General contact

Coordination at the Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology:  Dr. Friederike Pohlin

The alpine chamois (Rupicapra r. rupicapra) is regarded as a key species of the alpine and montane regions of Europe, which can react quite sensitively to habitat changes. Although the chamois is classified as "not endangered" across Europe, some regions have recorded a decline in the counted chamois populations or hunting bags (especially in the Alpine region) in recent decades. This development is attributed to a combination of a wide variety of factors, with anthropogenic disturbances, high hunting pressure, and climate change being defined as the main influencing factors.

As part of this project, which is coordinated by the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna (BOKU), the movement patterns of chamois and thus their habitat use are analyzed with the help of modern GPS collar systems. The use of space and time is researched against the background of possible influencing factors (vegetation, climate, human disturbances, etc.). In addition, the tagged chamois are given rumen probes, which are used to measure heartbeat and internal body temperature. In this way, the energy metabolism can be quantified, and thus the physiological consequences of the external framework conditions as well as the behavioural adjustments can be documented.

Based on the results of this project, it will be possible to estimate the influence of climatic effects as well as human activities on the space-time behavior, activity and metabolism of chamois. In this way, a contribution to a well-founded scientific basis for sustainable management of this wildlife species can be created in order to counteract a negative trend in chamois populations and the undesirable influence of wild animals on forest vegetation. Such management should contribute to the long-term preservation of the forest, the mountains and the chamois and at the same time be able to guarantee the use needs of humans.

BOKU Project page

Overall project coordination

Univ.Prof. Dipl.-Biol. Dr.rer.nat. Klaus Hackländer

& Paul Griesberger, MSc.
University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria

Further staff at Fiwi

Dr. Gabrielle Stalder, Dr. Johanna Painer-Gigler

Duration

01 January 22-31 December 24

Programme

FFG BRIDGE 1

Financing

FFG - Österreichische Forschungsförderungsgesellschaft, Wien, Österreich