Spatial and temporal dynamics of the Alpine Rock Ptarmigan in Switzerland
Spatial and temporal dynamics of the Alpine Rock Ptarmigan in Switzerland
The Alpine Rock Ptarmigan (Lagopus muta helvetica) is an Arctic grouse species which occurs above the tree line in the Alps. A significant decline of the population count has been observed over the last decades in Switzerland. Although several studies regarding this decline have been conducted in different regions of the Alps, it is still not completely clear what factors are causing this decrease in population count. Climate change however seems to lead to a reduction of suitable habitat.
Using different datasets of Ptarmigan recordings, spatial models will be built to investigate which environmental factors could have influenced the observed changes in their distribution, population count and reproductive success. The analysis includes climate data, changes in vegetation and alpine tourism as predictors. The insights of this project will hopefully lead to a better understanding of the temporal and spatial dynamics of the Rock Ptarmigan and help for future conservation measurements.
This project is a collaboration between the external pageSwiss Ornithological Institute (Vogelwarte) and ETH Zürich.