Estimation of carrying capacity for wild reindeer in Norway by means of the Normalised Difference Snow Index (NDSI)

Hans Tømmervik

doi:10.1117/12.627772

19 October 2005 Estimation of carrying capacity for wild reindeer in Norway by means of the Normalised Difference Snow Index (NDSI)

Hans Tømmervik

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 5976, Remote Sensing for Agriculture, Ecosystems, and Hydrology VII; 597612 (2005) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.627772
Event: SPIE Remote Sensing, 2005, Bruges, Belgium

Abstract

This study reports the methods used and the results from the mapping of the wild reindeer range Forollhogna in Central Norway. Landsat 7 ETM and IRS 1C satellite imageries were used in the mapping. The spatial resolution of the IRS 1C data was enhanced to 5 meter by merging the panchromatic and the multi-spectral bands together. A 'new' method for mapping of the accessible winter pastures was developed and tested in this project. Our assumption is that the areas without or with thin snow cover late in the winter and in the calving period is the most accessible winter pastures during the whole winter period. We used the Normalized Difference Snow Index (NDSI) image based on a Landsat ETM+ image acquired on 19^th of May 2002 in order to mask these areas. The areas of the vegetation types within these masked areas were estimated (km²), and these data were used in the estimation of the reindeer carrying capacity. The winter carrying capacity for wild reindeer in Forollhogna using the NSDI-index was estimated to be more than 4200 reindeer, while the winter capacity without this snow mask was estimated to be more than 6700 reindeer. Based on this study, we have recommended an increase of the number of reindeer from the actual population level of 1750 reindeer to more than 2000 reindeer.

Citation Download Citation

Hans Tømmervik "Estimation of carrying capacity for wild reindeer in Norway by means of the Normalised Difference Snow Index (NDSI)", Proc. SPIE 5976, Remote Sensing for Agriculture, Ecosystems, and Hydrology VII, 597612 (19 October 2005); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.627772

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