Náttúrufræðingurinn - 1970, Page 27

NÁTTÚ RUFRÆÐIN G U R1N N
169
— 1967: Fjárbeit í skóglendi og úthaga. Ársrit Skógræktarfélags íslands 1967:
6-17.
Þorsteinsson, I., G. Ólafsson og G. M. Van Dyne, 1970: Range resources in
Iceland. (I handriti).
Þorvaldsson, Ólafur, 1960: Hreindýr á íslandi 1771—1960. Reykjavík.
S U M M A R Y
Reindeer in Iceland and their summer ranges
by
Ingvi Þorsteinsson (Agricultural Research Institute),
Arnpúr Garðarsson (Museum of Natural History),
Gunnar Ólafsson and Gylfi M. Guðbergsson
(Agricultural Research Institute, Reykjavík, Iceland).
To this date little information has been at hand regarding tlie reindeer
population in Iceland. This paper presents results of studies which were
carried out in the years 1965—1969. These involved vegetation survey and
mapping of the reindeer rangelands, measurements of current yield of the
different plant communities in the area, live weiglit of tlie reindeer and the
composition of their diet on summer rangelands. The paper also presents the
results of arial censuses of the reindeer in the last six years. Thc liistory of
reindeer in Iceland is briefly reviewed.
ln the years 1771 to 1787 reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) were introduced
successfully into tlnee regions in Iceland, the Reykjanes peninsula in S.W.
Iceland, Eyjafjörður and Tliingeyjarsýsla in N. Iceland, ancl E. Iceland. Tlie
animals were of Norwegian domestic stock, but no attempts were made to
retain them in domestication in Iceland where they liave since been completely
feral.
Contemporary reports indicate that the (leer increased very rapidly during
the first years after the introduction. This is thought to be partly tlie
result of a sex ratio of approximately 4 og 5 females to 1 male in the initial
l'locks which totalled some 90 animals, and partly because of pristine range
conditions.
Limited hunting was permitted already in 1790. Regulations were gradually
relaxed, until in 1849 there was no closed season on any segment of the
population. Limited protection carne into force in 1882, and since 1901 the
reindeer have been totally protected except for regulated hunting of bulls
permitted at times in the last 30 years. There are no reliablc estimates of
the actual size of the population until in recent years. The history of hunting
regulations is, however, thought to be an inclex of population si/.e. Reindeer
numbers may have reachecl their peak around the middle of the 19th century
and probably declinecl from then until about 1940, when only small remnants