U.S.A.
U.S.A.
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Caribou during their fall migration, western Alaska (NPS/Kyle Joly)
Alaska is the only state in the U.S.A within the Arctic and the only state that has free-roaming populations of caribou, reindeer, and muskoxen. Caribou are a native species that have thrived in Alaska but were extirpated from the rest of the U.S.A. in 2019. Caribou in Alaska number in the hundreds of thousands of individuals and are grouped into more than 30 herds. Muskoxen were extirpated in Alaska, the only state where they ever existed, by the late 1800s but were reintroduced in 1970. Muskoxen now number in the thousands. Reindeer were introduced to Alaska in 1892 due to perceived food insecurity. Some reindeer herds, primarily on the Seward Peninsula in western Alaska, are largely free-roaming and number in the thousands of individuals.
The majority of the research and monitoring effort for Arctic ungulates in the U.S.A. is dedicated to caribou due to their greater abundance, widespread distribution, and relatively high harvest (tens of thousands of individuals annually). Monitoring efforts typically include population estimates, primarily using aerial photo-census techniques when herds are aggregated during peak insect harassment (late June through mid-July), composition counts (including bull:cow and calf:cow ratios), and monitoring annual movements, survival, and reproduction of collared adult females. More robust programs include monitoring disease prevalence, calf survival, productivity (parturition rates) of young cows, and other indices of herd health. Monitoring of muskoxen is focused on abundance estimates and, to a lesser extent, composition estimates. Reindeer are primarily private property and are not extensively monitored by public agencies.
Research on arctic ungulates tends to focus on management concerns, such as why populations are going up or down, how habitat use is impacted by disturbance, and how various environmental conditions influence behavior and population dynamics. Like other Arctic regions, challenges for research include the high expense and difficult logistics of working in remote areas. The threats that Arctic ungulates face in Alaska include a rapidly warming climate, expansion of development, greater accessibility due to technological advancement (like improved snowmachine and 4-wheeler capabilities), changes in precipitation patterns (deeper snow, icing events), novel diseases, and invasive species. Research holds the key to understanding these changes and helping keep healthy populations of Arctic ungulates in Alaska in perpetuity.
Some entities involved with Arctic ungulate management, monitoring, and research:
Alaska Department of Fish and Game, https://www.adfg.alaska.gov/
Bureau of Land Management, https://www.blm.gov/office/alaska-state-office
National Park Service, https://www.nps.gov/state/ak/index.htm
University of Alaska, https://www.alaska.edu/alaska/
US Fish and Wildlife Service, https://www.fws.gov/about/region/alaska
US Geological Survey, https://www.usgs.gov/centers/alaska-science-center
There are also many other scientists involved in Arctic ungulate research and management from other universities, nonprofit organizations, industry, and other entities, both within and outside of the state of Alaska.
U.S.A. representative: Kyle_Joly(at)nps.gov
Banner photo: NPS/Jim Lawler
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