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RESPONDENT
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Christian Glahder
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SITE NAME
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Naternaq (Lersletten), Greenland, Denmark
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| Contact details
(phone/fax//e-mail//address): |
| +45 35 82 1415/ +45 35 82 1420 // cmg@dmu.dk // National Environmental Research Institute Department of Arctic Environment Frederiksborgvej 399 Postbox 358 DK-4000 Roskilde DENMARK
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PROJECT DETAILS |
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Project name:
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Moulting Greenland White-Fronted Geese
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Start of survey:
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End
of survey: |
Team
size: |
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6.07
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27.07
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2
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WEATHER
CONDITIONS
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Weather conditions: |
| Spring (April and May) and early summer (June) 2000 had temperatures well above mean, with April being especially warm. During that period mean precipitation was low and especially June was very dry with almost no rain. July, on the other hand was very unstable, with changing but normal mean temperatures, and with precipitation above mean. Flowers were in general about 14 days ahead of last year, and Lapland Diapensia Diapensia lapponoca and Mountain Avens Dryas integrifolia had almost dried out on 8 July. Again this year mosquitos and blackflies were abundant.
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| Season temperature: |
average
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| Date of ice-break on
rivers: |
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| Date of final loss of
snow: |
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BIOTIC
CONDITIONS
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| Rodents abundance evaluation: |
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Breeding conditions:
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| It seemed to be a rather good breeding year for most bird species. In 2000 only one Arctic fox was seen, and Arctic fox(es) was heard twice, so probably their pressure on the birds has been minimal. Ptarmigans and passerines seemed to have a fine breeding year. Greenland White-fronted Goose Anser albifrons flavirostris had a very good year in 2000, because we saw much more breeding pairs this year compared to last year. There were 12 pairs with an average of 3.1 gosling/pair (a total of 300 adults/immatures most of which were in moult) in a study area of about 113 sq.km. This area was also inhabited by following bird species: Great northern diver Gavia immer: 3-6 birds, no obvious breeding pairs, Red-throated diver Gavia stellata: 1 pair with 2 pulli (total 2 pairs), Mallard Anas platyrhynchos: 1 female with 7 pulli (total c. 20 adults), Long-tailed duck Clangula hyemalis: 1 female with 7 pulli (total 10 adults), Canada goose Branta canadensis: 1 pair with 3 pulli (total 5 adults), Barnacle goose Branta leucopsis: 1 (a very rare visitor in West Greenland), Red-necked phalarope Phalaropus lobatus: 3 males with at least 1 pulli/male (total of 7 adults), Purple sandpiper Calidris maritima: 3 adults all probably with pulli, White-tailed eagle Haliaeetus albicilla: 1 juvenile (2-3 k) on 7 July, Gyr falcon Falco rusticolus: 2 adults and 2 juveniles, Peregrine falcon Falco peregrinus: 1 pair (maybe breeding), Rock ptarmigan Lagopus mutus: 3 females with an average of 9 pulli, Snowy Owl Nyctea scandiaca: 1 adult male (9-18 July; vagrant in West Greenland).
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Rodent dynamics:
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Rodent species recorded:
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Summary
of fauna studies: |
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