Abstract
Reindeer and caribou (Rangifer tarandus) is a prominent key species in the Arctic/Alpine environment. Anthropogenic activities including oil, gas and mineral exploration, hydroelectric development, and tourism have expanded rapidly in these environments during the last decades. In spite off numerous publications and annotated reviews on the issue of anthropogenic effects on Rangifer, the debate is as heated as ever among scientists and hence among the public. There is time for a critical evaluation of the current state of the art on anthropogenic effects to be published as a review article. A follow up of the national conservancy responsibility for the species requires additional in dept studies of vigilance, fright and flight behavior, and habitat avoidance related to human infrastructure. In order to apply the primary behavioral effects to energy budgets and secondary effects on animal body size, reproduction and mortality, one needs to develop and refine methods for remote estimation.
Norway