Svalbard rock ptarmigan (Lagopus muta hyperborea) population is monitored annually. Although the population is showing growth, driven by warmer winter temperatures and increased winter survival, the juvenile proportion in the hunting bag is paradoxically decreasing. The cause of this decline in young birds is unknown. Diseases and parasites can influence population dynamics, but no health and disease monitoring is currently carried out in this population.
The aim of RypeHOP is to investigate the use of coccidia monitoring as a measure of population health in Svalbard rock ptarmigan and to elucidate if disease with this parasite could explain the reducing numbers of juveniles in autumn hunting bags. This project builds on the findings and methods developed in the TEiCON project. The monitoring of
coccidia prevalence, abundance and species composition will therefore provide vital baseline data as well as estimates of disease risk and environmental contamination. Coccidia species identification will help identify which coccidia species can cause disease and, by investigating sporulation times, insight into how infection dynamics might change with a warmer climate.
Partners
- UiT The Arctic University of Norway
- Norwegian Polar Institute
