial infection spread by hard-bodied ticks, is the most commonvector-borne disease in the northern hemisphere and has been rapidly increasing in both incidence and geographical distribution in many regions of Europe and North America. By analysis of long-term surveillance data (1995–2019) from across Norway (latitude 57°580–71°080 N), we demonstrate a marked change in the within-year timing of Lyme borreliosis cases accompanying an increase in the annual number of cases. The seasonal peak in cases is now six weeks earlier than 25 years ago, exceeding seasonal shifts in plant phenology and previous model predictions. The seasonal shift occurred predominantly in the first 10 years of the study period. The concurrent upsurgence in case number and shift in case timing indicate a major change in the Lyme borreliosis disease system over recent decades. This study highlights the potential for climate change to shape the seasonal dynamics of vector-borne disease systems. seasonality, vector-borne zoonoses,disease ecology, Lyme borreliosis,Lyme disease, climate change, ecology, health and disease and epidemiology

• De Groeve, Johannes; Van de Weghe, Nico; Ranc, Nathan; Morellet, Nicolas; Bonnot, Nadège C. & Gehr, Benedikt [Vis alle 13 forfattere av denne artikkelen] (2023). Back and forth: day–night alternation between cover types reveals complementary use of habitats in a large herbivore. Landscape Ecology. ISSN 0921-2973. 38, s. 1033–1049. doi: 10.1007/s10980-023-01594-1. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  Context The Complementary Habitat Hypothesis posits that animals access resources for diferent needs by moving between complementary habitats that can be seen as ‘resource composites’. These movements can occur over a range of temporal scales, from diurnal to seasonal, in response to multiple drivers such as access to food, weather constraints, risk avoidance and human disturbance. Within this framework, we hypothesised that large herbivores cope with human-altered landscapes through the alternate use of complementary habitats at both daily and seasonal scales. Objectives We tested the Complementary Habitat Hypothesis in European roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) by classifying 3900 habitat-annotated movement trajectories of 154 GPS-monitored individuals across contrasting landscapes. Methods We considered day-night alternation between open food-rich and closed refuge habitats as a measure of complementary habitat use. We frst identifed day–night alternation using the Individual Movement - Sequence Analysis Method, then we modelled the proportion of day–night alternation over the year in relation to population and individual characteristics. Results We found that day-night alternation is a widespread behaviour in roe deer, even across markedly diferent landscapes. Day–night alternation followed seasonal trends in all populations, partly linked to vegetation phenology. Within populations, seasonal patterns of open/closed habitat alternation difered between male and female adults, but not in juveniles. Conclusion Our results support the Complementary Habitat Hypothesis by showing that roe deer adjust their access to the varied resources available in complex landscapes by including diferent habitats within their home range, and sequentially alternating between them in response to seasonal changes and individual life history. Animal trajectories · Habitat use · IM-SAM · Resource composites · Roe deer · Sequential analysis methods · Spatio-temporal patterns · Vegetation green up

• Davey, Marie Louise; Kamenova, Stefaniya; Fossøy, Frode; Solberg, Erling Johan; Davidson, Rebecca K. & Mysterud, Atle [Vis alle 7 forfattere av denne artikkelen] (2023). Faecal metabarcoding provides improved detection and taxonomic resolution for non-invasive monitoring of gastrointestinal nematode parasites in wild moose populations. Parasites & Vectors. ISSN 1756-3305. 16(1). doi: 10.1186/s13071-022-05644-6. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  Background Although wild ungulate populations are heavily monitored throughout Europe, we understand little of how parasites afect population dynamics, and there is no systematic, long-term monitoring of parasite diversity and parasite loads. Such monitoring is in part hampered by a lack of time- and cost-efective assay methodologies with high sensitivity and good taxonomic resolution. DNA metabarcoding has been successfully used to characterize the parasitic nemabiome with high taxonomic resolution in a variety of wild and domestic hosts. However, in order to implement this technique in large-scale, potentially non-invasive monitoring of gastrointestinal parasitic nematodes (GIN), protocol optimization is required to maximize biodiversity detection, whilst maintaining time- and cost-efectiveness. Methods Faecal samples were collected from a wild moose population and GIN communities were characterized and quantifed using both parasitological techniques (egg and larva counting) and DNA metabarcoding of the ITS2 region of rDNA. Three diferent isolation methods were compared that difered in the volume of starting material and cell lysis method. Results Similar nematode faunas were recovered from all samples using both parasitological and metabarcoding methods, and the approaches were largely congruent. However, metabarcoding assays showed better taxonomic resolution and slightly higher sensitivity than egg and larvae counts. The metabarcoding was not strictly quantitative, but the proportion of target nematode sequences recovered was correlated with the parasitologically determined parasite load. Species detection rates in the metabarcoding assays were maximized using a DNA isolation method that included mechanical cell disruption and maximized the starting material volume. Conclusions DNA metabarcoding is a promising technique for the non-invasive, large-scale monitoring of parasitic GINs in wild ungulate populations, owing to its high taxonomic resolution, increased assay sensitivity, and time- and cost-efectiveness. Although metabarcoding is not a strictly quantitative method, it may nonetheless be possible to create a management- and conservation-relevant index for the host parasite load from this data. To optimize the detection rates and time- and cost-efectiveness of metabarcoding assays, we recommend choosing a DNA isolation method that involves mechanical cell disruption and maximizes the starting material volume. Nemabiome, Metabarcoding, ITS2, DNA extraction method, NC1–NC2 primers, Alces alces, Helminth, Ungulates

• Mysterud, Atle; Viljugrein, Hildegunn; Hopp, Petter; Andersen, Roy; Bakka, Haakon & Benestad, Sylvie L. [Vis alle 14 forfattere av denne artikkelen] (2023). Challenges and opportunities using hunters to monitor chronic wasting disease among wild reindeer in the digital era. Ecological Solutions and Evidence. ISSN 2688-8319. 4(1). doi: 10.1002/2688-8319.12203. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  1. Surveillance of wildlife diseases poses considerable logistical challenges com-pared to that of humans or livestock. Citizen science can enable broader cover-age, but building an efficient disease monitoring system that relies on hunters is challenging. Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a lethal and infectious prion dis-ease of cervids. Improving surveillance is important with the detection of CWD in wild reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) in Norway.2. This study describes the components of an efficient CWD monitoring sys-tem utilizing recreational hunters. We report the success of data capture after 6 years of surveillance. We provide an overview of CWD occurrence among the 24 wild reindeer areas and quantify the likelihood of disease absence in areas without detection.3. Surveillance aimed to test hunted reindeer aged ≥1 year. With higher quotas and extended hunting seasons, proactive surveillance was implemented in at-risk areas. There were several challenges of population demarcation and the lack of surveys required for risk- based sampling. Several specific tools for hunters have been developed, including digital apps for rapid reporting and feedback. Laboratory capacity was expanded, and novel statistical tools were developed for the specifics of the sampled tissues.4. The surveillance (2016–2021) achieved a sample return rate of 61.5% from a maximum of 22,123 harvested reindeer aged ≥1 year. Among these, 64.1% in-cluded both relevant tissues (retropharyngeal lymph nodes and brain), yielding 9412 (42.5%) complete samples of harvested reindeer. Samples originating from harvest constituted ~84% of total wild reindeer samples. 5. CWD was detected in 2 of the 24 wild reindeer management areas. The re-maining populations had a probability of CWD-freedom from 60% to 99% (mean= 77%) at a design prevalence of 0.5%.6. Utilizing hunters to monitor wildlife disease appears to be the most realistic op-tion for cervid species. However, the logistical and economic constraints are substantial and pose long-term challenges. Considerable uncertainty about dis-ease occurrence remains even after massive surveillance, and whether manage-ment should take preventive actions remains a challenge.cervids, citizen science, disease control, disease surveillance, freedom-from-disease, hunters, logistics, tissue sampling

• Mysterud, Atle; Langvatn, Rolf; Meisingset, Erling L. & Rivrud, Inger Maren (2022). Agricultural grasslands buffer density effects in red deer populations. Journal of Wildlife Management. ISSN 0022-541X. 87(3). doi: 10.1002/jwmg.22357. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  Population densities of several cervid species have increased in recent decades in North America and Europe, and cervids frequently eat and damage agricultural crops. Competition and depletion of natural food resources are the main mechanisms for the density-dependent decline in vital rates of large herbivores. The extent to which access to agricultural crops can buffer density effects in cervid populations, however, is unknown. Agricultural grasslands cover more than a third of the European agricultural area, and red deer (Cervus elaphus) use these grasslands in many European countries. Over the past few decades, such grasslands have been subject to management intensification (with renewal and fertilization) in some areas and abandonment (no longer being harvested) in other areas. We used generalized linear mixed-effects models to examine the development of body masses of red deer in Norway during a period of population density increase in 16 local management units with different availability of cultivated grasslands (0.87–6.44%) in a region with active management of grasslands (Tingvoll, n = 5,780, 2000–2019) and a region with ongoing abandonment (Hitra, n = 10,598, 2007–2020). There was a consistent decline in the body mass of red deer linked to increased population density in both regions. A higher proportion of agricultural grassland was linked to higher body mass and lower density effects in both sexes and across all age classes. There is a link between body mass, survival, and reproduction. Therefore, the buffering of density effects of access to agricultural crops will fuel cervid population growth and lead to less natural regulation of abundance, making it more difficult to control dense cervid populations by harvesting.

• Meisingset, Erling L.; Gusevik, Joar; Skjørestad, Atle; Brekkum, Øystein; Mysterud, Atle & Rosell, Frank Narve (2022). Impacts of human disturbance on flight response and habitat use of red deer. Ecosphere. ISSN 2150-8925. 13(11). doi: 10.1002/ecs2.4281. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  Many wild animals perceive humans as predators, and human disturbance,especially in the form of hunting, triggers antipredatory behavior among prey.Yet, knowledge of how game species react to different types of human distur-bance and adapt to repeated disturbances is limited. We investigated howdisturbance in the form of a solitary human approacher (stalker) impactedbehavior (flight response and short-term habitat use) of 28 GPS-collared reddeer (Cervus elaphus) in two populations with contrasting population densitiesin Norway. We studied how the behavioral response differed: (1) with season(pre-hunting vs. hunting); (2) by consecutive approaches within a day;(3) among replicated experiments within the same season; and (4) betweentwo regions with contrasting densities of red deer. The average flight initiationdistance (FID) increased by 15% during the hunting season, and consecutiveapproaches within the same day caused the red deer to move 49% longerdistances. Flight initiation distance was longer in the high-density population,while escape distance was longer in the low-density population. Red deermoved out of their weekly home range after 52% approaches, and after theonset of hunting season, time spent outside the home range increased by 89%.Red deer preferred denser resting sites after the disturbance and animal siteshad shorter sighting distance and higher canopy cover than control plots.Tree density and canopy cover at animal sites increased at the onset of huntingseason, from first to second approach within day, and after replicated experi-ments within season. Our results suggest that red deer preferred dense restingsites, especially in the hunting season. However, these animal sites had thesame amount of the favorable forage plant bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus), indi-cating no clear food–cover trade-off in selection of habitat. Our study showedthat onset of hunting initiates stronger fear responses in red deer, which mayin turn affect red deer distribution and harvesting efficiency

• Mysterud, Atle; Rød-Eriksen, Lars; Hildebrand, Aniko; Meås, Roger; Gudmundsson, Aron Freyr & Rolandsen, Christer Moe (2022). The efficacy of wildlife fences for keeping reindeer outside a chronic wasting disease risk area. Ecological Solutions and Evidence. ISSN 2688-8319. 3(3). doi: 10.1002/2688-8319.12174. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Broekman, Maarten J. E.; Hilbers, Jelle P.; Huijbregts, Mark A. J.; Mueller, Thomas; Ali, Abdullah H. & Andrén, Henrik [Vis alle 88 forfattere av denne artikkelen] (2022). Evaluating expert-based habitat suitability information of terrestrial mammals with GPS-tracking data. Global Ecology and Biogeography. ISSN 1466-822X. 31(8), s. 1526–1541. doi: 10.1111/geb.13523. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  Aim: Macroecological studies that require habitat suitability data for many species often derive this information from expert opinion. However, expert- based informa-tion is inherently subjective and thus prone to errors. The increasing availability of GPS tracking data offers opportunities to evaluate and supplement expert- based in-formation with detailed empirical evidence. Here, we compared expert- based habitat suitability information from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) with habitat suitability information derived from GPS-tracking data of 1,498 individu-als from 49 mammal species.Location: Worldwide.Time period: 1998–2021.Major taxa studied: Forty- nine terrestrial mammal species.Methods: Using GPS data, we estimated two measures of habitat suitability for each individual animal: proportional habitat use (proportion of GPS locations within a habi-tat type), and selection ratio (habitat use relative to its availability). For each individual we then evaluated whether the GPS- based habitat suitability measures were in agree-ment with the IUCN data. To that end, we calculated the probability that the ranking of empirical habitat suitability measures was in agreement with IUCN's classification into suitable, marginal and unsuitable habitat types.Results: IUCN habitat suitability data were in accordance with the GPS data (> 95% probability of agreement) for 33 out of 49 species based on proportional habitat use estimates and for 25 out of 49 species based on selection ratios. In addition, 37 and 34 species had a > 50% probability of agreement based on proportional habitat use and selection ratios, respectively.Main conclusions: We show how GPS-tracking data can be used to evaluate IUCN habitat suitability data. Our findings indicate that for the majority of species in-cluded in this study, it is appropriate to use IUCN habitat suitability data in macro-ecological studies. Furthermore, we show that GPS-tracking data can be used to identify and prioritize species and habitat types for re-evaluation of IUCN habitat suitability data expert opinion, GPS, habitat suitability, habitat type, habitat use, IUCN, mammals, movement, selection ratio, telemetry

• Forsyth, David M.; Comte, Sebastien; Davis, Naomi E.; Bengsen, Andrew J.; Côté, Steeve D. & Hewitt, David G. [Vis alle 8 forfattere av denne artikkelen] (2022). Methodology matters when estimating deer abundance: a global systematic review and recommendations for improvements. Journal of Wildlife Management. ISSN 0022-541X. 86(4). doi: 10.1002/jwmg.22207. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Mysterud, Atle (2021). Climate and prediction of tick-borne diseases facing the complexity of the pathogen-tick-host triad at northern latitudes. I Nuttall, Pat (Red.), Climate, ticks and disease. CABI Publishing. ISSN 9781789249637. s. 247–252. doi: 10.1079/9781789249637.0035. Vis sammendrag

  This expert opinion discusses how warming climates can impact the complex epidemiological cycle involving the pathogen- tick vector-host triad in northern latitudes. It provides evidence and prediction of the climate change impact on the abundance, distribution and population dynamics of both ticks and tick-borne diseases.

• Vuorinen, Katariina Elsa Maria; Austrheim, Gunnar; Mysterud, Atle; Gya, Ragnhild; Vandvik, Vigdis & Grytnes, John Arvid [Vis alle 7 forfattere av denne artikkelen] (2021). Functional traits of alpine plant communities show long-term resistance to changing herbivore densities. Ecosphere. ISSN 2150-8925. 12(12). doi: 10.1002/ecs2.3887. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Passoni, Gioele; Coulson, Tim; Ranc, Nathan; Corradini, Andrea; Hewison, A. J. Mark & Ciuti, Simone [Vis alle 13 forfattere av denne artikkelen] (2021). Roads constrain movement across behavioural processes in a partially migratory ungulate. Movement Ecology. ISSN 2051-3933. 9(57), s. 1–12. doi: 10.1186/s40462-021-00292-4. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Mysterud, Atle; Viljugrein, Hildegunn; Lund, Jan Henning L’Abée; Lund, Svein Erik; Rolandsen, Christer Moe & Strand, Olav (2021). The relationship between quotas and harvest in the alpine reindeer population on Hardangervidda, Norway. European Journal of Wildlife Research. ISSN 1612-4642. 67(6), s. 1–11. doi: 10.1007/s10344-021-01542-x. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Viljugrein, Hildegunn; Hopp, Petter; Benestad, Sylvie L.; Våge, Jørn & Mysterud, Atle (2021). Risk-based surveillance of chronic wasting disease in semi-domestic reindeer. Preventive Veterinary Medicine. ISSN 0167-5877. 196. doi: 10.1016/j.prevetmed.2021.105497. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  Reindeer pastoralism is a widespread practise across Fennoscandia and Russia. An outbreak of chronic wasting disease (CWD) among wild reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) poses a severe threat to the semi-domestic reindeer herding culture. Establishing surveillance is therefore key, but current models for surveillance of CWD are designed for wild cervids and rely on samples obtained from recreational hunters. Targeting animal groups with a higher infection probability is often used for more efficient disease surveillance. CWD has a long incubation period of 2–3 years, and the animals show clinical signs in the later stages of the infection i.e. 1 Chronic wasting disease (CWD) Disease management Freedom from infection Policy Proactive management Prion protein gene (PRNP)

• Esmaeili, Saeideh; Jesmer, Brett R.; Albeke, Shannon E.; Aikens, Ellen O.; Schoenecker, Kathryn A. & King, Sarah R. B. [Vis alle 50 forfattere av denne artikkelen] (2021). Body size and digestive system shape resource selection by ungulates: A cross-taxa test of the forage maturation hypothesis. Ecology Letters. ISSN 1461-023X. 24(10), s. 2178–2191. doi: 10.1111/ele.13848. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  The forage maturation hypothesis (FMH) states that energy intake for ungulates is maximised when forage biomass is at intermediate levels. Nevertheless, metabolic allometry and different digestive systems suggest that resource selection should vary across ungulate species. By combining GPS relocations with remotely sensed data on forage characteristics and surface water, we quantified the effect of body size and digestive system in determining movements of 30 populations of hindgut fermenters (equids) and ruminants across biomes. Selection for intermediate forage biomass was negatively related to body size, regardless of digestive system. Selection for proximity to surface water was stronger for equids relative to ruminants, regardless of body size. To be more generalisable, we suggest that the FMH explicitly incorporate contingencies in body size and digestive system, with small-bodied ruminants selecting more strongly for potential energy intake, and hindgut fermenters selecting more strongly for surface water.

• Van Moorter, Bram; Singh, Navinder J.; Rolandsen, Christer Moe; Solberg, Erling Johan; Dettki, Holger & Pusenius, Jyrki [Vis alle 14 forfattere av denne artikkelen] (2021). Seasonal release from competition explains partial migration in European moose. Oikos. ISSN 0030-1299. 130(9), s. 1548–1561. doi: 10.1111/oik.07875. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  Partial migration, whereby a proportion of a population migrates between distinct seasonal ranges, is common throughout the animal kingdom. However, studies linking existing theoretical models of migration probability, with empirical data are lacking. The competitive release hypothesis for partial migration predicts that due to density-dependent habitat selection, the proportion of migrants increases as the relative quality and size of the seasonal range increases, but decreases with increasing migration cost and population density. To test this prediction, we developed a quantitative framework to predict the proportion of migrants, using empirical data from 545 individually GPS-marked moose Alces alces from across Fennoscandia, spanning latitudes of 56°to 68°N. Moose contracted their ranges to common and spatially limited winter areas (typically at lower elevation), but expanded them during summer due to an increase in suitable habitat (at highland ranges). As predicted from our model, a better and larger highland range relative to the lowland range corresponded to a higher propor-tion of migrants in an area. Quantitative predictions coupling the balance of habitat availability of seasonal ranges with the probability of migrating in a large herbivore is a necessary step towards an enhanced understanding of the mechanisms underlying migration at the population level. ideal-free distribution, resource selection functions, seasonal habitat selection, ungulates

• Mysterud, Atle; Hügli, Christian & Viljugrein, Hildegunn (2021). Tick infestation on medium–large-sized mammalian hosts: are all equally suitable to Ixodes ricinus adults? Parasites & Vectors. ISSN 1756-3305. 14(1), s. 1–6. doi: 10.1186/s13071-021-04775-6. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Mysterud, Atle; Skjelbostad, Isa Nergård; Rivrud, Inger Maren; Brekkum, Øystein & Meisingset, Erling L. (2021). Spatial clustering by red deer and its relevance for management of chronic wasting disease. Animals. ISSN 2076-2615. 11(5), s. 1–13. doi: 10.3390/ani11051272. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  Simple Summary Chronic Wasting Disease is a deadly infectious disease affecting cervids that was discovered in Norway in 2016. CWD can transmit through environmental reservoirs and aggregation and spatial clustering of animals may affect transmission. Deer usually forage on scattered forage, but anthropogenic food sources are often concentrated in space, leading to spatial aggregation. We determined what caused red deer to revisit the same locations in the environment, and the extent to which this was caused by anthropogenic food sources. We document that the most visited sites were indeed anthropogenic, which opens potential avenues to disease mitigation. Abstract Herbivores like cervids usually graze on widely scattered forage, but anthropogenic food sources may cause spatial revisitation and aggregation, posing a risk for transmission of infectious diseases. In 2016, chronic wasting disease (CWD) was first detected in Norway. A legal regulation to ban supplemental feeding of cervids and to fence stored hay bales was implemented to lower aggregation of cervids. Knowledge of further patterns and causes of spatial revisitation can inform disease management. We used a recently developed revisitation analysis on GPS-positions from 13 red deer (Cervus elaphus) to identify the pattern of spatial clustering, and we visited 185 spatial clusters during winter to identify the causes of clustering. Anthropogenic food sources were found in 11.9% of spatial clusters, which represented 31.0% of the clusters in agricultural fields. Dumping of silage and hay bales were the main anthropogenic food sources (apart from agricultural fields), and unfenced hay bales were available despite the regulation. The probability of the clusters being in agricultural fields was high during winter. It may be necessary to find other ways of disposing of silage and enforcing the requirement of fencing around hay bales to ensure compliance, in particular during winters with deep snow.

• Rolandsen, Christer Moe; Madslien, Knut Ivar Engesæter; Ytrehus, Bjørnar; Hamnes, Inger Sofie; Solberg, Erling Johan & Mysterud, Atle [Vis alle 10 forfattere av denne artikkelen] (2021). Distribution, prevalence and intensity of moose nose bot fly (Cephenemyia ulrichii) larvae in moose (Alces alces) from Norway. International Journal for Parasitology. ISSN 0020-7519. 15, s. 120–126. doi: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2021.04.012. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  High host density combined with climate change may lead to invasion of harmful parasites in cervid (host) populations. Bot flies (Diptera: Oestridae) are a group of ectoparasites that may have strong impact on their hosts, but data on the current distribution, prevalence and intensity of the moose nose bot fly (Cephenemyia ulrichii) in Scandinavia are lacking. We estimated prevalence and intensity of nose bot fly larvae in 30 moose from southern and 79 moose from central Norway. All larvae detected were identified as the moose nose bot fly. We found surprisingly high prevalence in these areas, which are up to 1300 km south-southwest of the first published location in Norway and west of the distribution in Sweden. Prevalence (0.44–1.00) was higher in areas with higher moose density. Parasite intensity in hunter killed moose was higher in central Norway (mean 5.7) than southern Norway (mean 2.9), and in both regions higher in calves and yearlings than adults. Fallen moose had higher parasite intensity (mean 9.8) compared to hunter killed moose in the subsample from central Norway, suggesting a link to host condition or behavior. Our study provides evidence of parasite range expansion, and establishing monitoring appears urgent to better understand impact on host populations. Cephenemyia Parasites Prevalence Intensity Distribution Moose population density

• Mysterud, Atle; Viljugrein, Hildegunn; Rolandsen, Christer Moe & Belsare, Aniruddha V. (2021). Harvest strategies for the elimination of low prevalence wildlife diseases. Royal Society Open Science. ISSN 2054-5703. 8(3), s. 1–13. doi: 10.1098/rsos.210124. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  The intensive harvesting of hosts is often the only practicable strategy for controlling emerging wildlife diseases. Several harvesting approaches have been explored theoretically with the objective of lowering transmission rates, decreasing the transmission period or specifically targeting spatial disease clusters or high-risk demographic groups. Here, we present a novel model-based approach to evaluate alternative harvest regimes, in terms of demographic composition and rates, intended to increase the probability to remove all infected individuals in the population during the early phase of an outbreak. We tested the utility of the method for the elimination of chronic wasting disease based on empirical data for reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) in Norway, in populations with (Nordfjella) and without (Hardangervidda) knowledge about exact disease prevalence and population abundance. Low and medium harvest intensities were unsuccessful in eliminating the disease, even at low prevalence. High-intensity harvesting had a high likelihood of eliminating the disease, but probability was strongly influenced by the disease prevalence. We suggest that the uncertainty about disease prevalence can be mitigated by using an adaptive management approach: forecast from models after each harvest season with updated data, derive prevalence estimates and forecast further harvesting. We identified the problems arising from disease surveillance with large fluctuations in harvesting pressure and hence sample sizes. The elimination method may be suitable for pathogens that cause long-lasting infections and with slow epidemic growth, but the method should only be attempted if there is a low risk of reinfection, either by a new disease introduction event (e.g. dispersing hosts) or due to environmental reservoirs. Our simulations highlighted the short time window when such a strategy is likely to be successful before approaching near complete eradication of the population. chronic wasting disease, selective harvesting, reindeer, Norway, adaptive management

• Ytrehus, Bjørnar; Asmyhr, Maria Gulbrandsen; Hansen, Helge; Mysterud, Atle; Nilsen, Erlend Birkeland & Strand, Olav [Vis alle 12 forfattere av denne artikkelen] (2021). Handlingsrommet etter påvisning av skrantesyke (Chronic Wasting Disease, CWD) på Hardangervidda – grunnlag for fremtidige forvaltningsstrategier. Vitenskapelig uttalelse fra Vitenskapskomiteen for Mat og Miljø (VKM). VKM Report. ISSN 2535-4019. 2021(1), s. 1–122. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Belsare, Aniruddha V.; Millspaugh, Joshua J.; Mason, J.Russ; Sumners, Jason; Viljugrein, Hildegunn & Mysterud, Atle (2021). Getting in front of chronic wasting disease: Model-informed proactive approach for managing an emerging wildlife disease. Frontiers in Veterinary Science. ISSN 2297-1769. 7, s. 1–6. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2020.608235. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Johansson, Maria; Mysterud, Atle & Flykt, Anders (2020). Livestock owners’ worry and fear of tick‑borne diseases. Parasites & Vectors. ISSN 1756-3305. 13(331). doi: 10.1186/s13071-020-04162-7. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Mysterud, Atle; Strand, Olav & Rolandsen, Christer Moe (2020). Embracing fragmentation to save reindeer from disease. Conservation Science and Practice (CSP). ISSN 2578-4854. 2, s. 1–4. doi: 10.1111/csp2.244. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  Space demanding mammalian species, such as reindeer, are in decline worldwide due to habitat loss and fragmentation. Policy to restore connectivity of reindeer habitat is now put to an abrupt halt in several areas because of an outbreak of Chronic Wasting Disease in Norway, and replaced with deliberate fragmentation of the landscape by enhancing barrier effects of linear structures.

• Mysterud, Atle; Hopp, Petter; Alvseike, Kristin Ruud; Benestad, Sylvie L.; Nilsen, Erlend Birkeland & Rolandsen, Christer Moe [Vis alle 9 forfattere av denne artikkelen] (2020). Hunting strategies to increase detection of chronic wasting disease in cervids. Nature Communications. ISSN 2041-1723. 11, s. 1–11. doi: 10.1038/s41467-020-18229-7. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  The successful mitigation of emerging wildlife diseases may involve controversial host culling. For livestock, ‘preemptive host culling’ is an accepted practice involving the removal of herds with known contact to infected populations. When applied to wildlife, this proactive approach comes in conflict with biodiversity conservation goals. Here, we present an alternative approach of ‘proactive hunting surveillance’ with the aim of early disease detection that simultaneously avoids undesirable population decline by targeting demographic groups with (1) a higher likelihood of being infected and (2) a lower reproductive value. We applied this harvesting principle to populations of reindeer to substantiate freedom of chronic wasting disease (CWD) infection. Proactive hunting surveillance reached 99% probability of freedom from infection (<4 reindeer infected) within 3–5 years, in comparison to ~10 years using ordinary harvest surveillance. However, implementation uncertainties linked to social issues appear challenging also with this kind of host culling

• Mysterud, Atle; Ytrehus, Bjørnar; Tranulis, Michael A.; Rauset, Geir Rune; Rolandsen, Christer Moe & Strand, Olav (2020). Antler cannibalism in reindeer. Scientific Reports. ISSN 2045-2322. 10, s. 1–7. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-79050-2. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  Prion diseases constitute a class of invariably fatal and degenerative encephalopathies. Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) is a contagious prion disease among cervids, which is spreading and causing marked population declines in USA and Canada. The first outbreak of CWD in Europe was discovered in a reindeer population in Norway in 2016. In the worst-case scenario with continental-wide spreading of CWD in Eurasia, an annual harvest of around 4 million cervids is at stake only in Europe, with huge economic and cultural significance. An in situ origin of CWD was suspected, and it appear urgent to identify the likely cause to prevent future emergences. Here, we document the novel phenomenon of extensive antler cannibalism prior to shedding among reindeer in the CWD-infected population. The extent of antler cannibalism increased over the last decades when CWD emerged, and included ingestion of vascularized antlers. Ingestion of tissues from conspecifics is a risk factor for the emergence of prion diseases, where the presence of extensive antler cannibalism opens the intriguing possibility of a ‘Kuru-analogue’ origin of CWD among the reindeer in Europe. Based on general insight on pathology of prion diseases and strain selection processes, we propose an hypothesis for how contagious CWD may emerge from sporadic CWD under the unique epidemiological conditions we document here. More research is required to document the presence of prions in reindeer antlers, and whether antler cannibalism actually led to a strain selection process and the emergence of a contagious form of CWD from a sporadic form of CWD.

• Loe, Leif Egil; Liston, Glen E.; Pigeon, Gabriel; Barker, Kristin; Horvitz, Nir & Stien, Audun [Vis alle 20 forfattere av denne artikkelen] (2020). The neglected season: Warmer autumns counteract harsher winters and promote population growth in Arctic reindeer. Global Change Biology. ISSN 1354-1013. 27(5), s. 993–1002. doi: 10.1111/gcb.15458. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  Arctic ungulates are experiencing the most rapid climate warming on Earth. While concerns have been raised that more frequent icing events may cause die-offs, and earlier springs may generate a trophic mismatch in phenology, the effects of warming autumns have been largely neglected. We used 25 years of individual-based data from a growing population of wild Svalbard reindeer, to test how warmer autumns enhance population growth. Delayed plant senescence had no effect, but a six-week delay in snow-onset (the observed data range) was estimated to increase late winter body mass by 10%. Because average late winter body mass explains 90% of the variation in population growth rates, such a delay in winter-onset would enable a population growth of r = 0.20, sufficient to counteract all but the most extreme icing events. This study provides novel mechanistic insights into the consequences of climate change for Arctic herbivores, highlighting the positive impact of warming autumns on population viability, offsetting the impacts of harsher winters. Thus, the future for Arctic herbivores facing climate change may be brighter than the prevailing view. body mass, climate change, fitness, GPS, movement ecology, plant phenology, Rangifer, snow, space use, ungulates

• Mysterud, Atle; Benestad, Sylvie L.; Rolandsen, Christer Moe & Våge, Jørn (2020). Policy implications of an expanded chronic wasting disease universe. Journal of Applied Ecology. ISSN 0021-8901. s. 1–5. doi: 10.1111/1365-2664.13783. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  1. International policy for the management of wildlife disease(s) plays an important role for concerted action, and changes to policy should be evidence-based and updated as new evidence accumulates. Management of chronic wasting disease (CWD), the prion disease affecting cervids, is based on its highly contagious nature relative to most other prion diseases. These management actions are particularly invasive, with considerable biological and economic consequences. 2. A novel type of CWD has been discovered in moose Alces alces and red deer Cervus elaphus, with prions restricted to the central nervous system (CNS). Prions in tissue outside the CNS are an indication of the contagiousness of a prion disease. As such, for this novel type of CWD, there is a lower likelihood of horizontal transmission under natural conditions. Furthermore, infected individuals were older (mean 15 years), and cases appeared with limited clustering in space and time; hence, with no indication of an epidemic outbreak. 3. Policy implications. The annual harvest of approximately 4 million cervids in Europe each year generates considerable cultural and economic value. ‘Stamping out’ policies would be inefficient and inappropriate to control diseases with no horizontal transmission among live animals, and banning the export of meat from a region after detection of a positively tested animal would make little sense in the case of sporadic disease. The novel type of chronic wasting disease (CWD) with epidemiological characteristics clearly different from ‘classical’ and contagious CWD calls for differentiated management strategies to avoid unnecessarily invasive actions. cervids, chronic wasting disease, disease management, EU-policy, moose, red deer, sporadic prion disease, TSE regulation

• Mysterud, Atle; Rauset, Geir Rune; Van Moorter, Bram; Andersen, Roy; Strand, Olav & Rivrud, Inger Maren (2020). The last moves: The effect of hunting and culling on the risk of disease spread from a population of reindeer. Journal of Applied Ecology. ISSN 0021-8901. 57, s. 2509–2518. doi: 10.1111/1365-2664.13761. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  1. Hunting and culling are frequently used to combat infectious wildlife diseases. The aim is to markedly lower population density in order to limit disease transmission or to eradicate the host. Massive host culling can yield a trade-off when combating wildlife disease; it follows that intrusive actions may have unintended behavioural side effects, leading to the geographic spread of disease. The manner in which such excessive hunting and culling of hosts can affect the movement and dispersion of cervids has not been studied. 2. In this study, we quantified the behaviour (daily movements and habitat use) and dispersion of GPS-marked reindeer (n = 24) before and during the eradication of an entire population (>2,000 reindeer) infected with chronic wasting disease (CWD) in Norway. We compared behaviour and dispersion during 10 ordinary hunting seasons (2007–2016), an extended hunting season (2017) and marksmen culling (2017/2018). 3. Seasonality had a major impact on movements. Reindeer movements during the early hunting season (20 August–20 September) did not increase the overall movements compared to that in the pre-hunt season (20 July–19 August), while extended hunting into October (as in 2017) and marksmen culling from November to February markedly increased daytime movements relative to that normally observed in this time of the year. Towards the end of the eradication, the remaining reindeer sought refuge at restricted high-elevation areas with limited forage production. Reindeer used novel areas towards the perimeter of the range, but active herding during culling stopped one herd from leaving the CWD zone. 4. Synthesis and applications. With emerging wildlife diseases, host culling is becoming a more frequently used tool for managers in Europe. Our study highlights the potential trade-off between combating disease transmission within a population and the risk of geographic spread. Such insight is important to design mitigation measures, such as perimeter fencing or herding, to avoid the risk of the geographic spread of disease in cases of severe and economically important wildlife diseases. cervids, chronic wasting disease, disease ecology, disease management, host culling, movement ecology, spatial organization, unintended side effects

• Van Moorter, Bram; Engen, Steinar; Fryxell, John M.; Panzacchi, Manuela; Nilsen, Erlend Birkeland & Mysterud, Atle (2020). Consequences of barriers and changing seasonality on population dynamics and harvest of migratory ungulates. Theoretical Ecology. ISSN 1874-1738. 13, s. 595–605. doi: 10.1007/s12080-020-00471-w. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Madslien, Knut Ivar Engesæter; Stubsjøen, Solveig Marie; Viljugrein, Hildegunn; Ytrehus, Bjørnar; Solberg, Erling Johan & Kapronczai, Luciene [Vis alle 10 forfattere av denne artikkelen] (2020). Hair cortisol concentration and body mass in moose (Alces alces) infested with deer keds (Lipoptena cervi). Journal of Wildlife Diseases. ISSN 0090-3558. 56(3), s. 687–692. doi: 10.7589/2019-07-185. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Aikens, Ellen O.; Mysterud, Atle; Merkle, Jerod A.; Cagnacci, Francesca; Rivrud, Inger Maren & Hebblewhite, Mark [Vis alle 36 forfattere av denne artikkelen] (2020). Wave-like patterns of plant phenology determine ungulate movement tactics. Current Biology. ISSN 0960-9822. 30(17), s. 3444–3449. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.06.032. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  Animals exhibit a diversity of movement tactics [1]. Tracking resources that change across space and time is predicted to be a fundamental driver of animal movement [2]. For example, some migratory ungulates (i.e., hooved mammals) closely track the progression of highly nutritious plant green-up, a phenomenon called ‘‘green-wave surfing’’ [3–5]. Yet general principles describing how the dynamic nature of resources determine movement tactics are lacking [6]. We tested an emerging theory that predicts surfing and the existence of migratory behavior will be favored in environments where green-up is fleeting and moves sequentially across large landscapes (i.e., wave-like green-up) [7]. Landscapes exhibiting wave-like patterns of greenup facilitated surfing and explained the existence of migratory behavior across 61 populations of four ungulate species on two continents (n = 1,696 individuals). At the species level, foraging benefits were equivalent between tactics, suggesting that each movement tactic is fine-tuned to local patterns of plant phenology. For decades, ecologists have sought to understand how animals move to select habitat, commonly defining habitat as a set of static patches [8, 9]. Our findings indicate that animal movement tactics emerge as a function of the flux of resources across space and time, underscoring the need to redefine habitat to include its dynamic attributes. As global habitats continue to be modified by anthropogenic disturbance and climate change [10], our synthesis provides a generalizable framework to understand how animal movement will be influenced by altered patterns of resource phenology.

• Mysterud, Atle; Rivrud, Inger Maren; Gundersen, Vegard; Rolandsen, Christer Moe & Viljugrein, Hildegunn (2020). The unique spatial ecology of human hunters. Nature Human Behaviour. ISSN 2397-3374. 4, s. 694–701. doi: 10.1038/s41562-020-0836-7. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Hagge, Jonas; Müller, Jörg; Bässler, Claus; Biebl, Samantha Susanne; Brandl, Roland & Drexler, Matthias [Vis alle 14 forfattere av denne artikkelen] (2019). Deadwood retention in forests lowers short-term browsing pressure on silver fir saplings by overabundant deer. Forest Ecology and Management. ISSN 0378-1127. 451, s. 1–7. doi: 10.1016/j.foreco.2019.117531. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Jaarsma, Ryanne I.; Sprong, Hein; Takumi, Katsuhisa; Kazimirova, Maria; Silaghi, Cornelia & Mysterud, Atle [Vis alle 19 forfattere av denne artikkelen] (2019). Anaplasma phagocytophilum evolves in geographical and biotic niches of vertebrates and ticks. Parasites & Vectors. ISSN 1756-3305. 12, s. 1–17. doi: 10.1186/s13071-019-3583-8. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Mysterud, Atle; Strand, Olav & Rolandsen, Christer Moe (2019). Efficacy of Recreational Hunters and Marksmen for Host Culling to Combat Chronic Wasting Disease in Reindeer. Wildlife Society Bulletin (WSB). ISSN 0091-7648. 43(4), s. 683–692. doi: 10.1002/wsb.1024. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  Most populations of large mammals in developed countries are managed by human hunting, but there are surprisingly few empirical studies about the benefits and limitations of using recreational hunters to achieve specific management objectives. In particular, the extensive host culling required to markedly reduce population densities to combat some wildlife diseases may conflict with the management aims of landowners and hunters. This is particularly acute in the case of chronic wasting disease (CWD) in cervids, which has now emerged in reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) in Norway. We analyzed the relative efficacy of approximately 1,000 recreational hunters and 30 professional marksmen during the eradication of the entire CWD‐infected population of >2,000 reindeer in Norway. The government changed a series of legislation that would normally limit the efficacy of recreational hunters; these changes were linked to the duration of the hunting season, the specificity and size of the quotas, and spatial access rights. Efforts were taken to reduce both the searching time (hunters were given information on herd whereabouts) and handling time (helicopter aid for transport) of the recreational hunters. We compared 1) recreational hunting under ordinary legislation (up to 2016), 2) recreational hunting with less legislation (2017), and 3) culling by marksmen that were allowed to use both snowmobile and helicopter. Despite all of the changes in legislation, harvest by recreational hunters only increased from 241–316 during 2014–2016 to 582 reindeer in 2017 and was below management targets, while marksmen culled 1,399 reindeer, with a daily average and maximum offtake well above that of the hunters. The hunters shot more animals in the early season and during weekends. Offtake by both the hunters and marksmen were equally negatively affected by fog, which reduced visibility. We discuss the relative merits of using hunters and marksmen for wildlife control in general and limits to how legislation can increase offtake. We highlight the need for more research into how the use of marksmen comes with a cost in terms of social conflict. © 2019 The Authors. Wildlife Society Bulletin published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of The Wildlife Society. cervids, chronic wasting disease, disease ecology, disease management, host culling, hunting legislation, searching and handling times.

• Mysterud, Atle; Madslien, Knut Ivar Engesæter; Viljugrein, Hildegunn; Vikøren, Turid; Andersen, Roy & Guere Calderon, Mariella Evelyn [Vis alle 13 forfattere av denne artikkelen] (2019). The demographic pattern of infection with chronic wasting disease in reindeer at an early epidemic stage. Ecosphere. ISSN 2150-8925. 10(11), s. 1–11. doi: 10.1002/ecs2.2931. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  Infection patterns linked to age and sex are crucial to predict the population dynamic effects of diseases in long-lived species. How such demographic patterns of infection arise is often multifactorial, although the cause is commonly seen as a combination of immune status as well as variation in pathogen exposure. Prion diseases are particularly interesting, as they do not trigger an adaptive immune response; hence, differences in pathogen exposure linked to behavior could be the prime determinant of the pattern of infection. In cervids, the fatal prion disease, chronic wasting disease (CWD), is spreading geographically, with economic and cultural consequences in affected areas in North America, and all infected individuals eventually die from disease-associated sequelae if they live long enough. Understanding the causes of the demographic pattern of infection with CWD is therefore urgent but is limited by the fact that reported data primarily come from related deer species in North America. The recent (detected 2016) emergence of CWD among wild alpine reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) in Norway with a different social organization, that is, no home range behavior and no matrilineal female groups, offers an opportunity to advance our understanding of how behavior influences the infection patterns. Testing of 1081 males and 1278 females detected 19 animals positive for abnormal prion protein in brain and/or lymphatic tissues. No calves and only one male yearling were infected, with the remaining positives being adults (representing 1.5% of adult males and 0.5% of adult females). We found a strong sex-biased infection pattern in reindeer (with infection 2.7 times more likely in adult males), which is similar to the results reported in mule deer and white-tailed deer. The hazard of being detected as positive increased with age in males. There was no close genetic relatedness among positive animals. The results were consistent with the within-group contact of males being a possible major route of transmission. We discuss the demographic pattern of infection with CWD in view of the lack of stable home range behavior and other key behavioral traits of reindeer relevant to understanding pathogen exposure in general. irect contact; disease ecology; environmental reservoirs; pathogen exposure; population dynamics; prions; social organization; transmission.

• Williamsen, Linda; Pigeon, Gabriel; Mysterud, Atle; Stien, Audun; Forchhammer, Mads C. & Loe, Leif Egil (2019). Keeping cool in the warming Arctic: thermoregulatory behaviour by Svalbard reindeer (Rangifer tarandus platyrhynchus). Canadian Journal of Zoology. ISSN 0008-4301. 97(12), s. 1177–1185. doi: 10.1139/cjz-2019-0090. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  In animals with long generation times, evolution of physiological and morphological traits may not be fast enough to keep up with rapid climate warming, but thermoregulatory behaviour can possibly serve as an important buffer mitigating warming effects. In this study, we investigated if the cold-adapted Svalbard reindeer (Rangifer tarandus platyrhynchus (Vrolik, 1829)) used cool bed sites as a thermoregulatory behaviour in the summer. We recorded habitat variables and ground temperature at 371 bed sites with random “control” sites 10 and 100 m distant. Using case-control logistic regression, we found that reindeer selected bed sites on cool substrates (snow and mire), as well as cold, dry ground on days with warm ambient temperatures, while they avoided such sites on cold days. Selection of both cool substrates and cool ground did not depend on age or sex. The study was conducted in an environment where neither predatory threat nor insect harassment influenced bed site selection. Our findings suggest that the thermal landscape is important for habitat selection of cold-adapted Arctic ungulates in summer. Thus, behavioural strategies may be important to mitigate effects of climate change, at least in the short term. bed site, behavioural buffering, climate change, habitat selection, snow, ungulates, Svalbard reindeer, Rangifer tarandus platyrhynchus.

• Mysterud, Atle; Viljugrein, Hildegunn; Solberg, Erling Johan & Rolandsen, Christer Moe (2019). Legal regulation of supplementary cervid feeding facing chronic wasting disease. Journal of Wildlife Management. ISSN 0022-541X. 83(8), s. 1667–1675. doi: 10.1002/jwmg.21746. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Mysterud, Atle; Bleka, Øyvind; Nielsen, Anders; Steinheim, Geir; Yoccoz, Nigel Gilles & Storvik, Geir Olve (2019). Climate and synchrony of lamb body mass. I Olaussen, Jon Olaf (Red.), Contributions in natural resource economics. Festschrift to Anders Skonhoft. Fagbokforlaget. ISSN 9788245024715. s. 183–197.
• Debeffe, Lucie Isabelle; Rivrud, Inger Maren; Meisingset, Erling L. & Mysterud, Atle (2019). Sex-specific differences in spring and autumn migration in a northern large herbivore. Scientific Reports. ISSN 2045-2322. 9, s. 1–11. doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-42639-3. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  Ongoing global warming is now affecting migratory cycles in a large variety of taxa in seasonally variable environments. Disruption of migratory systems can cause population decline and affect ecosystem function across the globe. It is therefore urgent to understand the drivers of migration and how the different fitness limitations of the sexes affect migration, but studies seldom considered the full annual cycle. We analysed the annual migration cycle of 237 red deer (Cervus elaphus) in Norway and investigate how different seasonal limitations affected the variation in a suite of migration characteristics. We found fundamental differences in migration phenology between seasons, and migratory traits were much more variable in males. Spring migratory movements were characterized by longer distance roamed, lower speed, lasted longer, more frequent use of stopovers, timing was more synchronized and coincided with onset of plant growth, and with higher daily activity levels. Timing of autumn migration was more variable and not closely related to cease of plant growth. Our study emphasizes the benefits of studying the full annual cycle to gain further insight into the migration process, and how understanding the limitations of the full annual migration process of both sexes is critical for conservation purposes.

• Mysterud, Atle; Heylen, Dieter J. A.; Matthysen, Erik; Garcia, Aïda Lopez; Jore, Solveig & Viljugrein, Hildegunn (2019). Lyme neuroborreliosis and bird populations in northern Europe. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Biological Sciences. ISSN 0962-8452. 286(1903), s. 1–10. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2019.0759. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Mysterud, Atle; Stigum, Vetle Malmer; Linløkken, Harald Kolstad; Herland, Anders & Viljugrein, Hildegunn (2019). How general are generalist parasites? The small mammal part of the Lyme disease transmission cycle in two ecosystems in northern Europe. Oecologia. ISSN 0029-8549. 190(1), s. 115–126. doi: 10.1007/s00442-019-04411-2. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Mysterud, Atle; Stigum, Vetle Malmer; Jaarsma, Ryanne I. & Sprong, Hein (2019). Genospecies of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato detected in 16 mammal species and questing ticks from northern Europe. Scientific Reports. ISSN 2045-2322. 9, s. 1–8. doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-41686-0. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Rivrud, Inger Maren; Meisingset, Erling L.; Loe, Leif Egil & Mysterud, Atle (2019). Future suitability of habitat in a migratory ungulate under climate change. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Biological Sciences. ISSN 0962-8452. 286(1899). doi: 10.1098/rspb.2019.0442. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  With climate change, the effect of global warming on snow cover is expected to cause range expansion and enhance habitat suitability for species at their northern distribution limits. However, how this depends on landscape topography and sex in size-dimorphic species remains uncertain, and is further complicated for migratory animals following climate-driven seasonal resource fluctuations across vast landscapes. Using 11 years of data from a partially migratory ungulate at their northern distribution ranges, the red deer (Cervus elaphus), we predicted sex-specific summer and winter habitat suitability in diverse landscapes under medium and severe global warming. We found large increases in future winter habitat suitability, resulting in expansion of winter ranges as currently unsuitable habitat became suitable. Even moderate warming decreased snow cover substantially, with no suitability difference between warming scenarios. Winter ranges will hence not expand linearly with warming, even for species at their northern distribution limits. Although less pronounced than in winter, summer ranges also expanded and more so under severe warming. Summer habitat suitability was positively correlated with landscape topography and ranges expanded more for females than males. Our study highlights the complexity of predicting future habitat suitability for conservation and management of size-dimorphic, migratory species under global warming.

• Stigum, Vetle Malmer; Jaarsma, Ryanne I.; Sprong, Hein; Rolandsen, Christer Moe & Mysterud, Atle (2019). Infection prevalence and ecotypes of Anaplasma phagocytophilum in moose Alces alces, red deer Cervus elaphus, roe deer Capreolus capreolus and Ixodes ricinus ticks from Norway. Parasites & Vectors. ISSN 1756-3305. 12, s. 1–8. doi: 10.1186/s13071-018-3256-z. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Hofman, M. P. G.; Hayward, M.W.; Heim, Morten; Marchand, P.; Rolandsen, Christer Moe & Mattisson, Jenny [Vis alle 118 forfattere av denne artikkelen] (2019). Right on track? Performance of satellite telemetry in terrestrial wildlife research. PLOS ONE. ISSN 1932-6203. 14:e0216223(5), s. 1–26. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0216223. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  Satellite telemetry is an increasingly utilized technology in wildlife research, and current devices can track individual animal movements at unprecedented spatial and temporal resolutions. However, as we enter the golden age of satellite telemetry, we need an in-Depth understanding of the main technological, species-specific and environmental factors that determine the success and failure of satellite tracking devices across species and habitats. Here, we assess the relative influence of such factors on the ability of satellite telemetry units to provide the expected amount and quality of data by analyzing data from over 3,000 devices deployed on 62 terrestrial species in 167 projects worldwide. We evaluate the success rate in obtaining GPS fixes as well as in transferring these fixes to the user and we evaluate failure rates. Average fix success and data transfer rates were high and were generally better predicted by species and unit characteristics, while environmental characteristics influenced the variability of performance. However, 48% of the unit deployments ended prematurely, half of them due to technical failure. Nonetheless, this study shows that the performance of satellite telemetry applications has shown improvements over time, and based on our findings, we provide further recommendations for both users and manufacturers.

• Loe, Leif Egil; Pigeon, Gabriel; Albon, Steve D.; Giske, Pernille Andrine Eriksdatter; Irvine, R. Justin & Ropstad, Erik [Vis alle 9 forfattere av denne artikkelen] (2019). Antler growth as a cost of reproduction in female reindeer. Oecologia. ISSN 0029-8549. 189(3), s. 601–609. doi: 10.1007/s00442-019-04347-7. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  The costs of reproduction are important in shaping individual life histories, and hence population dynamics, but the mechanistic pathways of such costs are often unknown. Female reindeer have evolved antlers possibly due to interference competition on winter-feeding grounds. Here, we investigate if variation in antler size explains part of the cost of reproduction in late winter mass of female reindeer. We captured 440 individual Svalbard reindeer a total of 1426 times over 16 years and measured antler size and body mass in late winter, while presence of a ‘calf-at-heel’ was observed in summer. We found that reproductive females grew smaller antlers and weighed 4.3 kg less than non-reproductive females. Path analyses revealed that 14% of this cost of reproduction in body mass was caused by the reduced antler size. Our study is therefore consistent with the hypothesis that antlers in female Rangifer have evolved due to interference competition and provides evidence for antler growth as a cost of reproduction in females. Antler growth was constrained more by life history events than by variation in the environment, which contrasts markedly with studies on male antlers and horns, and hence increases our understanding of constraints on ornamentation and life history trade-offs.

• Mysterud, Atle & Edmunds, David R. (2019). A review of chronic wasting disease in North America with implications for Europe. European Journal of Wildlife Research. ISSN 1612-4642. 65(26), s. 1–13. doi: 10.1007/s10344-019-1260-z. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Rivrud, Inger Maren; Frank, Shane; Bischof, Richard; Mysterud, Atle; Steyaert, Sam & Hertel, Anne Gabriela [Vis alle 10 forfattere av denne artikkelen] (2019). Heritability of head size in a hunted large carnivore, the brown bear (Ursus arctos). Evolutionary Applications. ISSN 1752-4571. 12(6), s. 1124–1135. doi: 10.1111/eva.12786. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  Wild animal populations experience selection pressures from both natural and anthropogenic sources. The availability of extensive pedigrees is increasing along with our ability to quantify the heritability and evolvability of phenotypic traits and thus the speed and potential for evolutionary change in wild populations. The environment may also affect gene expressions in individuals, which may in turn affect the potential of phenotypic traits to respond to selection. Knowledge about the relationship between the genetic and environmental components of phenotypic variation is particularly relevant, given ongoing anthropogenically driven global change. Using a quantitative genetic mixed model, we disentangled the genetic and environmental components of phenotypic variance in a large carnivore, the brown bear (Ursus arctos). We combined a pedigree covering ~1,500 individual bears over seven generations with location data from 413 bears, as well as data on bear density, habitat characteristics, and climatic conditions. We found a narrow‐sense heritability of 0.24 (95% CrI: 0.06–0.38) for brown bear head size, showing that the trait can respond to selection at a moderate speed. The environment contributed substantially to phenotypic variation, and we partitioned this into birth year (5.9%), nonadditive among‐individual genetic (15.0%), and residual (50.4%) environmental effects. Brown bear head circumference showed an evolvability of 0.2%, which can generate large changes in the trait mean over some hundreds of generations. Our study is among the first to quantify heritability of a trait in a hunted large carnivore population. Such knowledge about the degree to which species experiencing hunting can respond to selection is crucial for conservation and to make informed management decisions. We show that including important environmental variables when analyzing heritability is key to understanding the dynamics of the evolutionary potential of phenotypic traits.

• De Groeve, Johannes; Cagnacci, Francesca; Ranc, Nathan; Bonnot, Nadège C.; Gehr, Benedikt & Heurich, Marco [Vis alle 13 forfattere av denne artikkelen] (2019). Individual Movement - Sequence Analysis Method (IM-SAM): characterizing spatio-temporal patterns of animal habitat use across landscapes. International Journal of Geographical Information Science (IJGIS). ISSN 1365-8816. s. 1–23. doi: 10.1080/13658816.2019.1594822. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv Vis sammendrag

  We present methodological advances to a recently developed framework to study sequential habitat use by animals using a visually-explicit and tree-based Sequence Analysis Method (SAM), derived from molecular biology and more recently used in time geography. Habitat use sequences are expressed as annotations obtained by intersecting GPS movement trajectories with environmental layers. Here, we develop IM-SAM, where we use the individual reference area of use as the reference spatial context. To assess IM-SAM’s applicability, we investigated the sequential use of open and closed habitats across multiple European roe deer populations ranging in landscapes with contrasting structure. Starting from simulated sequences based on a mechanistic movement model, we found that different sequential patterns of habitat use were distinguished as separate, robust clusters, with less variable cluster size when habitats were present in equal proportions within the individual reference area of use. Application on real roe deer sequences showed that our approach effectively captured variation in spatio-temporal patterns of sequential habitat use, and provided evidence for important behavioral processes, such as day-night habitat alternation. By characterizing sequential habitat use patterns of animals, we may better evaluate the temporal trade-offs in animal habitat use and how they are affected by changes in landscapes. Sequence dissimilarity; dendrogram; ungulates; spatio-temporal habitat use; mechanistic movement model

Se alle arbeider i Cristin

• Rolandsen, Christer Moe; Strand, Olav; Romtveit, Lena; Mysterud, Atle & Andersen, Roy (2024). GPS-merking av villrein - Hvordan og til hvilken nytte.
• Lindsø, Lars; Viljugrein, Hildegunn & Mysterud, Atle (2024). Correction to: Vector competence of Ixodes ricinus instars for the transmission of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato in different small mammalian hosts (Parasites & Vectors, (2024), 17, 1, (23), 10.1186/s13071-023-06110-7). Parasites & Vectors. ISSN 1756-3305. 17(1). doi: 10.1186/s13071-024-06249-x.
• Mysterud, Atle (2024). #AgriDeer: Damage and beyond: role of farmland for red deer populations.
• Koutsoumanis, K.; Allende, A.; Alvarez-Ordonez, A.; Bolton, D.; Bover-Cid, S. & Chemaly, M. [Vis alle 24 forfattere av denne artikkelen] (2023). Monitoring of chronic wasting disease (CWD) (IV). EFSA Journal. ISSN 1831-4732. 21, s. 1–103. doi: 10.2903/j.efsa.2023.7936. Fulltekst i vitenarkiv
• Rolandsen, Christer Moe; Van Moorter, Bram; Strand, Olav; Andersen, Roy; Solberg, Erling Johan & Viljugrein, Hildegunn [Vis alle 7 forfattere av denne artikkelen] (2023). Bi-effekter av cwd-tiltak? Bukkeandel, alder, genetikk, skjeve kjønnsrater, kalvevekter, kalveproduksjon, dødelighet, forstyrrelser/arealbruk .
• Strand, Olav; Mysterud, Atle; Rauset, Geir Rune; Hansen, Brage Bremset & Rolandsen, Christer Moe (2023). CWD in wild reindeer: Norway's responses to a new and much feared disease.
• Hansen, Brage Bremset; Rolandsen, Christer Moe; Mysterud, Atle; Rauset, Geir Rune; Andersen, Roy & Strand, Olav (2023). Assessing variability, trends and status of wild reindeer populations: the importance of long-term annual monitoring.
• Hansen, Brage Bremset; Mysterud, Atle; Rolandsen, Christer Moe; Rauset, Geir Rune & Strand, Olav (2023). Interactive threats and management dilemma: can habitat fragmentation help save the European wild reindeer?
• Meisingset, Erling L.; Mysterud, Atle & Brekkum, Øystein (2022). Hjorten i Nordfjella - GPS merking av hjort i Nordfjella regionen.
• Rolandsen, Christer Moe; Davey, Marie Louise; Kleven, Oddmund; Ågren, Erik; Grøntvedt, Carl Andreas & Mysterud, Atle [Vis alle 8 forfattere av denne artikkelen] (2022). Kartlegging av villsvinets diett, bestandsstruktur og slektskap med genetiske metoder og individdata fra jakt og fallvilt.
• Rolandsen, Christer Moe; Andersen, Roy; Strand, Olav; Solberg, Erling Johan; Meisingset, Erling L. & Mysterud, Atle [Vis alle 9 forfattere av denne artikkelen] (2022). Hardangervidda og Setesdal. GPS merking av villrein, elg og hjort.
• Rolandsen, Christer Moe; Kleven, Oddmund; Davey, Marie Louise; Mysterud, Atle; Odden, John & Rosvold, Jørgen (2021). Kartlegging av villsvinets diett, bestandsstruktur og slektskap med genetiske metoder og individdata fra jakt og fallvilt.
• Rolandsen, Christer Moe; Andersen, Roy; Strand, Olav; Solberg, Erling Johan; Meisingset, Erling L. & Mysterud, Atle (2021). Hardangervidda og Setesdal – GPS merking av villrein, elg og hjort.
• Meisingset, Erling L.; Rolandsen, Christer Moe; Andersen, Roy; Strand, Olav; Solberg, Erling Johan & Mysterud, Atle [Vis alle 8 forfattere av denne artikkelen] (2021). GPS merking av hjort, elg og villrein i Nordfjella regionen og Hardangervidda.
• Mysterud, Atle; Rolandsen, Christer Moe & Tranulis, Michael A. (2021). Behov for helhetlig forskning på skrantesyke. . Nationen. ISSN 0805-3782.
• Mysterud, Atle & Tranulis, Michael A. (2021). Skrantesyke hos villrein - usikker forekomst vil prege forvaltningen i år framover. Nationen. ISSN 0805-3782.
• Mysterud, Atle & Tranulis, Michael A. (2021). Skrantesyke som forventet i Nordfjella. Nationen. ISSN 0805-3782.
• Mysterud, Atle & Holthe, Vidar (2021). Hva betyr innmarka for hjorten - og hjorten for innmarka? Nationen. ISSN 0805-3782.
• Kauffman, Matthew J.; Cagnacci, Francesca; Chamaillé-Jammes, Simon; Hebblewhite, Mark; Hopcraft, J. Grant C. & Merkle, Jerod A. [Vis alle 54 forfattere av denne artikkelen] (2021). Mapping out a future for ungulate migrations. Limited mapping of migrations hampers conservation. Science. ISSN 0036-8075. 372(6542), s. 566–569. doi: 10.1126/science.abf0998. Vis sammendrag

  Migration of ungulates (hooved mammals) is a fundamental ecological process that promotes abundant herds, whose effects cascade up and down terrestrial food webs. Migratory ungulates provide the prey base that maintains large carnivore and scavenger populations and underpins terrestrial biodiversity (fig. S1). When ungulates move in large aggregations, their hooves, feces, and urine create conditions that facilitate distinct biotic communities. The migrations of ungulates have sustained humans for thousands of years, forming tight cultural links among Indigenous people and local communities. Yet ungulate migrations are disappearing at an alarming rate (1). Efforts by wildlife managers and conservationists are thwarted by a singular challenge: Most ungulate migrations have never been mapped in sufficient detail to guide effective conservation. Without a strategic and collaborative effort, many of the world’s great migrations will continue to be truncated, severed, or lost in the coming decades. Fortunately, a combination of animal tracking datasets, historical records, and local and Indigenous knowledge can form the basis for a global atlas of migrations, designed to support conservation action and policy at local, national, and international levels.

• Rivrud, Inger Maren; Odden, John; Davey, Marie Louise; Thorsen, Neri Horntvedt; Rolandsen, Christer Moe & Støen, Ole-Gunnar [Vis alle 12 forfattere av denne artikkelen] (2024). Villsvin i Norge. Bestandsovervåking: Utbredelse, områdebruk og diett. Norsk institutt for naturforskning (NINA). ISSN 978-82-426-5260-7. Vis sammendrag

  Villsvin, Sus scrofa, overvåking, utbredelse, kamerafeller, viltkamera, områdebruk, bevegelsesmønstre, radiomerking, diett, DNA-metastrekkoding, afrikansk svinepest, SCANDCAM, Norge

• Mysterud, Atle; Tranulis, Michael A.; Strand, Olav & Rolandsen, Christer Moe (2024). Erfaringer og usikkerheter etter 7 år med skrantesyke (CWD) i Norge. En litteraturgjennomgang. Norsk institutt for naturforskning (NINA). ISSN 978-82-426-5210-2. Vis sammendrag

  Nordfjella Hardangervidda Villrein Hjortedyr Skrantesyke CWD Forvaltning Litteraturgjennomgang

• Stien, Jenny; Mattisson, Jenny; Hansen, Inger; Kleven, Oddmund; Randby, Åshild Taksdal & Loe, Leif Egil [Vis alle 9 forfattere av denne artikkelen] (2023). Kongeørn som skadevolder på lam på Fosen. Norsk institutt for naturforskning (NINA). ISSN 978-82-426-5106-8. Vis sammendrag

  Kongeørn Aquila chrysaetos, Havørn Haliaeetus albicilla, sau Ovis aries, tap av sau på utmarksbeite, sykdom i sau, GPS, DNA, rovdyr-husdyr, konflikter

• Rolandsen, Christer Moe; Våge, Jørn; Hopp, Petter; Benestad, Sylvie L.; Viljugrein, Hildegunn & Solberg, Erling Johan [Vis alle 14 forfattere av denne artikkelen] (2023). Kartlegging og overvåking av skrantesjuke (chronic wasting disease - CWD) 2022. Norsk institutt for naturforskning (NINA) / Veterinærinstituttet. ISSN 978-82-426-5074-0. Vis sammendrag

  Norge, skrantesjuke, CWD, klassisk CWD, atypisk CWD, hjortedyr, elg, hjort, rådyr, villrein, tamrein, kartlegging

• Köller, Peter C.A.; Mossing, Anders; Romtveit, Lena; Lægreid, Endre; Heitmann, Kjetil & Poulsson, Henning [Vis alle 16 forfattere av denne artikkelen] (2022). Skrantesjuke. Videre forvaltning av villrein på Hardangervidda. Norsk villreinsenter. ISSN 1891-5329.
• Rolandsen, Christer Moe; Våge, Jørn; Hopp, Petter; Benestad, Sylvie L.; Viljugrein, Hildegunn & Solberg, Erling Johan [Vis alle 15 forfattere av denne artikkelen] (2022). Kartlegging og overvåking av skrantesjuke (chronic wasting disease - CWD) 2021. Norsk institutt for naturforskning (NINA) og Veterinærinstituttet (VI). ISSN 978-82-426-4951-5. Vis sammendrag

  Norge, skrantesjuke, CWD, klassisk CWD, atypisk CWD, hjortedyr, elg, hjort, rådyr, villrein, tamrein, kartlegging

• Rød-Eriksen, Lars; Hildebrand, Aniko; Meås, Roger; Gudmundsson, Aron Freyr; Mysterud, Atle & Rolandsen, Christer Moe (2021). Observasjoner av hjortedyr ved sperregjerder langs fylkesveg 50 og riksveg 52 i Nordfjella. Norsk institutt for naturforskning (NINA). ISSN 978-82-426-4797-9. Vis sammendrag

  Våren 2016 ble det oppdaget skrantesjuke (CWD) hos ei reinsimle i Nordfjella villreinområde sone 1. Som del av bekjempelsen av sykdommen ble hele delbestanden i Nordfjella sone 1 på drøyt 2000 rein utryddet i 2017 og 2018. Det er innført en rekke tiltak og en brakkleggingsperiode av sone 1 på minimum 5 år med overordnet mål å hindre potensiell smitteoverføring fra miljøet til hjortedyr. Sperregjerder langs henholdsvis fv. 50 gjennom Hol og Aurland kommuner (9,4 km), og rv. 52 gjennom Hemsedal og Lærdal kommuner (25,2 km) er et tiltak som er iverksatt for å hindre geografisk spredning av skrantesjuke mellom bestander av reinsdyr. Effektiviteten i bruk av sperregjerder til dette formålet er i liten grad vitenskapelig dokumentert. I denne rapporten presenterer vi resultatene fra en undersøkelse med intensjonen om å evaluere og dokumentere effekten av sperregjerdene ved hjelp av viltkameraovervåking og snømålinger i perioden 2018-2021, samt andre opplysninger om observasjoner av rein nær gjerdene og i Nordfjella sone 1 etter at bestanden ble utryddet i 2018. Det ble montert 20 viltkamera på hver av gjerdestrekningene, med til sammen 20000 overvå-kingsdøgn i studieperioden. Kameraovervåking, snømålinger og inspeksjoner antyder at gjerdene kan bidra til å holde rein ut av sone 1 i snøfrie perioder på året, men at store snømengder om vinteren gjør at en stor andel av gjerdestrekningene ikke utgjør noen effektiv barriere for å hindre kryssing av rein eller andre større dyr. Utfordringen med nedsnødde gjerder om vinteren har vært forsøkt utbedret, for eksempel ved at det på enkelte strekninger er montert forlengere (skjøtestolper) med topptråd/sperrebånd. Vi har ingen data på hvordan disse forlengerne har fungert. Uten forlengerne var den opprinnelige høyden på gjerdene omkring 1,6 meter, med litt variasjon grunnet terrengforskjeller. Dette er en vanlig høyde for gjerder brukt i reindrift, men høyere gjerder vil trolig være mer effektive. Denne undersøkelsen og inspeksjoner gjort av Mat-tilsynet (rv. 52) og Aurland fjellstyre (fv. 50) har dokumentert at utbedringer har vært nødvendig og at gjerdene krever jevnlig vedlikehold for at de skal fungere som tiltenkt. Det er i løpet av perioden blitt gjort enkelte observasjoner av rein innenfor sperregjerdet i Nordfjella sone 1. Disse tilfellene har blitt godt dokumentert, og de skyldes i hovedsak mindre flokker eller enkeltdyr som har tatt seg inn rundt gjerdeendene eller gjennom hull eller svakheter i gjerdet. Reinsdyrene har i disse tilfellene enten blitt drevet ut av Nordfjella sone 1, eller avlivet. Unntaket fra dette er en hendelse høsten 2021, hvor det ikke er kjent (pr. 20. oktober 2021) hvor ei simle og en kalv ble av etter siste observasjon inne i sone 1 19.08.21. Gjerdene ble bygget med tanke på å hindre tamrein fra Filefjell (rv. 52) og villrein fra Nordfjella sone 2 (fv. 50) å bevege seg inn i Nordfjella sone 1. Gjerdene har derfor ikke vært til hinder for at andre hjortedyr vandrer inn i Nordfjella sone 1 fra andre kanter. Det er derfor som forventet at bildene av andre hjortedyr har vært fra begge sider av gjerdene. Dette inkluderer eksempler på at en elg har hop-pet over, og en hjort som kryper under gjerdet langs rv. 52. Dette viser at det kan være vanskelig å bygge gjerder som effektivt hindrer større dyr å krysse. Antall observasjoner av hjortedyr avtok med økende høyde over havet. Denne undersøkelsen har generert kunnskap som er relevant for den kommende prosessen med reetablering av villrein i Nordfjella sone 1. Kunnskapen viser at det ikke er mulig å unngå risiko for blanding av rein utenfor og innenfor Nordfjella sone 1 kun ved bruk av sperregjerdene. Forbedringer av sperregjerdene, blant annet gjennom undersøkelser rundt optimal plassering av sperregjerdene i forhold til veier, bør vurderes sammen med eventuelle andre tiltak. Nordfjella Hjortedyr Villrein Viltkamera Skrantesjuke CWD

• Rolandsen, Christer Moe; Våge, Jørn; Hopp, Petter; Benestad, Sylvie L.; Viljugrein, Hildegunn & Solberg, Erling Johan [Vis alle 16 forfattere av denne artikkelen] (2021). Kartlegging og overvåking av skrantesjuke (Chronic Wasting Disease - CWD) 2020. Norsk institutt for naturforskning (NINA). ISSN 978-82-426-4761-0. Vis sammendrag

  Denne rapporten oppsummerer arbeidet som er gjennomført i 2020 for å kartlegge forekomsten av CWD, etter at sykdommen ble påvist hos villrein og elg i 2016. Den oppsummerer også totalt antall hjortedyr som er testet i perioden 2016-2020. I 2020 ble 22 527 hjortedyr testet for CWD, og myndighetenes mål om testing av 22 000 hjortedyr ble dermed nådd. I løpet av året ble det påvist ett tilfelle av klassisk CWD hos en 8 år gammel villreinbukk på Hardangervidda og ett nytt tilfelle av atypisk CWD hos en 17 år gammel elgku i Steinkjer kommune. Totalt er det i perioden 2016-2020 påvist klassisk CWD hos 20 villrein, og atypisk CWD hos sju elgkyr og ei hjortekolle. Prøvetakingen i 2020 omfattet som tidligere både hjerneprøve og lymfeknuter (primært svelglymfeknuter). Av de innsamlede prøvene inneholdt 72 % begge vevstypene. Dette er noe lavere enn i 2019 og 2018 med henholdsvis 78 % og 80 %. Selv om det har vært god oppslutning om prøveinnsamlingen og det er et høyt antall testede dyr, er det utfordringer med dårlig kvalitet på en god del prøver og det er problemer med mangelfull registrering. For eksempel var 3 % av prøvene ikke merket med kommune eller område, 2 % manglet informasjon om art, og for 9 % av ville hjortedyr manglet informasjon om prøven kom fra jakt eller fallvilt. I 2020 ble det testet i overkant av 20 % av registrerte fallvilt av viltlevende hjortedyr, noe som er en lavere andel enn ønsket. I gjennomsnitt ble over 80 % av felte villrein i de ulike villreinområdene testet, men bare for 67 % av disse ble det sendt inn både hjerne og lymfeknute. Med prøver fra både lymfeknute og hjerne vil det ta kortere tid å få kunnskap om forekomst og prevalens i områder med smitte og vi kan raskere sannsynliggjøre fravær av CWD i områder uten smitte. Fremover er det viktig å avklare om klassisk CWD forekommer i andre områder, og særlig i områder nær Nordfjella og Hardangervidda. Et stort antall prøver er dessuten viktig for å øke kunnskapen om forekomsten av atypisk CWD hos hjortedyr. Kunnskapen som er ervervet så langt viser at det er viktig å kjenne alder på dyrene. Dette gjelder både for klassisk og atypisk CWD. Hjorter og elger fra Fennoskandia med påvist atypisk CWD har vært gamle dyr. Det er derfor fortsatt ønskelig å aldersbestemme hjortevilt i utvalgte områder de neste årene, både fallvilt og dyr som felles under jakta. Med bedre kunnskap om aldersfordelingen kan vi med større sikkerhet beregne forekomst av atypisk CWD, og eventuelt også klassisk CWD, i ulike bestander.

• Rolandsen, Christer Moe; Våge, Jørn; Hopp, Petter; Benestad, Sylvie Lafond; Viljugrein, Hildegunn & Solberg, Erling Johan [Vis alle 17 forfattere av denne artikkelen] (2020). Kartlegging og overvåking av skrantesjuke (Chronic Wasting Disease - CWD) 2016-2019. Norsk institutt for naturforskning (NINA)/Veterinærinstituttet. ISSN 978-82-426-4577-7. Vis sammendrag

  Denne rapporten oppsummerer arbeidet som er gjennomført i 2019 for å kartlegge forekomsten av CWD, etter at sykdommen ble påvist hos villrein og elg i henholdsvis mars og mai 2016. Den oppsummerer også totalt antall hjortedyr som er testet i perioden 2016-2019. I 2019 ble 30 147 hjortedyr testet for CWD, og dermed ble myndighetenes mål om testing av 30 000 hjortedyr nådd. I 2019 ble det påvist to nye tilfeller av atypisk CWD, først hos en 20 år gammel elgku i Selbu kommune og senere hos en 12 år gammel elgku i Sigdal kommune. Totalt er det nå påvist atypisk CWD hos seks elgkyr og ei hjortekolle. Klassisk CWD er fortsatt kun funnet hos villrein fra sone 1 i Nordfjella villreinområde 2016-2018. Prøvetakingen i 2019 omfattet som i 2018 og tidligere, både hjerneprøve og lymfeknuter (primært svelglymfeknuter). Begge vevstypene var inkludert i 78 % av de innsamlede prøvene. Dette er omtrent på samme nivå som i 2018 (80 %). I det store og hele har innsamlingen vært preget av god oppslutning. Selv om det er tilfredshet med det høye antall testede dyr, er det utfordringer med innsendt vev av mangelfull kvalitet og med mangelfull registrering. For eksempel var 1,9 % av prøvene ikke merket med kommune eller område, 1,5 % manglet informasjon om art, og for 10,9 % av ville hjortedyr manglet informasjon om prøven kom fra jakt eller fallvilt. Andel fallvilt som er prøvetatt er lavere enn ønsket. Fremover er det spesielt viktig å avklare om klassisk CWD er tilstede i andre områder, og særlig i områdene nær Nordfjella. Et stort antall prøver er dessuten viktig for å utrede graden av smittsomhet for de tilfellene med CWD hos elg og hjort med atypiske karakteristika. Hos disse kan ikke smittestoff påvises i lymfeknutene. Dette til sammenlikning med CWD hos villrein, der man finner prioner også i lymfatisk vev. Kunnskapen vi har ervervet de tre siste årene viser hvor viktig det er å kjenne til alderen på dyrene som testes for CWD. Dette gjelder både for klassisk og atypisk CWD. Hjorten og elgene fra Fennoskandia med påvist atypisk CWD har vært gamle hunndyr. Som følge av denne kunnskapen, er det de neste årene ønskelig å aldersbestemme et større antall av hjorteviltet som testes for CWD, enn hva som er gjort tidligere. For fallvilt av elg, hjort, rådyr og rein er det aldri gjennomført systematiske aldersbestemmelser basert på tannsnitt. Fallvilt representerer en viktig risikogruppe for å avdekke sykdom i viltbestander. Med bedre kunnskap om aldersfordelingen hos fallvilt og felte dyr, vil det med større sikkerhet kunne beregnes forekomst av atypisk CWD, og eventuelt også klassisk CWD, dersom denne skulle dukke opp i nye bestander. I de neste 23 årene av kartleggingsprogrammet har NINA og Veterinærinstituttet derfor foreslått økt omfang på aldersanalyser av dyr som testes for CWD, både av fallvilt og dyr felt under jakt. Dette vil kunne gi et bedre kunnskapsgrunnlag for fremtidig kartlegging av CWD. I 2020 har myndighetene redusert målet om antall prøver fra 30 000 til 22 000. Dette skyldes i hovedsak at Mattilsynet i flere områder vil redusere testingen av tamrein fordi det her allerede har blitt testet et så høyt antall dyr tidligere år. Antall prøver av viltlevende elg og hjort som felles under jakt samt testing av slakt av oppdrettshjort, skal opprettholdes på omtrent samme nivå som i 2019. For fallvilt av både ville og tamme hjortedyr, er målet å få inn prøver fra så mange som mulig, kun med unntak av de som blir funnet så lenge etter dødstidspunktet at prøven ikke er egnet til undersøkelser.

• Rivrud, Inger Maren; Rolandsen, Christer Moe; Rauset, Geir Rune; Kvasnes, Mikkel Andreas Jørnsøn; Mysterud, Atle & Solberg, Erling Johan (2020). Hjorteviltpåkjørsler i Norge: Årsaksforhold, lokalisering, risiko og datakvalitet. Norsk institutt for naturforskning (NINA). ISSN 978-82-426-4564-7.
• Andersen, Oddgeir; Rolandsen, Christer Moe; Kaltenborn, Bjørn Petter & Mysterud, Atle (2020). Befolkningens vurdering av myndighetenes tiltak mot skrantesjuke. Resultater fra en spørreundersøkelse knyttet til uttaket av villreinstammen i Nordfjella sone 1. Norsk institutt for naturforskning (NINA). ISSN 978-82-426-3397-2. Vis sammendrag

  I denne rapporten har vi undersøkt befolkningens syn på de tiltak som har blitt iverksatt for å bekjempe skrantesjuke. Vi ser spesielt på i hvilken grad de føler at myndighetene har gitt god nok informasjon og grad av tillit til de institusjoner som har vært delaktige i prosessen og forvaltningen av skrantesjuke. Dette ble gjort gjennom en spørreundersøkelse til tre intervjuutvalg som besto av personer bosatt i (1) Nordfjellaregionen, (2) Hardangerviddaregionen og (3) landet ellers. Flere har hørt mye eller veldig mye om skrantesjuke jo nærmere Nordfjella man kommer, og andelen er ganske høy (52 %) for hele utvalget sett under ett. I Nordfjellaregionen er det 9 % som svarer at de ikke har hørt om skrantesjuke, mens tilsvarende tall for landet ellers er 30 %. To av tre i landet ellers svarer at de har tillit til at forskerne har god nok kunnskap om skrantesjuke til å gi myndighetene gode råd. Andelen avtar jo nærmere Nordfjella man kommer, hvor om lag halvparten (48 %) mener dette. I landet ellers var det et flertall som var enig (69 % helt eller delvis enige) i beslutningen om å avlive all villrein i Nordfjella sone 1, mens i Nordfjellaregionen var det 40 % som var helt eller delvis enige. I landet ellers var 81% helt eller delvis enige i at det var riktig av myndighetene å handle raskt, mens det i Nordfjella var 49 % som mente dette. Nærmere 2 av 3 (64 %) i landet ellers var helt eller delvis enige i at myndighetene har håndtert situasjonen på en god måte, mens 38 % mente det samme i Nordfjella. Det var stor enighet i alle intervjuutvalgene (75-88 %) om at SNO sine profesjonelle jegere er velegnet til å foreta uttak av dyr når det gjelder smitterisiko. En noe lavere andel svarte at vanlige jegere er velegnede til å foreta alle typer uttak av hjortedyr, men fortsatt var det stor overvekt som sa seg helt eller delvis enig (62-73 %). De tre viktigste faktorene som medførte økende aksept for beslutningen om å avlive all villrein i Nordfjella sone 1 var: (1) Om man føler å ha fått tilstrekkelig med informasjonen av myndighetene. Litt over halvparten (57 %) mener myndighetene har gitt publikum tilstrekkelig informasjon, og de regionale forskjellene er ikke store. (2) Grad av tillit til nasjonale institusjoner som har vært delaktige i prosessen, og (3) bosted til informantene. Aksept for beslutningen om å avlive all villrein i Nordfjella sone 1 er økende med økende avstand fra Nordfjella. Tilliten til de ulike institusjonene som var involvert i prosessen som førte til vedtaket om sanering av villreinstammen var over middels god med skårverdier på ± 4 på en skala fra 1-5. Vår analyse indikerer at de to viktigste faktorene som påvirker tilliten til nasjonale institusjoner er om folk føler de har fått tilstrekkelig med informasjon og deres bosted. Tilliten øker med økende enighet i at myndighetene har informert tilstrekkelig, men er likevel mindre i Nordfjellaregionen enn i Hardangerviddaregionen og landet ellers. Samtidig viser analysene at grad av enighet og tillit påvirkes av flere forhold hvorav en av de viktigste er om folk føler de har fått tilstrekkelig med informasjon. Dette samsvarer godt med erfaringer fra USA hvor sykdommen har vært kjent i flere tiår, og hvor erfaringene viser viktigheten av å ha en veloverveid prosess med involvering av ulike interessegrupper som vil bli påvirket. I tillegg til biologisk kompetanse er derfor solid samfunnsvitenskapelig kompetanse helt nødvendig for å opprettholde tillit og minimere konflikter i fremtidige, kontroversielle naturforvaltningssaker.

• Rolandsen, Christer Moe; Våge, Jørn; Hopp, Petter; Benestad, Sylvie Lafond; Viljugrein, Hildegunn & Solberg, Erling Johan [Vis alle 16 forfattere av denne artikkelen] (2019). Kartlegging av skrantesjuke (CWD) i 2016-2018. Norsk institutt for naturforskning (NINA)/Veterinærinstituttet. ISSN 978-82-426-3461-0. Vis sammendrag

  Skrantesjuke (Chronic Wasting Disease - CWD) ble oppdaget hos villrein (Rangifer tarandus) og elg (Alces alces) våren 2016, og hos hjort (Cervus elaphus) høsten 2017. Dette var første gang sykdommen ble påvist i Europa. CWD forårsakes av opphopning av feilfoldede prionproteiner i hjernen og nervesystemet. Den klassiske formen for CWD er smittsom, alltid dødelig, og har evne til å spre seg mellom hjortedyrarter. Alvorlighetsgraden av denne sykdommen medførte at Mattilsynet og Miljødirektoratet initierte et storstilt nasjonalt prøvetakingsarbeid fra hjortedyr. Norsk institutt for naturforskning (NINA) og Veterinærinstituttet fikk ansvaret for å organisere innsamlingsarbeidet og gjennomføre nødvendige analyser av det innsamlede materialet. Ved utgangen av 2017 var det analysert prøver fra 35 794 individer. Flere funn av klassisk (smittsom) CWD hos villrein fra sone 1 i Nordfjella villreinområde, medførte statlig vedtak om å skyte ut hele denne delbestanden. Dette ble gjennomført vinteren 2017/2018. Ved inngangen til 2018 var det registrert 13 tilfeller av CWD hos villrein, tre tilfeller hos elg og ett tilfelle hos hjort. Tilfellene hos elg og hjort ble klassifisert som atypisk CWD. Dette er en type av sykdommen som trolig oppstår spontant, primært hos eldre individer, og som antas å ikke være smittsom, eller i så fall, ikke i samme grad som klassisk CWD. Innsamlingsarbeidet i 2018 avdekket ytterligere seks funn av klassisk CWD hos villrein. Alle disse stammet fra den statlige fellingen i Nordfjella sone 1. Det ble også funnet en elgku med atypisk CWD i Flesberg kommune i Buskerud. Arbeidet med å kartlegge forekomsten av CWD hos norske hjortedyr ble ytterligere intensivert i 2018. En medvirkende årsak til opptrappingen var EUs vedtak om å initiere et europeisk kartleggingsprogram. I 2018 ble det organisert innsamling av hjerneprøve og lymfeknuter fra elg, hjort og villrein felt under ordinær jakt i 125 kommuner, 21 villreinområder, og viltbehandlingsanlegg spredt rundt i landet. Innsamlingen ble utført av jegere på felte dyr. I tillegg ble alle landets kommuner bedt om å samle prøver fra fallvilt fra alle hjorteviltarter. Det ble også tatt prøver av slaktet tamrein fra 65 av landets 83 reinbeitedistrikter og fra annet oppdrettet hjortevilt (hjort, dåhjort). Myndighetenes mål for 2018 var prøver fra 30 000 individer. Formålet med innsamlingen var å få mer kunnskap om forekomst og geografisk utbredelse av CWD i Norge. Takket være en formidabel innsats fra jegere og representanter fra kommuner, villreinnemder, villreinutvalg, fjelloppsyn m.m., ble innsamlingsarbeidet i 2018 svært vellykket. Totalt ble det samlet inn og analysert prøver fra 33 656 hjortedyr. Av dette stammet prøvene fra 16 400 individer felt under jakt, 12 461 individer fra slaktet tamrein og 3743 individer fra fallvilt. I tillegg stammet 1052 prøver fra individer med ukjent opprinnelse. Prøvetakingen i 2018 omfattet både hjerneprøve og lymfeknuter (primært svelglymfeknuter). Over 80 % av de innsamlede prøvene inneholdt begge vevstypene. Dette er en vesentlig økning fra tidligere år. I 2018 har det også vært utøvd betydelig innsats fra Miljødirektoratet, Veterinærinstituttet og NINA med tilrettelegging av funksjonelle merkesystemer og løsninger for innsamling av individdata, rapportering av analyseresultater og informasjonsvirksomhet. Eksisterende løsninger fungerer godt, og sørger for god sporbarhet og rask resultatformidling. Det er imidlertid fortsatt forbedringspotensial med hensyn til ufullstendig merking av prøver og fortsatt utfordringer med varierende kvalitet på hjerneprøver som sendes inn. I 2019 er det myndighetens mål å opprettholde omfanget av overvåkingen på samme nivå som i 2018. Dette vil gjøres innenfor rammer definert av Mattilsynet og Miljødirektoratet.

• Solberg, Erling Johan; Rivrud, Inger Maren; Nilsen, Erlend Birkeland; Veiberg, Vebjørn; Rolandsen, Christer Moe & Meisingset, Erling L. [Vis alle 7 forfattere av denne artikkelen] (2019). Bestandsreduksjon av elg og hjort i Nordfjella-regionen i perioden 2019-2020. Forslag til avskytingsstrategier. Norsk institutt for naturforskning (NINA). ISSN 978-82-426-3413-9. Vis sammendrag

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