Status muskoxen, Ivittuut, Southwest Greenland 61°N, from 1987 translocation to 2017. Technical Report No. 100

1 Status muskoxen, Ivittuut, Southwest Greenland 61°N, from 1987 translocation to 2017 Technical Report No. 100, 2024 Pinngortitaleriffik – Greenland Institute of Natural Resources 2 Title: Status muskoxen, Ivittuut, Southwest Greenland 61°N, from 1987 translocation to 2017. Authors: Christine Cuyler1, Per Nukaaraq Hansen2, Morten Lyberth3 and Karl Zinglersen1 1 Pinngortitaleriffik - Greenland Institute of Natural Resources, P.O. Box 570, 3900 Nuuk, Greenland 2 Greenland Fisheries Licensing Control, P.O. Box 501, 3900 Nuuk, Greenland 3 Greenland Fisheries Licensing Control, 3912 Maniitsoq, Greenland Series: Technical Report No. 100, 2024 Date of publication: 08 April, 2024 Publisher: Pinngortitaleriffik - Greenland Institute of Natural Resources Financial support: Pinngortitaleriffik - Greenland Institute of Natural Resources & Nordeco Cover photo: Christine Cuyler: Juvenile bull (age 3-years) from the valley, Qaamasunnguaq (Paradiset), Ivittuut peninsula, 09 June 2015. ISBN: 87-91214-77-7 ISSN: 1397-3657 EAN: 9788791214776 Cited as: Cuyler C., Hansen P.N., Lyberth M. & Zinglersen K. 2024. Status muskoxen, Ivittuut, Southwest Greenland 61°N, from 1987 introduction to 2017. Pinngortitaleriffik - Greenland Institute of Natural Resources. Technical Report No. 100. 116 pp. Contact address: The report is only available in electronic format. PDF-file copies can be downloaded at this homepage: http://www.natur.gl/publikationer/tekniske rapporter http://www.natur.gl/publications/technical reports Pinngortitaleriffik – Greenland Institute of Natural Resources P.O. Box 570 DK-3900 Nuuk Greenland Phone: +299 36 12 00 E-mail: [email protected] www.natur.gl 3 Status muskoxen, Ivittuut, Southwest Greenland 61°N, from 1987 translocation to 2017 By Christine Cuyler1, Per Nukaaraq Hansen2 , Morten Lyberth3 & Karl Zinglersen1 1 Pinngortitaleriffik – Greenland Institute of Natural Resources, P.O. Box 570, 3900 Nuuk, Greenland 2Greenlands Fisheries Licensing Control, P.O. Box 501, 3900 Nuuk, Greenland 3Greenlands Fisheries Licensing Control, 3912 Maniitsoq, Greenland Technical Report No. 100, 2024 Pinngortitaleriffik – Greenland Institute of Natural Resources 4 [Empty page] 5 Table of Contents Summary (English)……………………………………… 8 Eqikkaaneq (kalaallisut) ……………………………. .. 9 Resumé (dansk)……………………………………….. 11 Introduction ……………………………………………. 13 Methods …………………………………………………. 21 Results…………………………………………………… 28 Discussion ……………………………………………… 48 Acknowledgements…………………………………….. 58 Literature cited ………………………………………… 58 Figures 1. Muskox populations in Greenland, … Page 14 2. Map of the peninsula, which is the Ivittuut region, an area of 431 km2 … Page 15 3. Unofficial place names in Ivittuut region, for further names see Appendix 1. Page 16 4. Mature bull muskox looking in window of summer cottage, Ivittuut 2004. Page 18 5. Ivittuut annual quotas and reported number of muskoxen harvested… Page 19 6. Total number of muskoxen harvested legally on the Ivittuut peninsula … Page 20 7. Reported harvest of muskoxen on the Ivittuut peninsula from 1991 to 2016. Page 20 8. Marine grid map sometimes used to provide location information for … Page 23 9. A mature cow at the Arsuk fjord shore observed from open outboard boat... Page 24 10. Overview of coastline and ground routes used for minimum counts of … Page 25 11. Grid map with 3x3 km cells used to provide location information for each... Page 26 12. Mature adult cow (age ≥ 3 years) with her calf-at-heel, born spring 2017. Page 27 13. Boat and hiking routes taken, plus lookout points (), June 2015 … Page 28 14. Boat and hiking routes taken, plus lookout points (), in June 2016 … Page 29 15. Boat and hiking routes taken, plus lookout points (), in June 2017… Page 29 16. 2015 muskox distribution within the grid cells (3x3 km) covered by .... Page 30 17. 2016 muskox distribution within the grid cells (3x3 km) covered by .... Page 30 18. 2017 muskox distribution within the grid cells (3x3 km) covered by .... Page 31 19. Index for changing muskox abundance and calf number over time … Page 33 20. Changes in calf percentage, calf recruitment (calves per 100 cows) … Page 35 21. Proportional change, increase/decrease, in population size between two … Page 35 22. Demographics of unknown sex and/age muskoxen observed on... Page 36 23. Detailed demographics, specifically calves and cows, from dataset... Page 37 24. Detailed demographics, specifically bulls, from dataset of sexed and aged... Page 37 25. Overview summarizing the demographics for the muskox population on … Page 38 6 26. 2011 photo of 25-year-old cow, one of the original ear-tagged yearlings … Page 40 27. One of two dead cows observed 10 June near the shore of Ikka fjord Page 41 28. Decomposing carcass of mature bull, 9 June 2015, Hoveddal, Paradiset... Page 42 29. Solitary cows accompanied by two calves have been observed, which … Page 43 30. Mature bull muskoxen (age ≥ 5-years) appearing to consume seaweed… Page 44 31. Ikka fjord shore grasses/sedges evidencing heavy muskox grazing … Page 45 32. ‘Bleached bones’ remains of ancient willows by riverside in Laksebund/… Page 45 33. In 2010, a large group of semi-domestic reindeer was observed … Page 47 34. Eight bull semi-domestic reindeer in the Blæseren Valley, 09 June 20. Page 47 35. The muskox counts, harvests and percentage of the count taken by harvest. Page 54 36. Place names (primarily Danish) for the Ivittuut region, which … Page 63 37. Place names (primarily Greenlandic) for the Ivittuut region, which … Page 64 38 1987 vegetation map for the Ivittuut region. Copyright: Tryk … Page 65 39. English legend explanation for the 1987 vegetation map of the Ivittuut… Page 66 40. The 1987 map of vegetated landcover in the Ivittuut region and two … Page 67 41. Map of the Ivittuut region, illustrating amount and distribution … Page 69 42. Map illustrating the amount and distribution of two elevation categories … Page 70 43. View northeast at the small coastal town of Arsuk, which is immediately... Page 74 44. The Arsuk Resource Management Council established June 2015... Page 75 45. Ground count by local experts coordinating efforts with hunting officers... Page 76 46. Grasses/sedges grazed to ground level, west shore Ikka Fjord, 10 June... Page 105 47. Grassy tussocks in the lowland valley immediately north of Taylershavn... Page 106 48. Shoreline grass/sedge NOT grazed to ground level, Taylershavn... Page 106 49. Willow shrubs stripped of bark in Laksebund/Lakselv Valley, 08 June 2015. Page 107 50. Hillside willow shrubs in Laksebund/Lakselv Valley, 08 June 2015. Page 108 51. Trampling and bark stripping of willows in Laksebund/Lakselv Valley... Page 109 52. View on 29 June 2016, north of Heksested cabin in Oksedalen... Page 110 53. Closeup of willow shrubs stripped of bark, Ikkabund, 10 June 2015. Page 110 54. River valley north of Heksested cabin in Oksedalen, willow shrub is not.... Page 111 55. Ivittuut Hunting Officer, Per Nukaaraq Hansen, with orphaned newborn... Page 114 56. Muskox hoof-print in shallow snow. Page 115 Tables 1. Department of Fisheries & Hunting muskox harvest management areas, … Page 13 2. Record of variation of inland areas covered by Ivittuut muskox counts.… Page 27 3. Minimum counts, densities, and rough demographics for muskoxen in … Page 32 4. The 2015 – 2017 detailed demographics for muskoxen in the Ivittuut … Page 33 7 5. Muskox population parameters and demographic details from minimum… Page 34 6. Elevations where muskox detected in late spring (June through early July… Page 39 7 Species observed opportunistically during 2015-2017 Ivittuut … Page 46 8. Area for each of the 1987 vegetation classes occurring within … Page 68 9. Harvest Ivittuut muskox population: months with hunting seasons... Page 71 10. Ivittuut muskox population: harvest numbers, harvest demographics… Page 72 11. Data collection sheet for 2015 count and demographics of muskoxen. Page 78 12. Page 82 13. Page 90 14. Page 91 15. Page 98 16. Raw data for one group of seven muskoxen observed in Qoororsuaq… Page 104 17. Page 112 Appendices 1. Place names commonly used in the Ivittuut region Page 63 2. Maps of Ivittuut vegetation & elevation Page 65 3. Harvests & harvest regulation of the muskox population on the Ivittuut... Page 71 4. Minimum count & Demographics data collection sheet used 2015 – 2017 Page 78 5. Muskox sex & age field guide. Page 79 6. Raw data for 2015, 2016, and 2017 Ivittuut muskox counts Page 82 7. Visible effects of muskox grazing/browsing on vegetation landscape Page 105 8. Raw data for observations of other species encountered on Ivittuut… Page 112 9. Muskox counts and observations post-2017 Page 114 8 Summary (English) The muskox (Ovibos moschatus) population on the Ivittuut peninsula (ca. 61N, 48W, area 432 km2) began in 1987 when 15 yearlings were translocated from the Maniitsoq population at Kangerlussuaq (Søndre Strømfjord) to the remote and optimal habitat of the Ivittuut peninsula. Initial population growth was unhindered given ample forage, no large predators, no hunting, and absence of large herbivore competitors. Natural mortality was low. The maximum observed age was a 25-year-old cow, which was one of the original 15 ear-tagged animals. Hunting, regulated by quotas and seasons, began in 1995. Initially, suggested goals for maximum population size ranged from 150 to 300 muskoxen. Counts over time illustrated that harvests were insufficient to prevent population growth beyond those goals. The peninsula area is relatively small, thus the resources available (i.e. the vegetation) could rapidly become a limiting factor for population growth. Habitat could deteriorate if muskox abundance became too high. The counts illustrate that population size grew each year until 2009 and thereafter fluctuated, due to possible limitation of resources. In a population limited by resource availability, maximum growth rate, i.e. maximum proportional change in population size from one year to the next, typically occurs at about half of the potential carrying-capacity (i.e. muskox density at which the number of births equals deaths). The maximum population growth rate occurred from 2004 to 2005, when the population size reached 508. This suggests that the initial carrying-capacity for Ivittuut was twice the 508 muskoxen. This was possibly reached in 2009, when ca. 900 muskox were counted and gave a density of ca. 2.1 muskox/km2. Maximum population growth is also generally considered to coincide with maximum sustainable yield (MSY) for hunter harvests. Given 2005, a muskox population size of 400-500 with a density at ca. 1/km2 may be optimal and sustainable for the Ivittuut peninsula habitat, albeit half of the peninsula is dominated by barren ground that is very sparsely vegetated. Since 2009, however, muskox densities have been 2-3 per km2. Those high densities combined with the heavy herbivory observed in the 2015-2017 period and that now another large herbivore, feral reindeer, inhabits the region, suggests that damage to the vegetation has potentially reduced the resources available. This is supported by calf production values. Pre-2009 calf percentage was from 24% to 32%, but this changed. In 2016, the calf percentage was ca. 11% and coincided with what appears to be the beginning of a decline in population size. For future management strategies, a muskox density ≤ 1/km2 for the entire peninsula is worth considering and might allow for a balance between vegetation regeneration, herbivory, and good body condition among muskoxen. Climate warming may create more plant biomass and increase 9 carrying-capacity, i.e. the muskox density that the Ivittuut peninsular can sustainably contain. A reduction in muskox density might be achieved through careful management and supervision of the harvest. Since past harvests have been predominantly juveniles and bulls, changing just the annual quota will likely be insufficient action taken if a population crash has occurred since 2017. Further, even at a muskox density ≤ 1/km2, natural fluctuations in population abundance may still occur and may be in response to factors beyond management control, e.g. catastrophic stochastic events, including extreme weather and pathogen outbreaks. Counts cannot detect all muskoxen present, hence the name ‘minimum’ count. Owing to fewer undetected animals, multi-day counts are preferrable to rapid one-day counts. Undetected muskoxen could be 13% more than the number counted on the former and 16%-28% on the latter. We encourage these annual counts to continue, potentially augmented by demographic data collected from newer technologies, i.e. unmanned aerial vehicles. Strengthening the detail and accuracy of the demographic data would assist predictions of population trends. Eqikkaaneq (kalaallisut) Ivittuut qeqertaasartaani umimmaqassusia (Avannarpasissutsip 61°N missaa i, kippasissutsillu 48°W missaani, annertussutsimi 432 km²) 1987imi umimmannik 15inik Maniitsup eqqaanit Kangerlussuup eqqaanniittumit Ivittuut eqqaanni qeqertaasamut naggoreqisumut ingalassimasumullu nuussisoqarmat piulerpoq. Umimmaat amerliartoqqaarnera aporfeqarsimanngilaq, nuna naggoreqimmat, uumasunillu qaasuttunik peqaranilu piniartoqarneq ajormat, allanillu naasortortoqanngimmat. Umimmaallu ikittuaqqat toqusarmata. Umimmak arnaviaq uumasimanerpaasoq ukiuni 25ni uumasimavoq, nuussorneqaqqaartunut 15inut ilaasimasoq. Killilersukkamik piffissallu ilaannaani piniartoqarsinnaalerpoq 1995imi. Aallaqqaammut naatsorsuutigineqarsimagaluarpoq umimmaat 150iniit 300nik tamaani amerlanerpaaffeqassasut. Ukiulli ingerlanerini kisitsinerit paasinarsisivoq umimmaat piniarneqanngingaaramik amerlanerulersinnaalluartut. Qeqertaasap annertussusia mikeqigami, naggorissusia killiliisinnaavoq (naasortugassaqarnissaa) uumasut amerliartornissaannut aporfiusinnaassalluni. Uumasoqatigiiaat eqqugaasinnaapput umimmaat amerlavallaalissagaluarpata. Kisitsinerillu paasinarsisippaat umimmaat amerliartornerat ukiut tamaviisa 2009ip 16 extent in Atuagagdliutit/Grønlandsposten (1987) and Ivittuut Kommune et al. (1996). The translocation of 15 muskoxen to the Ivittuut peninsula was the decision of the Ivittuut municipal council (Ivittuut Kommune et al. 1996) and the Ivittuut municipality financed the capture, transport, and release of the 15 yearlings. Following discussions in 1986 with the then Premier of Greenland, Jonathan Motzfeldt, the original plan was to establish a muskox farm (Atuagagdliutit/Grønlandsposten 1987). Nevertheless, the Home-Rule government of Greenland, Department for Industry (Erhvervsdirektoratet) vetoed the farm plan but permitted the translocation, if the goal was to establish a wild muskox population, which could provide hunting opportunities in the future. Figure 3. Common place names (unofficial & official) used in Ivittuut region (further names Appendix 1). Official names found here: https://www.arcgis.com/apps/View/index.html?appid=c5c7d9d52a264980a24911d7d33914b5 Ivittuut range before arrival of muskoxen Prior to the 1987 release of the 15 yearling muskoxen, a vegetation map for the Ivittuut peninsula was prepared (Appendix 2) and provided an assessment of available range. Meanwhile, local consensus thought Ivittuut pasture quality was good because, whether wild or domestic, large mammalian herbivores, had not foraged that range for about a century. Although sheep farming is extensive in south Greenland, because high densities of sheep had already altered vegetation there, it had never been permitted within the neighboring Ivittuut municipality, (Ivittuut Kommune et al. 1996). The newspaper, Atuagagdliutit/Grønlandsposten (1987) described the Ivittuut summer pasture as lush, although there was concern about winter pastures since excessive snowfalls were common in winter. Resulting snow depths > 1m might prevent the muskoxen from 17 accessing food resources in the Ivittuut region. Although the 1987 consensus was that lowlands were well vegetated, the results of the vegetation mapping illustrated lowland habitat was scarce. Just 95.3 km2 (22%) of the Ivittuut range is below 200 m elevation (Fig. 2). Further, the 1987 map indicates that half of the 431 km2 Ivittuut range is dominated by barren ground, which involves the region’s highest elevations. Regardless of the 1987 designation that the barrens lacked vegetation, it is known that areas classified as barrens can be sparsely vegetated (Walker et al. 2005). Muskoxen are characteristically sedentary and generally forage in low lying valleys and coastal areas (Nellemann & Reynolds 1997, Reynolds et al. 2002, Gustine et al. 2011, Nellemann 2011, Anderson & Fergusen 2016, Schmidt et al. 2016). Thus, not surprisingly, Ivittuut’s “parent” Maniitsoq population, were known to remain in areas below 400 m elevation year-round (Olesen 1993). Optimal muskoxen habitat appears to be below 200 m elevation, with elevations below 100 m supporting the highest densities of muskoxen (Thomas et al. 1981). Given the vegetation mapping for Ivittuut, it appears just ca. 216.6 km2 is vegetated, of which 40% is thinly vegetated. Meanwhile sparsely vegetated barrens make up the other ca. 216.6 km2. Clearly, from the beginning, the Ivittuut range had its constraints regarding the number of muskoxen it could sustain. Early population growth In the beginning, given excellent range conditions in the lowlands, absence of large predators, lack of large herbivore competitors and a hunting prohibition for the first eight years, as expected the muskox population grew. Initially, muskoxen numbers were monitored ad hoc. In 1990, just three years after the introduction of 15 juveniles, the Ivittuut population had more than doubled. Two groups totaling 42 muskoxen were observed in the valleys about the naval base, Kangilinnguit (Skolemose, pers. comm. In Boertmann et al. 1992). This number was as expected, given the uncertainty in theoretical calculations for exponential population growth and mortality (Thing 1994). Similarly in 1995, although 136 was the expected population size, a minimum of 150 muskoxen were observed. Thus, the Ivittuut municipal council and Arsuk town council became concerned for the general sustainability of the natural resources on the Ivittuut peninsula (Ivittuut Kommune et al. 1996). At this time, Per Nukaaraq Hansen, Ivittuut hunting officer, Greenland Fisheries Licensing and Control (GFLK), noted that some juvenile 2year-old cows produced calves. This suggests high reproduction supported by high forage quality, both of which have been documented in the early stages of other translocated muskox populations (Alendal 1971, Jingfors & Klein 1982, Olesen 1993, Olesen et al. 1994). On the advice of the Danish Polar Center regarding observed early population growth, the Ivittuut council decided that their muskox population should not exceed the 150 animals observed in 1995. Thus, hunting began in 1995 but only to remove 18 selected animals deemed “unnecessary” for the future of the population (Ivittuut Kommune et al. 1996). Reported harvest from 1995 to 2000, suggests “unnecessary” animals were primarily juvenile and adult bulls and secondarily, juvenile cows. However, towards the end of the period, this became primarily juveniles of both sexes and secondarily adult bulls. (Note: Juvenile bulls require four years to mature, so this group includes animals of ≤ 1 age < 5 years. Juvenile cows require two years to mature, so this group includes animals of 1 ≤ age < 3 years.) The Ivittuut hunting officer oversaw and handpicked each animal harvested. During this period, many almost-known-byname ear tagged muskoxen were observed still present in the population. Despite Ivittuut municipality’s desire that their muskox population remain under 150 animals, this was not achieved. The following years’ annual muskox counts by Ivittuut hunting officer, indicated that abundance rose steadily (P.N. Hansen pers. comm.). In 2001, the Ivittuut municipality petitioned the Home-Rule central government to permit a population of up to 300 muskoxen, which was based on local opinion that vegetation was yet unchanged (Slettemark 2001). In late 2003, the Greenland Institute of Natural Resources (GINR) acknowledged that at 300 muskoxen, density would be high, relative to the area with vegetation cover, and might impact/alter existing vegetation landscapes (Cuyler 2003). To conserve existing resources, GINR recommended the population be stabilized at ≤ 300 muskoxen, achieved by harvesting 100-160 animals annually. Annual harvests, however, generally remained under 100 muskoxen for the next five years. Meanwhile, muskox sightings grew increasingly common throughout the Ivittuut region (Fig. 4). Figure 4. Recently mature bull muskox (horns still have sharp black tips, thus age ≥ 5-years) looking in window of summer cottage, Ivittuut 2004. Photo Per Nukaaraq Hansen. 19 Harvest The Ivittuut municipality had a trial harvest of one bull in 1991, then two bulls in 1992 and three in 1994, but it was first in 1995, that regulated hunter harvests began (Appendix 3). Concurrently, three Arsuk commercial hunters were trained in the trophy hunting industry and began guiding foreign hunters for trophy bull harvest. Initially, annual quotas were conservative (Fig. 5). In the 2006-2010 period, annual harvest quotas of at least 200 animals were recommended (Chemnitz 2014), and quotas rose rapidly from 2005 to 2010. Until at least 2010, trophy hunts were supervised by the Ivittuut hunting officer. Regardless of the year, according to the reported harvest, quotas were seldom filled (Fig. 5). This difference between permitted harvest quota and reported number killed became more pronounced after 2005. This was not because muskoxen were few. For specifically the 2006-2010 period, Ivittuut was described as having muskoxen everywhere and ca. 200 calves were born annually (P.N. Hansen pers. comm.). Figure 5. Ivittuut annual quotas and reported number of muskoxen harvested in the 1995-2016 period, which includes all legal and the known illegal harvest and muskoxen that died after crippling by hunters. From 1991 to 2016, a total of 2,441 muskoxen were legally harvested (Appendix 3). This illustrates the importance of the Ivittuut muskox population for meat security in the Arsuk community. Further, this population has been a valuable source of income, through commercial sale of meat, and the lucrative trophy bull and qiviut industries. Meanwhile, whether hunters were locals from Arsuk or from outside the Ivittuut region, harvests were bull-biased and predominantly juveniles (Figs. 6, 7, details Appendix 3). Juvenile bulls require twice as many years to mature than juvenile cows, i.e. four years compared to two years, respectively. Thus, in Figures 6 and 7, the sum of juvenile bulls 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 Number of muskoxen Year Harvest Quota 20 includes two more years. Similarly for adult cows and bulls, only here it is the cows that include two more years. To avoid misinterpretation, remember that the number of years summed over in each category (except calf) differs. Figure 6. Total number of muskoxen harvested legally on the Ivittuut peninsula from 1991 to 2016. Age classes are given in years; calf age < 1, juvenile cow 1 ≤ age < 3, juvenile bull 1 ≤ age < 5, adult cow age ≥ 3, adult bull ≥ 5. Note: excepting ‘calf’, the number of years summed over for each age class differs. Figure 7. Reported harvest of muskoxen on the Ivittuut peninsula from 1991 to 2016. The minimal harvest of calves and animals of unknown sex is not included. Age classes are given in years; adult bull age ≥ 5, adult cow age ≥ 3, juvenile bull 1 ≤ age < 5, juvenile cow 1 ≤ age < 3. Note: excepting ‘calf’, the number of years summed over for each age class differs. 61 488 172 63 853 651 18 0 100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900 Calf Juvenile Adult Number of muskoxen Age class Cows Bulls Sex unknown 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 Number of muskoxen Year bull adult cow adult bull juvenile cow juvenile 21 Present study This report presents the status of the muskox population in the Ivittuut region from translocation of 15 yearlings in summer of 1987 through to June 2017. Principally, the report covers annual minimum counts of muskoxen present in the region and calf production. Focus is on the minimum counts of 2015, 2016, and 2017, which for the first time included detailed demographics. Secondarily, we provide a summary of the ad hoc observations of mortality/longevity, reproduction, changing vegetation landscape, and range expansion by muskoxen and semi-domestic reindeer. There follows a discussion of possible muskox population sizes/densities for the Ivittuut region. Topics also covered include the reliability of muskox counts and the risk of stochastic events. Methods Study area The Ivittuut region is a peninsula with a land area of approximately 432 km2, which excludes ice and lakes (an area of ca. 19 km2). Elevations from 0 to 200 m cover 95 km2 of the Ivittuut area. The remaining area, 336 km2, is above 200 m elevation. Specifically, elevations between 200 and 700 m cover 270 km2, while elevations above 700 m cover 66 km2 (Appendix 1). The highest point is 1015 m elevation. The topography of the 432 km2 peninsula is highly varied, which provides diverse habitat conditions. The Ivittuut region was mapped for vegetation in 1987 (Appendix 2). At that time, just 216.7 km2 possessed vegetation cover, which were divided into seven vegetation categories: shrub heath (41.8 km2 (19,3%)), shrub/moss/lichen heaths (50 km2 (23.1%)), shrub/grasses/forbs (succulents)/sedge heaths (12.2 km2 (5,6%)), scrub forest (3.5 km2 (1.6%)), scrub forest with shrub heath (12.8 km2 (5.9%)), lichen and moss heaths (8.4 km2 (3.9%)), and the largest category, thinly vegetated mountains (87.4 km2 (40.3%)). The area designated in 1987 as having no vegetation was 215 km2, which is half the entire peninsula. Barrens, however, can be sparsely vegetated (Walker et al. 2005). Whatever sparse forage is present, given the barrens are all above 200 m elevation, forage quality may be poor. The peninsula is bounded to the west and north by the Ikerasaarsuup Kujataa [Strait] and Ilorput (Arsuk) Fjord, with the latter ending at the Greenland Ice Cap’s Sermeq (Arsuk) glacial tongue (Fig. 3). To the south is the Kangaarsuk Løb [Strait], and to the east is the Greenland Ice Cap and the Qoornoq fjord, which after the ‘narrows’ becomes Qinngerlersivaq, which ends at the Greenland Ice Cap with the Nordre Qoornoq Bræ glacial tongue. In winter, the outer coasts remain ice-free open water, however, the inner 22 fjords are usually ice covered from November to May (Buchardt et al. 2001). In summer, icebergs are common in the fjords and straits. Many arise from the Sermeq (Arsuk) glacial tongue of the Greenland Ice Cap. Others, often larger, arrive with the East Greenland Current, which bends around the southern tip of Greenland and continues northward up the west coast passing Ivittuut (Buchardt et al. 2001). Climate on the Ivittuut peninsula is low arctic and relative to most of Greenland is mild (Fristrup 1971). Mean summer (June, July, August) temperature is ca. 8°C, and mean winter (December, January, February) is ca. -1°C, while summer highs average ca. 12°C and winter lows average -10°C. Annual precipitation is 1000–1200 mm. Currently, there are no permanent human habitations on the Ivittuut peninsula. The nearest settlement is the small village, Arsuk (population < 80), which is located about 14 km west of the Ivittuut peninsula. A Danish naval base, Kangilinnguit (Grønnedal), decommissioned in 2012, is located on the northwestern shore of the Ivittuut peninsula, and while uninhabited in 2017 all infrastructure remained. Immediately southwest of Kangilinnguit is the abandoned community, Ivittuut, which mined cryolite from 1854 until 1987. Today, some homes are still used as summer cottages. Further, there are at least three coastal cabins, which are maintained and managed by the local Arsuk Council. For a small fee, these may be rented and used as a base for diverse activities, e.g. hunting, fishing, hiking, qiviut collection and counting muskoxen. Beyond the roads inside Kangilinnguit and Ivittuut and those few within their immediate vicinity and between them, no roads exist on the Ivittuut peninsula. Transportation possibilities are limited to boats, hiking, and in winter, snowmobiles. Permission must be obtained for the latter. There are no nearby airports, so air access is limited to helicopters and seaplanes. Aside from the now established translocated population of muskoxen, native wild mammals present in the Ivittuut region are the arctic hare (Lepus arcticus Rhoads) and arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus Linnaeus). Recently, feral semi-domestic reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus) have expanded into the region, from the Isortoq reindeer husbandry district, which is neighboring area immediately south. As with the rest of the southwest coast, large mammalian predators are absent. Ikaite Tufa Towers Although not relevant to the terrestrial habitat, it is worth noting that the Ivittuut region contains the only known marine environment in the world where the rare carbonate mineral “Ikaite” forms submarine Ikkaitter (Ikaite Tufa Towers), whose large columns sometimes reach 18 m tall (Buchardt et al. 2001). These occur only in the Ikka/Qinngua Fjord, and a submarine reserve has been designated. Prohibitions to prevent damage to 23 the Ikkaitter include not sailing over top of them with boats whose hull or motor reaches more than 1.30 m deep, (setting fishing nets or taking “souvenirs” is also prohibited). For hunters using the typical open outboard motorboats, the submarine reserve is not a barrier to accessing the inner Ikka Fjord and the Ikasletten. Field methods Muskox counts from 1998 to 2014 To provide an index of muskox abundance, in 1998, annual minimum counts began. These were completed by Ivittuut hunting officer, Per Nukaaraq Hansen, Greenland Fisheries Licensing and Control (GFLK). Most counts occurred in June or the autumn months of September and October. Winter counts were seldom. Figure 8. Marine grid map sometimes used to provide location information for muskox observations in the 1987 to 2014 period. Portions of the Ivittuut region (rounded red rectangle in lower right) occur in only six of the grid cells. Detecting muskoxen was aided by binoculars (8x magnification). These early muskox counts did not always provide an observation location. When they did, observations were summarized for each location examined, i.e. as the total number of muskoxen observed in the vicinity of a place name location and a general Geographical Positioning System (GPS) coordinate, e.g. Laksebunden (61°15.62’N; 48°04.01’W), Taylershavn (61°09.98’N; 48°10.40’W), Paradiset (61°09.20’N; 47°50.85’W), Blindtarm (61°08.29’N; 24 47°52.17’W), Blindtarm west (61°07.36’N; 47°55.57’W), Itivittarfik (61°07.01’N; 47°54.00’W), Oksedalen (61°08.11’N; 47°48.42’W), Heksestedet (61°61.06’N; 48°10.40’W), Quassuk (61°05.10’N; 47°56.04’W) and Ikka (61°12.78’N; 47°59.16’W). Occasionally, until 2014, muskox location was designated using a marine grid cell map (Fig. 8). This map’s large cell size provided scant information about muskox distribution on the peninsula. Fortunately, the latter was seldom used and the primary manner to designate location remained place names. Figure 9. A mature cow at the Arsuk fjord shore observed from open outboard boat, 4 June 2015. Photo C. Cuyler. Cruising slowly in open outboard boats alongside the entire Ivittuut coastline was standard procedure for counts, as the steeply rising coastal terrain made spotting muskoxen possible (Fig. 9). Inland areas were covered on foot by hiking into principal valleys (Fig. 10). High elevation points were often used as lookout vantage points. Which areas were covered varied among years, usually owing to poor weather or snow on the ground (Table 2). Winter (January-March) counts involved snowmobiles. The occasional one-day summer counts were accomplished by just cruising the coastline. The 1998-2014 demographics collected were simple. There were the four basic categories, i.e. calves, cows, bulls, and unknowns. The latter occurred when sex and age of animals older than calves could not be determined. This was usually caused by too great a distance between muskoxen and observer using binoculars. Calves were not sexed. There were no age classes for cows. Bulls, however, were further sub-divided into three age classes, i.e. age 2-3 years, 4-5 years and those  6-years. Horn development, shape and size were the deciding criteria for determining sex and aging (Olesen & Thing 1989). 25 Figure 10. Overview of routes used for the 1998-2014 minimum counts of muskoxen in the Ivittuut region. Muskox counts from 2015 to 2017 Annual monitoring from 2015 to 2017 of muskox number, including calf number, involved several members of the Arsuk Resource Management Council, led by the Ivittuut hunting officer, Per Nukaaraq Hansen (GFLK) and collaborating with research scientist, Dr. Christine Cuyler (Greenland Institute of Natural Resources (GINR)). Morten Lyberth, also with GFLK, participated on all three counts. Participating Arsuk Council members brought local expert ecological knowledge to the annual muskox minimum counts and received training in demographics data (sex, age) collection. Routes used were like earlier counts and used open outboard motorboats to cruise the entire coastline, while principal valleys were surveyed on-foot. Once again, routes hiked on-foot varied among years (Table 2). Since animal movement may occur, we made the following preventive efforts to avoid counting animals twice. There was rapid (relative to normal muskox movement) terrain coverage over few days, weather permitting. Terrain features limiting animal movement were used to delimit an area to survey on a specific day. When possible, adjacent areas were surveyed on consecutive days. Muskoxen are seldom frightened by a motorboat sailing past. When hiking, however, muskoxen often fled the approaching observers, running farther into a valley where they mixed with other groups. Therefore, to avoid 32 Table 3. Minimum counts, densities, and rough demographics for muskoxen in the Ivittuut region, 1987 - 2017. Year Season / Month Date Densitya per km2 Count Unknown Bull Cow Calf Calf % Bull/Cow Ratio Age ≥ 1 year ≥ 5-years 3-4 years ≥ 3 years < 7 months 1987 Summer 0.0 15 1988 September 18 0.0 15 1990 Summer 0.1 42 1995 0.3 150 1998 Summer/Fall 0.4 182 35 15 20 70 42 23.6 0,21 1999 March-May 0.5 227 53 2001 October 10 - 18 0.7 287 47 20 45 99 76 26.5 0,20 2002 June 12 - 14 0.8 341 229 25 87 25.5 2003 December 0.9 373 266 107 28.7 2004 July 0.8 335 2005 September 28 - 30 1.2 508 341 33 134 26.4 2006 October 22 1.3 551 329 48 174 31.6 2007 September 10 - 14 1.6 677 149 60 288 180 26.6 0,21 2008 September 4 - 7 1.8 796 526 65 205 25.7 2009 September 21 - 25 2.1 894 581 85 228 25.5 2009 December 2.0 851 2010 October 4 - 7 1.7 748 163 67 307 211 28.2 0,22 2011 June 22 - 24 1.9 805 116 101 372 216 26.8 0,27 2012 April 15 1.6 581b 519 62 2012 October 2,4,5 2.1 897 258 58 360 221 24.6 0,16 2013 June 26 1.7 736 487 82 167 22.7 2013 October 3 - 6 2.3 981 661 97 223 22.7 2013 October 13 - 15 2.0 846 846 2014 June 1 - 5 2.1 927 317 126 303 181 19.5 0,42 2015 June 4,6,9,10,12 2.9 1256 424c 94 95 430 213 17.0 0,22 2016 June-July 23-30/1-2 2.1 917 319 c 105 47 349 97 10.6 0,30 2016 October 6 - 11 1.4 620 521 99 2017 June 8 - 13 1.9 805 313 c 56 64 234 138 17.1 0,24 a Density calculated using the total Ivittuut peninsula area, 432 km2. b Although 581 was the April 2012 count by Per N Hansen, he suspected another 100 muskoxen were in the highlands where poor snow conditions prevented survey effort. c In order for 2015, 2016 & 2017 counts to fit pre-2015 table columns, all juveniles, despite known sex, were included in this column for unknowns. For juvenile details see Table 4. Sources: Boertmann et al. 1992, Ornis Consult letters, Personal communication with Per N. Hansen and Peter Nielsen, Government of Greenland’s Directorate for Environment & Nature (DMN) letters and this study. 33 Table 4. The 2015 – 2017 detailed demographics for muskoxen in the Ivittuut region, 2015 - 2017. Year Month Date Count Unknown Sex & Age Unknown Sex Bull Cow Calf Age (years) Age (years) Age (years) 1 2 1-2* >2 1 2 3 4 ≥ 5 ≥ 10 1 2 ≥ 3 2015 June 4, 6, 9,10,12 1256 141 283 62 33 93 1 430 213 2016 June/July 23-30/1-2 917 62 27 5 17 53 49 30 17 101 4 77 29 349 97 2017 June 8 - 13 805 139 2 1 18 49 10 41 36 28 56 0 31 22 234 138 *Juvenile, exact age not determined, could be either age 1or 2-years. Figure 19. Index for changing muskox abundance and calf number over time in the Ivittuut region, using data from the 1987 to 2017 minimum counts. 0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 Muskoxen observed Year Count Calves 34 Table 5. Muskox population parameters and demographic details from minimum counts in 2015, 2016, and 2017, Ivittuut peninsula, an area of 431 km2. Parameter Ivittuut muskox population 2015 (04-12 June) 2016 (23 June – 02 July) 2017 (08-13 June) Minimum count (Total observed) 1256 917 805 Approximate density per sq km 2.9 2,1 1,9 Number of groups observed 227 190 191 GROUP SIZE Mean 5.53 4.83 4.21 Confidence Interval (95%) 0.8183 0.5901 0.7056 Standard Deviation ± 6.26 ± 4.12 ± 4.94 Standard Error 0.41 0.30 0.36 Sample Variance 39.14 17.00 24.44 Median 4 4 3 Mode 2 1 2 Maximum 64 26 51 Minimum 1 1 1 DEMOGRAPHICS Total number individuals sexed and aged 832 100% 806 100% 596 100% Cow (age > 1-year) - - 77 8.40% 31 3.85% Cow (age > 2-year) - - 29 3.16% 22 2.73% Cow (age ≥ 3-year) 433 34.24% 349 38.06% 234 29.07% Calf (age < 3 months) 213 16.9% 97 10.58% 138 17.14% Bull (age > 1-year) - - 53 5.78% 10 1.24% Bull (age > 2-year) - - 49 5.34% 41 5.09% Bull (age > 3-year) 62 4.94% 30 3.27% 36 4.47% Bull (age > 4-year) 33 2.63% 17 1.85% 28 3.48% Trophy Bull (age 5-9 years) 93 7.40% 101 11.01% 56 6.96% Bull (age ≥ 10-year) 1 0.08% 4 0.44% 0 0% Calf percentage (Total observed/Calf) 17 % 10.6 % 17.1 % Recruitment1 (Calf /100 Cow age ≥ 2-year) 49.5 25.7 53.9 Sex ratio (Bull age ≥ 5-yr/100 Cow age ≥ 2-yr) 0.22 0.28 0.22 Demographics miscellaneous Both sex & age unknown - - - 139 17.27% Adults - unknown sex 141 11.23% 62 6.76% 49 6.09% Sub adults – unknown sex 283 22.53% 49 5.34% 21 2.61% 1 Any consideration of the above calf recruitment values, must acknowledge that more cows may occur among the relatively high number of adult animals of unknown sex. The 1998 and 1999 counts observed 42 to 53 newborn calves, respectively. Thereafter calf number increased with each count, to a maximum observed 228 calves in 2009. Calf numbers then basically flattened but from 2015 began to drop (Fig. 19). Meanwhile, calf percentage and recruitment appear to decline after 2010 (Fig. 20). This coincided with relatively large fluctuations of the bull to cow ratio. Note: calf recruitment in Figure 20 did not account for possible cows among animals of unknown sex. It is important to remember that calf numbers among any count can be underestimated. Owing to their tiny body size, calves were often hidden by dense shrub vegetation, while adults were visible. Calves were also missed when they were lying down in the pocketed terrain or behind larger older muskoxen. Observing calves often required observation periods of over 30 minutes, so that calves stood up and moved about. 35 Figure 20. Changes in calf percentage, calf recruitment (calves per 100 cows) and ratio of bulls to cows in the Ivittuut region from 1998 to 2017. Note: calf recruitment did not account for possible cows among animals of unknown sex. Figure 21. Proportional change, increase/decrease, in population size between two consecutive minimum counts of the Ivittuut muskox population for the 1987-2020 period, available counts for 2018 and 2020 added (Appendix 9). 0,00 10,00 20,00 30,00 40,00 50,00 60,00 70,00 80,00 90,00 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 PERCENTAGE OR NUMBER YEAR Calf % Calves per 100 Cows Bulls per 100 Cows 36 Typically, for ungulate populations, maximum population growth is assumed to occur when population size (N) is 50%-56% of carrying-capacity (K); N = K/2 (McCullough 1979, 1984). If we assume that the 2009 minimum count of 894 muskoxen represents an approximate carrying-capacity for Ivittuut, then maximum population growth would occur with a population of ca. 500 muskoxen. This result is supported by the 2005 rate of increase (Fig. 21), which (ignoring initial spike post-translocation) was the maximum obtained and coincided with a count of 508 muskoxen for that year. Since maximum population growth is generally considered to coincide with maximum sustainable yield (MSY) for hunter harvest, a muskox population size of 400-500 with density at ca. 1/km2 may be optimal and sustainable for the Ivittuut peninsula habitat. Meanwhile, densities post-2009 were ca. double 1/km2. The counts from 2015 to 2017 provided an index for detailed demographics in that period (Figs. 22, 23, 24, details in Appendix 6). Although figures 22, 23, 24, provide detailed information for each sex and the unknowns, an overview of the observed variation in demographics for the 2015-2017 period are better illustrated using pie-charts (Fig. 25). Figure 22. Demographics of unknown sex and/age muskoxen observed on minimum counts in Ivittuut region from 2015 to 2017. 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 2015 2016 2017 Number counted Year Sex & age unknown Age 1 or 2-yr sex unknown Age 1-yr sex unknown Age 2-yr sex unknown Adult sex unknown 37 Figure 23. Detailed demographics, specifically calves and cows, from dataset of sexed and aged muskoxen observed on minimum counts in Ivittuut region from 2015 to 2017. Figure 24. Detailed demographics, specifically bulls, from dataset of sexed and aged muskoxen observed on minimum counts in Ivittuut region from 2015 to 2017. 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 500 2015 2016 2017 Number counted Year Calf Cow ≥3-yr Cow 2-yr Cow 1-yr 0 20 40 60 80 100 120 2015 2016 2017 Number counted Year Bull ≥10-yr Bull ≥5-yr (Trophy) Bull 4-yr Bull 3-yr Bull 2-yr Bull 1-yr 38 Figure 25. Overview summarizing the demographics of the muskox population on the Ivittuut peninsula, as observed on minimum counts in 2015, 2016 and 2017. Legends and pie-charts rank the categories from largest to smallest proportion of the total observed muskoxen. Animals of unknown sex/age (i.e. age > 1-year) are grey, calves are green (and always of unknown sex), colours for cows and bulls are pink/red and blue, respectively, and darken with age. 2015 unknown cow ≥ 3-years calf bull ≥ 5-years bull 3-years bull 4-years 2016 cow ≥ 3-years unknown bull ≥ 5-years calf cow 1-year bull 1-year bull 2-years bull 3-years cow 2-years bull 4-years bull ≥ 10-years 2017 cow ≥ 3-years unknown calf bull ≥ 5-years bull 2-years bull 3-years cow 1-year bull 4-years cow 2-years bull 1-year 39 Elevation use Most muskoxen, including most calves, detected during the counts of 2015, 2016 and 2017, were at elevations under 100 m (Table 6). The 2015 and 2017 counts both occurred before the middle of June. The 2016 count occurred at the end of June and into July, and more groups were observed at elevations above 200 m. Specifically, there were several observations of groups at elevations between 300 and 600 m. Table 6. Elevations where muskox detected in late spring (June through early July) on Ivittuut peninsula, from minimum counts 2015, 2016, and 2017: observed number of groups, total number of muskoxen and calf percentage as per approximate elevation. Elevation (meters) Ivittuut muskox population 2015 (04-12 June) 2016 (23 June – 02 July) 2017 (08-13 June) Groups Total Calf% Groups Total Calf% Groups Total Calf% < 100 m 179 920 17,5 52 270 14,4 176 761 16.8 < 200 m 44 330 15,8 44 176 8,5 15 44 22.7 < 300 m 2 6 0 41 242 9,1 0 0 - 300< x <600 m - - - 18 90 12,2 - - - No data - - - 35 139 25,2 - - - Total 225 1256 190 917 191 805 1998-2017 Ad hoc miscellaneous observations Some of the following ad hoc observations provide facts (e.g. range expansion, longevity, warble fly infection, immigration of semi-domestic reindeer) that are not questioned. Others, however relevant, will require investigation to conclusively document (e.g. mortality, reproduction, timing for calving, twinning, range use & diet, changing plant communities, soil erosion, and calf predation by arctic fox). Range expansion Prior to 2015, range expansion by muskoxen, beyond the borders of the Ivittuut region, was observed by Arsuk locals. During the 2015-2017 counts, range expansion was observed twice. Although the emigrated individuals were not included in the data presented in this study’s tables and figures for the Ivittuut peninsula, the two observations are described as follows. In 2015, five muskoxen (3 cows, 2 juveniles) were located immediately north of the Ivittuut region. They were near the Sermeq glacier on the north shore of Arsuk Fjord (Ilorput). The group was close to the coast amongst highgrowth dense willows, which were under a waterfall. If calves were present, these were impossible to detect owing to the impenetrable willow thicket. In 2017, seven muskoxen were observed immediately southeast of the Ivittuut region. They were in the lowlands of the Qoororsuaq river valley, which runs ESE off Qoorsooq Fjord. The group included one adult bull (age ≥ 10-year), three adult cows (age ≥ 3 years), 1 calf, and two juveniles, which were a cow and a bull, both of age 2-years. 40 Mortality / Longevity Prior to 1999, natural mortality was seldom observed among the muskoxen on the Ivittuut peninsula, i.e. only three muskoxen were found dead of natural causes. These were a seven-year-old in May of 1995, a two-year-old in May 1996 (possibly ill), and an ear-tagged 11.5-year-old bull in February 1998. Since all 15 muskoxen translocated to the Ivittuut region in 1987 were age 1-year and eartagged, age determination was possible when the same animals were later observed. Even 13-14 years later, in 1999 and 2000, some ear-tagged individuals were observed annually. Per N. Hansen observed that ear-tagged males disappeared from the population faster than ear-tagged females. No ear-tagged bulls were ever observed following the spring of 1998. This suggests that bulls in the Ivittuut region do not survive much beyond the age 12-years. The oldest ear-tagged bull died in the winter of 1998, age 11.5 years. An incisor tooth sectioned and analyzed for cementum rings confirmed the bull’s age at 11.5-years. That bull evidenced severe horn wear, i.e. tips were dull, rounded and totally lacking any black pigment. Tips were the same color as the rest of the horn. Despite advanced age, the bull’s mandible teeth evidenced minimal tooth wear. Figure 26. 2011 photo of 25-year-old cow, one of the original ear-tagged yearlings translocated to Ivittuut in 1987. Note: little remains of horn on left side of head, her shoulders are shaggy with unshed old wool/qiviut, and the cornea of her eye is opaque. Photo by P N Hansen. 41 Relative to ear-tagged bulls, cows might live up to twice as long. At least four ear-tagged cows survived to age 20-years, since four ear-tagged cows were observed alive both in summer 2004 and 2006. In autumn 2007, two 21-year-old ear-tagged cows were observed with other muskoxen between Oksedalen and Qoornoq fjord. In 2009, there were observed three 23-year-old ear-tagged cows, and for all of them little remained of their horns. 2011 was the last year an ear-tagged cow was observed (Fig. 26). She would have been at age 25-years and her opaque corneas suggest possible eyesight difficulty. Figure 27. One of two dead cows observed 10 June near the shore of Ikka fjord (NW side). Lack of decomposition indicated recent death of both cows, cause(s) unknown. Photo C. Cuyler. In June 2015, seven adults, including several cows, were found to have died recently of unknown cause(s) (Fig. 27), i.e. three in Hoveddal (Paradiset), two at Tourist Kloften (Ikka fjord) and two on Ikke fjord shoreline. This was the maximum observed number of dead muskoxen in one year for the 1987-2017 period. Observations of carcasses in the terrain have been few. Unless a recent death, i.e. showing little decomposition (Fig. 27), carcasses were difficult to detect. A decomposing mature bull (Fig. 28) was detected by only one of three observers, all of whom walked within 10 m of the carcass. 48 Discussion In a nutshell, the Ivittuut peninsula is small in area (432 km2). Ultimately, this will limit the number of muskoxen possible on the peninsula. When 15 muskoxen were translocated to the peninsula in 1987, half of the peninsula’s area was categorized as completely barren (Appendix 2), which is now better understood as very sparsely vegetated (Walker et al. 2005). On the remaining half, two thirds consisted of poorly vegetated highlands (ca. 121 km2) and one third well vegetated lowlands (ca. 95 km2). In 1987, the vegetation had not been grazed by large herbivores for about a century, so pasture condition was likely optimal. By 1998, forage conditions remained good, as evidenced by a bull muskox, age 11.5-years, that had almost no mandibular tooth wear. Not surprisingly, the muskox population grew and so did their density. By the 2008-2017 period, annual counts observed anywhere from ca. 800 to 1200 animals. The initial lush lowland vegetation and relatively mild low arctic climate likely enabled the observed rapid population growth. Eruptive growth is typical of introduced ungulate populations (McNab 1985). Again, for the 2008-2017 period, given the counts and total Ivittuut area, muskox densities were ca. 2-3/km2. Elsewhere in the Arctic, muskox densities typically average ca. 1 muskoxen per km2 (Cuyler 2003), which is markedly lower than the densities for the Ivittuut peninsula. Carrying-capacity What is the resource-based capacity of the Ivittuut peninsula for muskoxen? What is the carrying-capacity K, i.e. density of the muskox population where number of births equals the number of deaths? There is no simple answer, as it is almost impossible to define K, which is a moving target owing to several factors, notably weather affecting forage production and availability (Macnab 1985). Eruptive population growth in ungulates typically overshoots carrying-capacity before an obvious crash in abundance occurs (McCullough 1979, 1984). An overshoot, i.e. too many animals, can damage the vegetation resources, which brings the carrying-capacity to a new, permanently lower, value (McCullough 1979, 1984). Since natural mortality is common in winter, carrying-capacity of arctic ungulates is typically regulated by winter pasture, specifically accessibility to that pasture but also pasture quantity and quality. Ivittuut winter range is at elevations above 200 m owing to deep snow in the lowlands (P.N. Hansen pers. comm.) and is 3½ times more area than summer range. Although we lack knowledge about vegetation productivity in the sparsely vegetated highlands, other muskox populations in the Arctic likely experience similar conditions. To date, vegetation productivity on different muskox pastures 49 around the Arctic remains a knowledge gap. Solving this gap would permit comparisons across pastures and populations. For the Ivittuut situation, by 2017 the muskox population did not appear to have dramatically overshot their carrying-capacity, because there was not an abrupt excessive crash in abundance, i.e. compared to other introduced ungulate populations (McCullough 1979, 1984). Instead, there was steady muskox population growth from their translocation to Ivittuut in 1987 until 2009 (Table 3, Figures 19, 21). The exception was a slight 2004 drop, which may reflect count conditions that year rather than declining muskox numbers. The steady growth in muskox numbers, density and calf number stopped in 2009, when the count observed 894 animals (Fig. 19). The 2010 decline and subsequent fluctuating population sizes/densities (Fig. 21) combined with declining calf percentages (Fig. 20) suggest that in 2009 muskox abundance had reached a potential carrying-capacity. The density was then ca. 2/km2. Today, carrying-capacity may be lower. Already in late 2009, worn down vegetation was observed at the mouth of Qoornoq fjord and around Nuuk Sø (P.N. Hansen pers. comm.). Since then, muskox herbivory appears to have impacted/changed the vegetation cover (Figs. 31, 32, and Appendix 7). Damaged forage resources result in a long-lasting reduction of carrying-capacity (McCullough 1979, 1984). To complicate matters, muskoxen now share the peninsula’s forage resources with a potential competitor species, feral semi-domestic reindeer. Two large herbivores on the same pasture can be expected to decrease the carrying-capacity for each species. Thus, we recommend a muskox density ≤ 1/km2 for the Ivittuut peninsula because it might allow for a balance between vegetation regeneration and resource availability for muskoxen. All the above notwithstanding, fluctuations in ungulate population abundance are natural and their speed and amplitude highly variable. Often, abundance fluctuations are in response to factors beyond management control. In general, expecting entirely stable harvest yields over the long term is unrealistic for wild populations. To better understand what is currently happening, a new muskox count is required as it is seven years since the last detailed count. A count of the reindeer is also recommended to aid ascertaining their possible impact on the muskox population. Further, because it likely influences muskox survival, the winter snow conditions (e.g. amount, ice, snowmelt/spring onset) should be documented. Since snow distribution may impact the timing of muskox movement e.g. from highland plateaus into lowlands, future counts should document or at least summarize snow conditions, and note exceptional/unusual years. 50 Catastrophic stochastic events Cuyler (2019) drew attention to the growing possibility that current climate warming in Greenland could produce catastrophic stochastic weather events, which within a single season have a strong negative influence on animal abundance. Recently, stochastic events involving pathogen outbreak/epidemics among Canadian muskoxen were associated with subsequent abrupt population decline (Tomaselli et al. 2023). For the Ivittuut region, conceivable stochastic event risks would include not just extreme weather but also pathogen outbreak/epidemics. Both are density dependent, so their effect is amplified at high animal density (Hansen et al. 2019). Weather events The current warming of the Arctic may have both positive and negative roles regarding future vegetation quality, quantity, and availability. On the positive side, a longer and warmer growing season could create more plant biomass thereby increasing overall carrying-capacity, not just for muskox but for all herbivores. In a warmer climate, arctic tundra plants may grow earlier and faster, and increase in abundance (Elmendorf et al. 2012a, 2012b). Already increased shrub abundance has been observed (Myers-Smith et al. 2011, 2015) as well as greening of the Arctic recorded from satellite-derived vegetation indices (Zhu et al. 2016) in most of the Arctic. Since herbivores reduce vegetation productivity, specifically of shrubs (Gottfried et al. 2012), a higher density of herbivores may somewhat counteract these responses to a changing climate (Post & Pedersen 2008, Post 2013). On the negative side of a warming Arctic, drought may reduce and damage plant biomass, with severity depending on frequency, duration, intensity, and area affected. Similarly negative, if warmer wetter winters occur then forage availability could be partially or completely obstructed by events depositing excessive snow depths and/or thick layer(s) of ice, which results from thaw/freeze rain-on-snow (ROS). Event severity will be determined as above for drought. Events that limit vegetation/forage quantity and availability, may cause starvation, and ultimately reduce survival and reproduction. Pathogen events Arctic warming creates further concerns beyond the forage supply for muskoxen. These include hotter summers amplifying insect harassment resulting in cows unable to attain the fat reserves required for ovulation and reproduction (Adamczewski et al. 1998). Further, hotter summers may facilitate the arrival of new pathogen vectors (e.g. insects, birds) and support immergence of diseases/parasites new to the arctic. Similarly, longer warmer summers may release long dormant pathogens. 51 Although carcasses are too often extremely difficult to detect, unusual mortalities have been observed in muskox populations in the Canadian Artic (Tomaselli et al 2023). For example, an outbreak of Erisypelothrix rhusiopathiae (a bacterium not normally active in the Arctic) has been active on Victoria and Banks Island since 2010 (Kutz et al 2015), and more recently on several High-Arctic Islands. As either the primary or secondary pathogen, it may have played a strong role in the recent precipitous decline of South Victoria (85%) population (Tomaselli et al 2023). Further, there have been increasing disease trends of endemic and (re)emerging diseases in declining muskox populations. Among these, Brucella suis biovar 4, Orf virus can have population level impacts (Tomaselli et al 2013, 2014, 2018). It is common knowledge that high animal density exacerbates the spread of pathogens. Meanwhile, the Ivittuut peninsula now has a history of high muskox density. Allowing high density to persist in a warming Arctic may be counterproductive to a healthy population in the future. A severe stochastic event, whether by weather or pathogen outbreak, could decimate muskox abundance on the Ivittuut peninsula. If that occurs, then harvest can contribute to further population decline (Cuyler 2020 in supplementary materials). In the future, mitigating management measures to alleviate the negative impact of extreme events may be required. The extent of a severe event will determine whether one or more regions/populations are affected and consequently also require mitigating management. Calf production Muskox calves are usually born mid-April through June, with parturition (birth) dates as early as 05 April and as late as 19 June (Lent 1988). This ca. 2½-month period contrasts sharply to caribou, which across the Arctic have highly synchronous breeding within populations (Lent 1966, Bergerud 1975, Skogland 1989, Adams & Dale 1998). As with other ruminants, both the onset of puberty and probability of successful breeding increases with female body mass and therefore varies across the Arctic (Rowell et al. 1997; White et al. 1997). First calf production at age 3-years is common in most habitats (Schmidt et al. 2015; Tessaro et al. 1984; Latour 1987; Reynolds 2001). However, under favorable conditions, cows can produce calves at age 2-years, e.g. in captivity (Rowell 1991), but also in the wild, which can result in rapidly expanding populations (Alendal 1971; Jingfors and Klein 1982; Tessaro et al. 1984; Olesen 1993; Reynolds 1998). The latter has been observed in West Greenland. During the 1980s expansion of the recently translocated Maniitsoq muskox population, juvenile yearling cows attained the body weight necessary to ovulate in their second autumn and at age 2-years, produce a calf, and further to breed every year thereafter (Olesen 1993). By contrast, in north-east 52 Greenland, muskox cows bred in alternate years (Thing et al. 1987). In the Arctic, poor cow body condition can result in non-annual breeding (White et al. 1997), and in many muskox populations cows calve at intervals of 2-3 years, probably because they did not regain enough body reserves during a single summer season after pregnancy and milk production (Reynolds 2001). Of course, population density, lactational status and forage (quantity, quality, and availability) also affect the likelihood of pregnancy in large herbivores (Pachkowski et al. 2013). Muskox cows typically produce a single calf and twinning has rarely been documented (Alendal 1971; Wilkinson 1971; Rowell et al. 1997). On the Ivittuut peninsula, however, cows giving birth to twins was possible. Muskox cows, require 22% body fat to have a 50% probability of pregnancy (Adamczewski et al. 1998). For perspective, caribou cows need only ca. 7% body fat for pregnancy (Crête et al. 1993; Pachkowski et al. 2013). This suggests twinning in muskoxen may require > 22% body fat, and we suspect that for a cow to be able to attain that amount of fat would require optimal range conditions and likely also low animal densities. In the past, the Ivittuut peninsula appears to have provided those conditions. This is likely no longer be true. After 2009, the calf production rate slowed down (Figs. 19, 20) and the year 2016 coincided with what appears to be the beginning of a 2-year decline in population size, as per the 2015-2017 counts (Fig. 21). Good cow body condition is required to improve their calf production. Changing plant communities Throughout the Arctic, large herbivores are known to influence plant community structure (Bernes et al. 2015, Suominen & Olofsson 2000), and ecosystem processes and functions (Cahoon et al. 2012, Vowles et al. 2018). Specifically, increased herbivore densities in areas that had historically low herbivore densities can rapidly change the vegetation because grazing intolerant plants are quickly eradicated, and grazing tolerant species can colonize the gaps (Olofsson et al. 2013). Further, there is solid evidence that large herbivores reduce the abundance of shrubs, and that higher densities and diversity of herbivores speed up that process (Olofsson & Post 2018). Since the translocation of muskoxen to Ivittuut in 1987, there has been no monitoring of the habitat. Muskoxen, being a large heavy bodied browser/grazer, can be expected to alter ecosystems they enter, specifically when these are finite like the Ivittuut peninsula. We know that arctic ecosystems respond quickly to changes in the abundance of muskoxen, owing to modified vegetation dynamics and nutrient cycling, e.g. trampling by large numbers of muskoxen can reduce plant biomass (Mosbacher et al. 2018). 53 While completing the 2015-2017 counts, muskox grazing impact on forage plants was suggested by anecdotal observations (Figs. 31, 32, Appendix 7). We observed that although valley lowlands still possessed extensive areas of willow shrub landscape, entire swaths were stripped of bark and often also trampled. Typically, leaf development was lacking even by early July, although a cold spring may have influenced the latter. In early June 2015, the Ikka fjord grasses/sedges on the north shoreline were grazed to the ground. Simultaneously and nearby on the same north shoreline, seven recently deceased adult muskoxen were observed. Although cause of death was not examined, perhaps in June 2015 muskox density in the Ikka area was higher than could be supported by the habitat. The heavy bark stripping and trampling of willow shrub landscapes in most valley lowlands suggests the muskoxen are currently in the process of altering the plant community landscape in the Ivittuut region. While heavily grazed grasses and sedges may regenerate annually, the damaged mature (ancient) willow shrub will likely require years or decades to recover, if ever under continued herbivory and trampling. According to pasture scientists in Alaska, the above is not considered overgrazing since changing plant communities is expected and normal when large herbivores enter an ecosystem, and this alteration is not considered overgrazing until soil erosion occurs (J. Rowell pers. comm.). In June 2017, muskox grazing or gouging/rubbing had exposed soil on the vegetated slopes of Blindtarmen, indicating overgrazing had begun. The Ivittuut region warrants examination with well-designed studies to investigate and document ecosystem/plant community change under muskox herbivory. Elevation use Overall, most muskox observations during the counts of 2015, 2016 and 2017 were at elevations under 100 m. Two of the counts occurred before mid-June and were before the insect season. The 2016 count, however, occurred at the end of June and into early July. Interestingly, in 2016 groups were at elevations above 200 m, including several groups at elevations from 300 to 600 m. It is possible that the later timing of the 2016 count resulted in higher elevation use by the muskoxen to reduce insect harassment. Harvest Control of harvest management has been a patchwork of local and/or central authorities (Appendix 3). Until the 2009 amalgamation of municipalities, the small Ivittuut municipality regulated and allocated the muskox harvest quotas independently of, but in discussion with the Greenland central administration, and the quotas were typically conservative (Figs. 5). Hunting seasons varied widely across years, and could include separate summer, autumn, winter and spring seasons for sport and commercial hunting 54 that differed from the timing of trophy seasons (Appendix 3). Regardless, annual harvests fell short of that needed to prevent population growth. Figure 35. The muskox counts, harvests and percentage of the count taken by harvest in the 1998-2016 period. By 2010, Ivittuut, along with several other municipalities, was amalgamated into a huge new municipality, Kommuneqarfik Sermersooq, which took over harvest regulation and allocation in collaboration with the Greenland central administration. Regardless, and despite sharply increased harvest quotas post-2009 (Fig. 5), annual harvests still fell short of the numbers necessary to prevent population growth (Fig. 35), which was exacerbated by the continuing too few cows harvested (Figs. 6, 7). The previous sections suggest there has been, and perhaps still are, a high density of muskoxen inhabiting the Ivittuut peninsula. Ignoring possible negative stochastic events, this alone bodes ill for the future size or health of this muskox population. Considering the nearby Arsuk community, a conceivable goal would be to reduce the population size to facilitate meat security and income (e.g. from commercial sale of meat, and the trophy bull and qiviut industries). A reduction might be achieved through well thought out management and supervision of the harvest. Since past harvests have been predominantly juveniles and bulls (Figs. 6, 7; Tables 9, 10 in Appendix 3), changing just the annual quota will likely be insufficient action taken. Specifically, if a population crash has occurred since 2017, as suggested by the natural mortality observed in 2018 and the low 2020 count (Appendix 9). 0 20 40 60 80 100 0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400 Percentage Number of muskoxen Year Count Harvest Harvest % 55 Counts – how many muskoxen were missed? For the Ivittuut peninsula, how well do the minimum counts reflect the true number of muskoxen? Minimum counts record only those animals observed and acknowledges that not all animals are detected. Whether cruising along the shoreline or hiking in the terrain, muskoxen could be hidden from view by terrain (ravines, hills, etc.) and vegetation. On the Ivittuut peninsula willow shrub can grow > 2 m in height and where willow density is tight, these can completely hide even large adult bull muskoxen and specifically smallbodied spring calves. Further, supine calves in pocketed terrain, among tussocks, or behind other muskoxen are often completely hidden from view, until they stand up and move about. Snow can curtail count effort. Owing to difficulties walking through snow, spring and early summer counts seldom include elevations above 200 m. Any muskoxen remaining at high elevations are not counted. The September 2005 count was the first time over 500 muskoxen were counted. This was attributed to all animals being at low elevations where they were easy to detect. In 2007, the September count was 637 muskoxen. None of the known remaining four ear-tagged cows were observed and at least 30 to 50 more animals were suspected in areas not covered by that September count. Later that same autumn, two out of the four ear-tagged cows were observed. Counts lasting several days cover more area and detect more muskoxen than one-day counts. All the above begs the question; How many muskoxen do counts miss? Below are two examples of counts, a multi-day, and a 1-day, for which harvest data was available for the period until the next count. This permitted calculation of an approximate value for missed muskoxen. • In 2009, between the September and December multi-day counts, hunters harvested 183 muskoxen. The September count was 894, while the December count was 851. Clearly, the September count could have observed at least 1034 muskoxen. However, 13.5% of the September minimum number of muskoxen present on the Ivittuut peninsula went undetected. • In 2012, a 1-day early April count observed 581 muskoxen. Unable to get into the high elevations owing to snow conditions, an additional 100 animals were suspected. No calves were seen at that time. Subsequently, from the 15th of April until the beginning of October, hunter harvest shot 132 muskoxen. (Note. In 2012, there were further animals shot before and after those dates). The 05 October count observed 897 animals, which included 221 calves. After removing calves but adding harvest, simple arithmetic reveals that the 1-day April count missed 227 animals (age > 1-year), which is 28%. Alternately, if April’s suspected 100 missing animals are added to the total count, then only 127 animals were missed (age > 1-year), which is 16%. 56 Undetected muskoxen were ca. 13% for the multi-day count but ca. 16% - 28% for the rapid 1-day count. As expected, multi-day counts, which cover a greater area, better reflect the true muskox number. Herbivore range expansion The muskoxen have expanded their range beyond the borders of the Ivittuut peninsula. Range expansion was observed both north and south of the Ivittuut region. The presence of mixed sex and age, including calves, suggests it likely that muskoxen have already or will establish viable populations beyond the Ivittuut peninsula. Muskoxen are no longer the only large herbivore on the Ivittuut peninsula. Since the early 2000’s, semi-domestic reindeer have wandered northward from the Isortoq Reindeer Herding District, expanding into the Ivittuut region, becoming feral. By 2015, perhaps earlier, these had established a resident population. Thus, for several years now, Ivittuut has been designated the 11th caribou/reindeer harvest management region in Greenland, which includes the feral reindeer in the government regulated annual caribou harvest. In the nearby Arsuk community, some welcomed the advent of feral reindeer and exploited this additional trophy hunting opportunity, while others regarded the feral animals as intruders. Demographics 2015-2017 Detailed demographics were available for three years, 2015, 2016 and 2017 (Tables 4, 5). Animals of unknown sex and age (i.e. age > 1-year) were a large proportion of any count (Figs. 22, 25), which confounds interpretation of the results. Possible changes from 2015 to 2017 are rendered inconclusive owing to the number of unknowns. Reducing the number of unknowns will require perhaps new methods, or at the least, allocating more time to ascertain sex and age while using high-powered spotting scopes. Binoculars (10x magnification) proved insufficient for the task. Regardless, for the 2015-2017 period mature cows (age ≥ 3-years) and their calves made up approximately half of all observations on any count. Further, the proportion of calves versus all other animals observed remains reliable and can be compared with calf proportions on all pre-2015 counts. Recommendations for future muskox demographics & minimum counts Ground counts in Ivittuut are usually accomplished by hiking into the valleys and sailing along the coastline. Like the rest of Greenland, Ivittuut terrain is rugged. Thus, a ground count can only observe a portion of the muskoxen present in the areas viewed and the amount of the Ivittuut area covered is limited to the coasts and the few valleys where 57 hikers walk. Count effort is basically lacking in the highlands above 200 m elevation, which constitute ca. 78% of the Ivittuut peninsula. Hence the name ‘minimum’ count. Drones might facilitate accuracy of counts & knowledge of herd structure The relatively small valleys of the Ivittuut peninsula might lend themselves to the range capacity of some modern unmanned aerial vehicles, i.e. UVAs/drones, albeit expensive ones. Drones might assist and augment the collection of demographics data from groups already detected and counted, but only if the following are true. There is an altitude (determined by field experience) for drone presence overhead that does not make muskoxen aggregate tightly hiding calves beneath the larger animals. The sex and age data are collected from direct observation on an operator screen in real-time, specifically because post-processing of images is time-consuming and double counting individuals may occur. Count accuracy Whether sailing the coastline or hiking on land, terrain features and dense vegetation can hide muskoxen from observers. An assisting drone, being overhead, could detect muskoxen that were otherwise hidden from view. This would improve accuracy of minimum counts. Demographics knowledge Accurate muskox herd structure data is difficult to obtain. One of the problems is distance. Muskox groups are often too far away from the observer. Although use of 60x telescope can permit counting the number of animals, distance can make determination of sex and age difficult or impossible. Drones might make distance to an observed group irrelevant. Positioning a drone above a group of muskoxen may make it possible to distinguish female from male horns and perhaps even horn morphology to permit ageing. Reducing the number of animals lacking sex and age data would increase the accuracy of bull to cow ratio and the calf recruitment value (i.e. calves per 100 cows). Regarding the latter, another problem is undetected calves. Owing to their small size, calves resting among tussocks and vegetation can be completely obscured from view. Calf percentage and recruitment values become less accurate when calves that are present are hidden and thus undetected. Observers hiking through the terrain may move on before those calves become active and visible. Sending a drone to reconnoitre already observed but too far distant muskox groups would likely improve ability to reliably ascertain sex and age composition and specifically the number of calves present. Strengthening demographic data would assist predictions of population trend. 64 Figure 37. Place names (primarily Greenlandic) for the Ivittuut region, which is inhabited by the Ivittuut muskox population. 65 Appendix 2: Maps of Ivittuut vegetation & elevation The vegetation classifications are from 1986 and the work of Icelandic Institute for Agricultural Research and Greenland Experimental Station Upernaviarsuk. The Danish Geodetic Mapping Institute provided the underlying map for Greenland 1:250 000. The map was published in 1987 by the Co-operative Sheep Farming Associations in Greenland with the permission (A.395/86) from the Danish Geodetic Mapping Institute. Copyright belongs to Tryk Offsetmyndir sf. See figure 39 for English translation of the above legend for classification of vegetation. Figure 38. 1987 vegetation map for the Ivittuut region. Copyright: Tryk Offsetmyndir sf. 66 Shrub heath Shrub heath – Moss heath – Lichen heath Shrub heath – Grasses – Succulents – Sedge heath Scrub Forest Scrub Forest – Shrub heath Lichen heath – Moss heath Thinly Vegetated Mountains No vegetation Figure 39. English legend explanation for the 1987 vegetation map of the Ivittuut region Figure 38. Copyright: Tryk Offsetmyndir sf. The category “No vegetation” refers to the barrens, which are currently better understood to have very sparse vegetation cover (Walker et al. 2005), and succulents are understood to be ‘forbs’. 67 Figure 40. The 1987 map of vegetated landcover in the Ivittuut region and two immediately adjacent areas, constructed by Icelandic Institute for Agricultural Research and Greenland Experimental Station Upernaviarsuk. Areas of vegetated landcover that comprise possible range pasture for muskoxen are, North of Ilorput/Arsuk Fjord (pink), Ivittuut region (green) and south of Nordre Qoornoq Bræ (purple). See Table 8 for the area covered by specific vegetation class within each of the three vegetated areas above. 68 Table 8. Area for each of the 1987 vegetation classes occurring within the three areas of vegetated landcover illustrated in figure 40. Succulents are understood to be ‘forbs’. Colour on Figure 40 Light Green Dusky Pink Purplish Blue Vegetation Classification Ivittuut region (km2) North of Ilorput/Arsuk Fjord (km2) South of Ndr. Qoornoq Bræ (km2) Sum Area (km2) Shrub heath 41.8 (19.3 %) 18.0 (22.4 %) 12.0 (16.9 %) 71.8 (19.5 %) Shrub heath – Moss heath – Lichen heath 50.6 (23.4 %) 6.1 (7.6 %) 27.0 (38.1 %) 83.7 (22.7 %) Shrub heath – Grasses – Succulents – Sedge heath 12.2 (5.6 %) 6.6 (8.2 %) 0.7 (1.0 %) 19.5 (5.3 %) Scrub forest 3.5 (1.6 %) 4.1 (5.1 %) NA 7.6 (2.1 %) Scrub forest – Shrub heath 12.8 (5.9 %) 0.9 (1.1 %) 5.3 (7.5 %) 19.0 (5.2 %) Lichen heath – Moss heath 8.4 (3.9 %) 3.0 (3.7 %) 0.7 (1.0 %) 12.1 (3.3 %) Thinly vegetated mountains 87.4 (40.3 %) 41.8 (51.9 %) 25.2 (35.5 %) 154.4 (41.9 %) Sum vegetated area (km2) 216.7 (100 %) 80.5 (100 %) 70.9 (100 %) 368.1 (100 %) Barren (very sparse vegetation) 215.0 NA NA NA Sum area (km2) ca. 432 NA NA NA 69 Elevation Legend 0-200 m, 95 km2 200-700 m, 270 km2 > 700 m, 66 km2 Lakes cover 19 km2 Figure 41. Map of the Ivittuut region, illustrating amount and distribution of three elevation categories. Although island Quiartorfik features on this map, its areas are not included in the areas provided. 70 Figure 42. Map illustrating the amount and distribution of two elevation categories: Elevations of 0-200 m cover 95.3 km2, and elevations above 200 m cover 336.4 km2. 71 Appendix 3 Harvests & harvest regulation of the muskox population on the Ivittuut peninsula Table 9. Harvest Ivittuut muskox population: months with hunting seasons and quota allocation for 1987 – 2016 period. Blank cells indicate values unknown. Year Commercial / Sport Season1 Trophy Bull Season1 QUOTA Commercial / Sport Trophy Total 1987-1993 none none 0 0 0 1994 Jul/Sep/Dec Jul/Sep/Dec 0 0 5 1995 Aug/Nov/Dec Aug/Nov/Dec 18 5 23 1996 Aug/Nov/Dec Aug/Nov/Dec 15 5 20 1997 Mar/Jun/Jul/Nov Mar/Jun/Jul/Nov 25 5 30 1998 Jun/Jul Jun/Jul 15 5 20 1999 Mar/Jun/Jul/Nov Jul 30 2000 Mar/Jun/Nov Mar/Jun 30 5 35 2001 Jul/Aug/Nov Jul/Aug/Nov 30 10 40 2002 Mar/Jul/Aug/Nov Jul/Aug 45 2003 Mar/Jul/Aug/Nov Jul/Aug/Nov 70 15 85 2004 Mar/Jul/Aug/Nov/Dec Jul/Aug 87 18 105 2005 Mar/Jul/Aug/Nov/Dec Mar/Jul 50 2006 Mar/Jul/Aug/Nov/Dec Jul/Aug 140 20 160 2007 Mar/Jul/Aug/Nov/Dec Jul 130 25 155 2008 Mar/Jul/Aug/Nov/Dec Jul/Aug 160 2009 Mar/Jul/Aug/Nov/Dec Jul/Aug 170 30 200 2010 Mar/Jul/Aug/Nov/Dec Jul/Aug/Sep/Oct 260 2011 Mar/Aug/Nov/Dec Jul/Aug/Sep/Oct 300 2012 Feb/Mar/Aug/Sep/Oct/Nov Jul/Aug/Sep 300** 2013 Feb/Mar/Aug/Sep/Oct/Nov Jul/Aug/Sep 225 78 303 2014 Mar/Aug/Sep/Oct/Nov Jul/Aug/Sep/Oct 225 78 303 2015 Mar/Aug/Sep/Oct/Nov Feb/Jul/Aug/Sep 2016 Aug/Sep/Oct/Nov/Dec Aug/Sep/Oct * 1991 Trial hunt by Ivittuut municipality took one adult bull. Further, 1992 trial hunt by Ivittuut municipality took two adult bulls, and a third was shot illegally at Arsuk. **Assumed, given values in previous and subsequent years. 1 Harvest may or may not apply to entire month and may have been restricted to specific dates within a given month. Source: Greenland government Department of Fisheries & Hunting or filled-in report forms. 72 Table 10. Ivittuut muskox population: harvest numbers, harvest demographics (as per special report forms), and other sources of mortality. Year HARVEST OBSERVED MORTALITY TOTAL known deaths Unknown sex Cow Bull TOTAL Shot Calf Juvenile Calf Juvenile Adult Calf Juvenile Adult Illegal Shot Crippling Shot Natural AGE (years) < 1 > 1 & < 3 < 1 > 1 & < 3 > 3 < 1 > 1 & < 5 ≥ 5 1991 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 1* 1992 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 1 0 0 3** 1993 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1994 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 3 1 0 0 4 1995 0 0 0 4 0 0 8 9 21 0 0 1 22 1996 0 0 0 2 0 0 9 6 17 0 0 1 18 1997 0 0 0 2 0 0 19 9 30 0 0 0 30 1998 0 0 0 3 0 0 6 6 15 0 0 1 16 1999 0 0 0 9 0 0 16 2 27 0 0 1 28 2000 0 0 0 8 0 0 8 5 23 0 0 0 23 2001 0 0 0 4 1 0 12 17 34 0 0 0 34 2002 0 0 0 8 5 0 23 7 45 0 0 1 46 2003 0 0 0 18 0 0 33 12 79 0 0 1 80 2004 0 0 1 37 1 0 47 16 102 0 0 0 102 2005 0 0 0 26 4 0 40 14 84 0 0 0 84 2006 0 0 0 45 3 0 65 13 126 0 0 0 126 2007 0 0 0 22 2 0 35 21 80 0 1 0 81 2008 0 5 0 28 0 0 40 26 99 0 0 0 99 2009 0 0 17 23 13 13 53 29 148 0 0 4 152 2010 0 0 21 23 21 17 55 57 194 2 9 0 205 2011 0 0 3 32 16 5 28 70 154 1 0 0 155 2012 0 2 0 6 3 3 14 48 200 1 0 0 201 2013 1 1 17 38 22 22 107 56 264 0 0 0 264 2014 0 0 2 56 7 3 85 62 215 0 0 2 217 2015 0 0 0 44 6 0 80 84 214 1 0 6 221 2016 0 0 0 50 68 0 69 77 264 0 0 0 264 SUM 1 8 61 488 172 63 853 651 2441 7 10 18 2,476 * 1991 Trial hunt by Ivittuut municipality took one adult bull. ** 1992 Trial hunt by Ivittuut municipality took two adult bulls, and a third was shot illegally at Arsuk. Sources: Special report forms (særmeldingsskemaer) for each animal shot, notes and observations by Per Nukaaraq Hansen, and observations during muskox counts. 73 In 2003, the Greenland Institute of Natural Resources (GINR) advised that the muskox density was high relative to the area with vegetation cover and might impact/alter existing vegetation landscapes. To conserve existing forage resources, GINR recommended the Ivittuut population be stabilized and kept at ≤ 300 muskoxen (Cuyler 2003). In 2008, Ivittuut municipality petitioned the Home-Rule government of Greenland for local ownership of the Ivittuut muskox population (P.N. Hansen pers. comm.). Following a meeting with the government of Greenland’s Department for Fisheries, hunting and Agriculture (DFFL), Ivittuut municipality clarified they wanted management control of the Ivittuut muskoxen, whose translocation they had financed in 1987. DFFL supported the idea of a locally managed muskox population in Ivittuut and began investigating possibilities together with the Ivittuut municipality and several other government entities. Until 2009, the Ivittuut municipality regulated annual muskox harvest quotas independently of, but in discussion with, the Home-Rule government of Greenland’s central administration. In 2009, this was then named Department of Fisheries, Hunting and Agriculture (DFFL) and the Department of Environment and Nature (DMU). Later names altered somewhat, and their acronyms became APN and DIM, respectively. Further, the municipality also allocated the harvest quota among sport, commercial and trophy hunting, and all hunting was still overseen by the Ivittuut hunting officer. The December 2009 minimum count observed ca. 900 muskox (P.N. Hansen pers. comm.). Given total Ivittuut land area is 432 sq km, muskox density was ca. 2 per km2. The GINR advice for the 2010-2011 period in Ivittuut (Cuyler et al 2010) remained unchanged relative to that given in 2003 (Cuyler 2003). In 2009, Self-Rule was established for Greenland. That same year, Greenland merged its existing 18 municipalities into just five. Ivittuut was amalgamated into the larger Sermersooq Municipality, with control of harvest regulation and allocation transferred to Sermersooq and the Self-Rule government of Greenland. Both are in Greenland’s capital city, Nuuk. After harvest, the December 2009 muskox count of ca. 900 was triple that GINR had recommended in 2003 and again in 2010. Further, range deterioration (not specified) was noted in the Nuuk/Nuuk Sø area of the Ivittuut peninsula, which raised concern about potential problems for the muskox population (P.N. Hansen pers. comm.). Further, the number of old bulls (age > 9-years, well past trophy-prime) was deemed too high, because unwanted by trophy hunters. 80 81 Muskox Sex & Age Field Guide , a s implemented by MOXNET - muskox expert network under terrestrial Circumpolar Biodiversity Monitoring Program (CBMP) for Conservation of Flora & Fauna (CAFF). Available from CAFF website and C. Cuyler, e-mail: [email protected]. Available in six other languages: Kalaallisut, Dansk, Français, Inuinnaqtun, Inuktitut, and Pycckий (respectively; Greenlandic, Danish, French, Inuit Northwest Territories Canada, Inuit Nunavut Canada, and Russian). 82 Appendix 6: Raw data for 2015, 2016 and 2017 Ivittuut muskox counts 2015 Count Table 12. Raw data 2015 muskox count (04– 12 June) in Ivittuut region. Zeros are data. Blank cells are lack of data. 2015 Date Grid Cell Group Size Elevation (m) Unknown sex/age 2015 Calf Unknown sex Cow ♀♀ Bull ♂♂ Age (years) 1 or 2 ≥ 3 3 4 ≥ 5 ≥ 10 4 June B8 5 <100 0 2 1 2 0 0 0 0 4 June B8 2 <100 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 4 June B8 4 <100 0 0 2 1 0 0 1 0 4 June B8 13 <100 5 1 3 2 0 0 2 0 4 June B8 7 >200 0 1 3 3 0 0 0 0 4 June B8 2 <100 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 4 June B7 10 <100 0 1 4 3 0 2 0 0 4 June B7 7 <100 0 0 0 0 2 0 5 0 4 June B7 4 >200 0 2 0 2 0 0 0 0 4 June B6 4 <100 0 0 0 0 1 1 2 0 4 June B6 8 <200 0 3 0 4 0 0 1 0 4 June B7 3 <100 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 4 June B6 4 <100 0 2 0 2 0 0 0 0 4 June B6 3 <100 0 0 0 2 0 1 0 0 4 June B6 3 <100 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 4 June B7 10 <100 7 3 4 June B6 3 <100 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 0 4 June B6 7 <100 0 0 0 0 1 1 5 0 4 June B6 1 <100 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 4 June A6 8 <100 0 0 2 1 1 2 2 0 83 4 June A6 5 <100 0 0 0 1 0 0 4 0 4 June B5 1 <100 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 4 June C5 7 <100 0 1 0 1 3 1 1 0 6 June D4 2 <100 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 6 June D4 5 <200 0 1 2 2 0 0 0 0 6 June D4 12 <100 0 1 1 2 3 1 4 0 6 June D4 26 >200 0 3 7 10 3 0 3 0 6 June D4 3 >200 0 1 0 2 0 0 0 0 6 June D5 4 >200 0 0 0 0 2 0 2 0 6 June D4 5 >200 0 1 2 2 0 0 0 0 6 June D4 5 >200 0 0 2 3 0 0 0 0 6 June D4 5 >200 0 0 1 2 1 1 0 0 6 June D4 1 >200 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 6 June D3 6 >200 6 0 0 6 June D3 2 >200 2 0 0 6 June D4 10 >200 0 2 3 3 2 0 0 0 6 June D4 5 <100 0 1 1 3 0 0 0 0 6 June D4 2 <100 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 6 June D4 1 <100 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 6 June D4 1 <100 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 6 June D5 1 <100 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 6 June D5 1 <100 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 8 June D3 6 <100 0 2 2 2 0 0 0 0 8 June D3 4 <100 0 2 0 2 0 0 0 0 8 June D3 10 <100 0 1 6 3 0 0 0 0 8 June D3 2 <100 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 8 June E3 5 <100 0 2 0 2 0 0 1 0 8 June E3 2 <100 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 8 June E3 10 <100 0 2 4 4 0 0 0 0 84 8 June E3 5 <100 0 1 2 2 0 0 0 0 8 June E3 7 <100 0 1 2 4 0 0 0 0 8 June E3 7 <100 5 1 0 1 8 June E3 2 <100 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 8 June E3 3 <100 0 0 2 1 0 0 0 0 8 June E3 3 <200 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 8 June E3 2 >300 2 0 0 8 June E3 4 >300 4 0 0 8 June D3 7 <100 0 2 2 3 0 0 0 0 8 June D3 5 <100 0 1 2 1 1 0 0 0 8 June D3 2 <100 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 8 June D3 4 <100 0 2 0 2 0 0 0 0 8 June D3 2 <100 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 8 June D3 5 <100 0 1 2 1 1 0 0 0 8 June D3 5 <100 0 1 2 2 0 0 0 0 8 June C3 3 <100 0 0 2 0 1 0 0 0 8 June C3 8 <100 0 3 2 3 0 0 0 0 8 June C3 1 <100 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 8 June D2 1 <100 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 8 June E3 8 <200 8 0 0 9 June C9 2 <100 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 9 June C9 5 <100 0 0 1 3 0 0 1 0 9 June D8 4 <100 0 1 2 1 0 0 0 0 9 June D9 1 <100 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 9 June D8 2 <100 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 9 June D8 2 <100 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 9 June D8 1 <100 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 9 June D8 5 <100 5 0 0 9 June D8 4 <100 0 2 0 2 0 0 0 0 85 9 June D8 2 <200 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 9 June D9 5 <100 3 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 9 June D8 1 <100 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 9 June C9 1 <100 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 9 June D9 3 <100 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 9 June D9 6 <100 0 1 3 1 1 0 0 0 9 June D9 1 <100 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 9 June F10 6 <100 0 1 2 3 0 0 0 0 9 June F9 1 <200 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 9 June G9 3 <100 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 9 June I7 1 <100 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 9 June I6 4 <200 0 1 1 2 0 0 0 0 9 June I6 3 <200 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 9 June I6 1 <200 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 9 June I6 5 <200 1 0 2 1 1 0 0 0 9 June I6 2 <200 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 9 June I6 2 <200 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 9 June I6 10 <200 0 1 3 6 0 0 0 0 9 June I6 3 <200 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 9 June I6 3 <200 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 9 June I6 4 <200 0 2 0 2 0 0 0 0 9 June I6 37* <200 4 7 9 15 1 1 0 0 9 June I6 11 <100 0 1 1 6 1 1 1 0 9 June I6 16* <100 6 2 6 2 9 June I6 3 <100 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 9 June I6 3 <100 0 0 2 1 0 0 0 0 9 June I6 3 >200 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 9 June I6 2 <100 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 9 June I6 3 >200 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 86 9 June I6 4 >200 0 0 1 0 3 0 0 0 9 June I6 1 >200 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 9 June I7 2 <100 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 9 June I7 1 <100 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 9 June I7 7 <100 0 2 2 2 1 0 0 0 9 June I7 2 <100 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 9 June I6 11 <100 0 2 6 3 0 0 0 0 9 June I6 2 <100 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 9 June I6 7 <100 5 1 0 1 9 June I7 10 <100 0 1 4 5 0 0 0 0 9 June H7 4 <100 0 1 2 1 0 0 0 0 9 June H7 1 <100 1 0 0 0 9 June H7 6 <100 4 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 9 June I7 2 <100 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 9 June I7 2 <100 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 9 June I7 1 <100 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 9 June I7 1 <100 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 9 June I7 8 <100 0 2 1 5 0 0 0 0 9 June I7 2 <100 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 9 June I7 2 <100 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 9 June I7 9 <100 0 1 1 1 3 1 2 0 9 June I7 7 <100 2 1 2 2 0 0 0 0 9 June I7 5 <100 0 1 2 2 0 0 0 0 9 June I7 7 <100 0 2 1 2 1 1 0 0 9 June I7 2 <100 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 9 June I7 2 <100 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 9 June H7 4 <100 0 1 2 1 0 0 0 0 9 June H7 6 <100 2 0 3 1 0 0 0 0 9 June H7 2 <200 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 87 9 June H7 4 <100 0 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 9 June H7 9 <100 4 2 0 3 9 June H7 10 <200 3 1 3 3 9 June H7 6 <100 0 1 2 3 0 0 0 0 9 June H7 1 <100 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 9 June H7 12 <100 2 2 2 5 1 9 June H7 20 <100 0 4 5 11 0 0 0 0 9 June H7 11 <100 0 2 4 5 0 0 0 0 9 June H7 4 <200 0 1 1 2 0 0 0 0 9 June H7 1 <200 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 9 June H7 11 <200 11 0 0 9 June H8 5 <200 0 1 1 2 1 0 0 0 10 June E9 17 <100 0 3 4 4 4 0 2 0 10 June E9 5 <100 0 1 0 1 0 1 2 0 10 June E8 3 <200 0 0 1 2 0 0 0 0 10 June E8 7 <200 0 1 2 4 0 0 0 0 10 June D9 6 <200 0 1 1 1 2 1 0 0 10 June E9 3 <100 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 10 June E9 7 <100 6 0 0 1 10 June E9 8 <100 4 2 0 2 10 June E9 2 <100 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 10 June E10 10 <100 0 2 4 4 0 0 0 0 10 June E10 3 <100 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 10 June C9 2 <100 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 10 June C9 1 <100 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 10 June D8 4 <100 0 1 1 2 0 0 0 0 10 June D8 3 <100 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 10 June D8 5 <100 0 1 2 2 0 0 0 0 10 June D7 1 <100 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 88 10 June D7 1 <100 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 10 June E6 5 <100 0 1 2 2 0 0 0 0 10 June E6 5 <100 0 0 2 3 0 0 0 0 10 June F5 1 <100 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 10 June F5 4 <100 0 1 2 1 0 0 0 0 10 June F5 3 <100 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 10 June F5 3 <100 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 10 June F5 4 <100 0 1 2 1 0 0 0 0 10 June F5 2 <100 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 10 June F5 7 <100 0 0 2 3 0 0 2 0 10 June F5 2 <100 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 10 June F5 4 <100 0 0 2 2 0 0 0 0 10 June F5 1 <100 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 10 June E5 2 <100 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 10 June E5 2 <100 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 10 June E5 14 <100 0 3 6 5 0 0 0 0 10 June E5 22 <100 0 5 10 6 1 0 0 0 10 June E5 14 <100 0 2 7 5 0 0 0 0 10 June E5 27 <100 0 4 11 11 1 0 0 0 10 June E5 27* >200 17 4 0 6 10 June E5 14* <100 6 2 0 6 10 June E5 1 <100 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 10 June E5 5 <100 0 1 0 4 0 0 0 0 10 June E6 6 <100 0 2 1 3 0 0 0 0 10 June E6 9 <100 0 2 3 3 1 0 0 0 10 June E6 5 <100 0 1 2 2 0 0 0 0 10 June E6 2 <100 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 10 June E6 10 <100 0 1 4 4 0 1 0 0 10 June E6 14 <100 0 2 6 4 1 1 0 0 89 10 June E6 7 <100 0 1 1 3 0 2 0 0 10 June E6 6 <100 0 2 2 2 0 0 0 0 10 June E6 7 <100 2 1 0 2 2 0 0 0 10 June E6 4 <100 0 2 0 2 0 0 0 0 10 June E6 6 <100 0 1 3 2 0 0 0 0 10 June E6 3 <100 0 0 2 1 0 0 0 0 10 June E6 4 <100 1 1 0 2 0 0 0 0 10 June E6 8 <100 0 2 3 3 0 0 0 0 10 June E6 4 <100 0 1 1 2 0 0 0 0 10 June E6 4 <100 0 1 1 2 0 0 0 0 10 June E6 3 <100 0 0 1 2 0 0 0 0 10 June E6 7 <100 0 1 4 2 0 0 0 0 10 June E6 7 <100 0 3 0 3 0 0 1 0 10 June D6 2 <100 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 10 June D6 3 <100 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 10 June D6 5 <100 0 2 1 2 0 0 0 0 10 June D7 5 <100 0 2 1 2 0 0 0 0 10 June D7 5 <100 0 1 3 1 0 0 0 0 10 June D7 2 <100 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 10 June D7 2 <100 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 10 June D7 3 <100 0 0 1 2 0 0 0 0 10 June D7 2 <100 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 10 June D7 1 <100 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 10 June D7 15 <100 0 3 6 5 1 0 0 0 10 June D7 9 <100 0 1 4 4 0 0 0 0 10 June D7 9 <100 0 1 5 3 0 0 0 0 10 June C8 3 <100 0 1 0 2 0 0 0 0 10 June C8 8 <100 0 2 3 3 0 0 0 0 10 June C8 4 <100 0 2 0 2 0 0 0 0 96 1 July E9 5 <50 2 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 July E9 3 <100 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 July F9 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 July G9 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 July H8 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 July F9 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 July F9 4 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 July F9 8 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 4 1 0 0 0 1 0 1 July H7 7 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 July H7 5 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 July H7 15 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 8 0 1 1 0 3 0 1 July H7 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 July H7 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 July H7 4 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 July H7 5 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 3 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 July H7 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 July H7 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 July I7 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 July I7 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 July I7 10 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 1 2 0 0 4 0 1 July I7 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 3 0 0 0 0 1 July I7 6 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 3 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 July I6 5 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 July I6 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 July I7 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 July I7 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 July I7 5 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 July I7 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 2 1 0 0 0 0 2 July I7 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 2 July I7 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 July I6 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 2 July I6 7 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 97 2 July I6 7 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 1 0 0 0 2 0 2 July I6 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 July I6 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 July I6 4 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 July I6 4 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 98 2017 Count Table 15. Raw data 2017 muskox count (08–13 June) in Ivittuut region. Zeros are data. Blank cells are lack of data. 2017 Date Grid Cell Group Size Elevation (m) Unknown sex/age 2017 Calf Unknown sex Cow ♀♀ Bull ♂♂ Age (years) 1 2 12 ≥ 3 1 2 ≥ 3 1 2 3 4 ≥ 5 ≥ 10 8 June B6 7 < 50 1 2 0 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 8 June B6 6 < 50 0 0 1 3 0 2 0 0 0 0 8 June B6 4 < 50 3 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 8 June B6 4 < 50 2 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 8 June B6 4 < 50 2 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 8 June B6 1 < 50 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 8 June B6 2 < 50 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 8 June B6 5 < 50 0 0 0 2 0 2 1 0 0 0 8 June B7 1 < 50 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 9 June A6 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 9 June B6 4 30 2 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 9 June B6 2 < 50 2 9 June A6 3 3 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 9 June B5 1 < 50 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 9 June B5 3 < 50 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 9 June B5 3 < 50 1 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 9 June B5 3 < 50 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 9 June B5 2 < 50 2 9 June B6 2 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 9 June B6 8 10 2 0 0 2 0 2 2 0 0 0 9 June D4 5 10 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 1 1 0 9 June D4 3 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 9 June D4 1 20 1 9 June D4 3 < 50 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 0 9 June D4 6 < 50 2 1 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 99 9 June D4 4 < 50 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 9 June D4 4 <100 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 2 0 0 9 June D4 10 < 50 5 0 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 9 June D4 5 < 50 1 1 0 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 9 June D4 1 < 50 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 9 June D4 1 < 50 1 9 June D4 3 < 50 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 9 June D4 1 < 50 1 9 June D4 4 < 50 1 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 9 June D4 2 < 50 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 9 June D4 3 < 50 0 0 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 9 June D4 2 < 50 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 9 June D4 2 < 50 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 9 June D4 6 < 50 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 3 0 9 June D4 3 < 50 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 9 June D4 2 < 50 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 9 June D4 2 < 50 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 9 June D4 1 < 50 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 9 June D4 2 < 50 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 9 June D4 2 < 50 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 9 June D4 1 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 9 June D3 6 10 2 0 0 2 0 2 0 0 0 0 9 June D3 4 < 50 2 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 9 June D3 1 < 50 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 9 June D3 3 < 50 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 9 June D3 3 < 50 1 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 9 June D3 1 < 50 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 9 June D3 2 < 50 2 9 June D3 3 < 50 3 9 June D3 2 < 50 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 9 June D3 4 < 50 1 0 0 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 9 June D3 2 < 50 2 100 9 June D3 16 < 50 3 6 6 1 9 June D3 2 < 50 2 9 June D3 6 < 50 2 0 1 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 9 June E2 4 < 50 4 9 June F2 4 < 50 2 1 1 9 June D2 3 < 50 3 11 June B8 3 < 50 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 11 June B8 6 < 50 6 11 June B8 2 < 50 2 11 June B8 5 < 50 1 1 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 11 June C8 1 < 50 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 11 June C8 16 < 50 2 4 1 5 1 2 1 0 0 0 11 June C8 5 < 50 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 11 June C8 1 < 50 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 11 June C8 2 < 50 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 11 June C8 3 < 50 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 11 June C8 10 < 50 2 1 0 4 1 0 2 0 0 0 11 June C8 5 < 50 0 1 0 1 1 2 0 0 0 0 11 June C8 1 < 50 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 11 June C8 3 < 50 0 0 0 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 11 June C8 2 < 50 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 11 June C8 1 <100 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 11 June C8 1 < 50 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 11 June D7 2 < 50 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 11 June D7 4 <100 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 11 June D7 17 < 50 4 1 1 8 1 1 1 0 0 0 11 June D6 2 < 50 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 11 June D6 3 < 50 0 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 11 June D6 7 < 50 3 0 0 3 0 0 1 0 0 0 11 June D6 2 < 50 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 11 June E6 13 < 50 2 1 0 5 0 1 0 4 0 0 11 June E6 6 < 50 1 2 2 1 101 11 June E6 6 < 50 6 11 June E6 8 < 50 2 2 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 11 June E6 2 < 50 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 11 June E5 6 < 50 1 1 0 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 11 June E5 6 < 50 1 0 0 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 11 June E5 1 < 50 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 11 June E5 5 < 50 5 11 June E5 6 < 50 1 1 1 0 1 0 0 2 0 11 June E5 6 < 50 1 2 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 11 June E5 3 < 50 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 11 June E5 4 < 50 1 2 1 0 0 0 0 11 June E5 23 < 50 11 6 6 11 June E5 22 < 50 20 1 1 11 June F5 1 < 50 0 1 11 June F5 4 <100 1 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 11 June F5 4 < 50 2 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 11 June F5 3 < 50 0 3 11 June F5 2 < 50 0 2 11 June F5 2 < 50 0 2 11 June F5 5 < 50 1 2 2 11 June E5 3 < 50 1 1 1 11 June F6 12 < 50 8 2 2 11 June E6 5 < 50 2 0 0 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 11 June E6 4 < 50 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 11 June E6 6 < 50 1 1 4 11 June D7 12 < 50 2 2 4 2 1 1 11 June D8 1 < 50 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 11 June C9 2 <100 2 11 June C9 2 < 50 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 11 June C9 9 < 50 1 1 0 4 0 1 1 1 0 0 11 June C9 3 < 50 0 0 0 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 11 June C9 5 < 50 1 1 2 1 102 11 June C9 5 < 50 5 0 11 June D10 3 < 50 3 0 11 June D10 1 < 50 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 11 June E9 6 < 50 2 0 1 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 11 June E9 6 0 1 0 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 11 June E9 3 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 11 June E9 3 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 1 0 11 June E9 12 2 1 1 6 0 1 1 0 0 0 11 June E9 2 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 11 June E9 3 0 0 0 1 0 0 2 0 0 0 11 June E9 6 2 4 11 June E9 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 11 June E9 2 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 11 June E8 2 2 12 June E9 6 < 50 3 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 12 June E9 1 < 50 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 12 June E9 6 < 100 6 12 June F9 3 < 50 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 12 June F9 1 < 50 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 12 June F9 2 < 50 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 12 June F9 4 < 100 1 2 1 12 June F9 1 < 50 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 12 June H8 5 < 50 1 0 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 13 June I6 4 < 200 0 0 0 2 0 0 2 0 0 0 13 June I6 2 < 200 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 13 June I6 2 < 200 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 13 June I6 4 < 200 2 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 13 June I6 6 < 200 2 1 0 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 13 June I6 1 < 200 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 13 June I6 1 < 200 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 13 June I6 1 < 200 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 13 June I6 9 < 150 4 1 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 103 13 June I6 2 < 200 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 13 June I6 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 13 June I6 6 < 150 2 0 2 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 13 June I6 4 < 50 1 0 0 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 13 June I6 4 1 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 13 June I6 9 2 1 1 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 13 June I6 2 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 13 June I6 3 < 50 1 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 13 June I6 1 < 50 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 13 June I6 2 < 50 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 13 June I6 3 < 50 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 13 June I6 1 < 50 1 13 June I6 3 100 m 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 13 June I6 1 100 m 1 13 June H7 16 < 50 5 4 1 6 13 June H7 2 < 50 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 13 June H7 2 < 50 2 13 June H7 7 < 100 5 1 1 13 June H7 6 < 50 0 1 2 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 13 June H7 2 < 200 2 13 June H7 10 8 1 1 13 June H7 4 < 50 0 0 0 2 0 1 1 0 0 0 13 June H7 1 < 50 1 13 June H7 1 < 200 1 13 June H7 2 < 50 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 13 June H7 2 < 200 2 13 June H7 1 < 50 1 13 June H7 2 < 50 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 13 June H7 5 < 50 1 1 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 13 June H7 4 < 50 2 1 1 13 June F9 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 13 June F9 3 3 104 13 June F9 4 4 13 June F9 3 3 13 June F9 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 13 June G9 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 13 June H8 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 13 June I7 51 26 9 9 7 Table 16. Raw data for one group of seven muskoxen observed in Qoororsuaq valley and therefore emigrated out of Ivittuut region, muskox count 08–13 June 2017. 2017 Date Grid Cell Group Size Elevation (m) Unknown sex/age 2017 Calf Unknown sex Cow ♀♀ Bull ♂♂ Age (years) 1 2 12 ≥ 3 1 2 ≥ 3 1 2 3 4 ≥ 5 ≥ 10 12 June H10 7 < 50 1 0 1 3 0 1 0 0 0 1 105 Appendix 7 Visible effects of muskox grazing / browsing on vegetation landscape Figure 46. Grasses/sedges grazed to ground level, west shore Ikka Fjord, 10 June 2015. Top: extent of heavy grazing, with dead muskox cow in background and another nearby (not in photo). Bottom: closeup of grazed to ground vegetation at the shoreline. Photos C. Cuyler. 112 Appendix 8 Raw data for observations of other species encountered on Ivittuut peninsula during 2015, 2016, & 2017 muskox minimum counts Table 17. Raw data for other species encountered in Ivittuut region during the 2015, 2016, and 2017 muskox minimum counts. Blank cells are lack of observations. Date Grid Cell Reindeer Arctic hare Arctic fox White-tailed eagle Falcon Seal Harlequin duck Common Eider Comment 04-jun-15 8B 2 Among boulders along shoreline 04-jun-15 8B 4 Some amidst the muskoxen 04-jun-15 7B 2 Near shoreline 04-jun-15 7B 1 Bull, large antlers, elevation >300 m 04-jun-15 6B 1 2 Hunting the tidal zone 06-jun-15 4D 2 Among boulders near muskoxen 09-jun-15 9C 8 1 1 Bulls, large antlers in velvet 09-jun-15 9D 1 Elevation > 100 m 09-jun-15 9D 3 Elevation < 200 m 09-jun-15 9D 36 Including 12 calves (age <3 months) 09-jun-15 9D 7 Including 4 calves (age < 3 months) 09-jun-15 9D 1 BLUE phase, near shore cabin 09-jun-15 9G 1 BLUE phase, among shore boulders 09-jun-15 7I 3 Lying relaxed on pans of ice 09-jun-15 6I 3 1 09-jun-15 7H 1 Qinngeriarsivaq 09-jun-15 7H 2 09-jun-15 8H 2 Feeding in the ‘narrows’ 09-jun-15 8H 1 Rocky steep slope near shore 09-jun-15 8H 10 North side of the 'narrows' 10-jun-15 9E 1 10-jun-15 9E 10 Near the saddle to second valley 10-jun-15 10C 3 Near shoreline TOTALS 2015 81 11 5 6 1 4 2 0 113 23-jun-16 G2 1 5 25-jun-16 D5 1 Inner Grønnedal, snow patches 27-jun-16 C8 9 27-jun-16 C9 1 Flying around overhead, ‘barking’ 27-jun-16 C9 1 Bull, age ca. 3-year 29-jun-16 D9 1 Flying around overhead, ‘barking’ 29-jun-16 E8 10 01-jul-16 E9 6 01-jul-16 E9 1 02-jul-16 I7 8 Near Paradise Cabin TOTALS 2016 27 8 2 7 0 0 0 0 07-jun-17 B6 1 White phase, moulting 07-jun-17 B6 1 Circling overhead 08-jun-17 B6 1 White phase, moulting 11-jun-17 B7 6 Bulls all in one group 11-jun-17 E6 8 High mountainside, snow patch 11-jun-17 C9 2 Flying about Kangaarsuk Løb 11-jun-17 D9 3 Juvenile males 12-jun-17 E10 23 Included ≥10 calves, Nuuk point 12-jun-17 E10 8 Included 4 calves, Nuuk point 12-jun-17 F10 many Could NOT get airborne, fat bellies 12-jun-17 H8 2 Bulls, glacial till front of glacier 12-jun-17 I7 2 Heads popped up, Qinngerlersivaq 13-jun-17 H8 1 Bull, glacial till front of glacier 13-jun-17 I7 2 NE end of Qinngerlersivaq bay. 14-jun-17 B7 2 near Taylershavn summer cabin TOTALS 2017 51 2 4 3 0 2 0 many 114 Appendix 9 Muskox counts & observations post-2017 The following paragraph is from the count report and P.N. Hansen (pers. comm.). The April 2018 count observed only 650 muskoxen and 50-60 calves. Methods included hiking or snowmobiling into the terrain, and as usual, cruising the coastline, but areas covered were not specified. Later in June, 16 muskoxen were found dead from natural causes (10 cows, 6 bulls). All carcasses were emaciated. The six bulls were adults, i.e. all had trophy sized horns. Most of the cows were adults. One dead adult cow had a surviving newborn calf nearby (Fig. 55). Efforts were made to feed the calf; however, it died raising the mortality count to 17. It is possible more carcasses were present but went undetected. Most carcasses were found in the Lakselv and Paradiset valleys. These are on opposite sides of the Ivittuut peninsula and suggests mortality was widespread throughout the region. Never had so many deaths by natural causes been detected in one year since muskox translocation to Ivittuut in the summer of 1987. Additionally, 2018 snowmelt was later than normal as was muskoxen shedding their qiviut wool, and adult cows appeared markedly thin with little or no milk for their newborn calves. All the above suggests the possibility of a crash year as might be expected from high density combined with limited winter/spring forage resources. Figure 55. Ivittuut Hunting Officer, Per Nukaaraq Hansen, with orphaned newborn calf, which later died. Photo P. N. Hansen. 115 In 2018, the entire Arsuk harvest quota was filled, i.e. 76 muskoxen (36 Trophy bulls, 40 juvenile cows (age 1-2 years)), and nematode round worms were observed. Although the entire trophy quota was filled, it was hard to find bulls with trophysized horns. 2018 was the first year, trophy guides used an entire day to find a suitable trophy bull for the foreign hunters to take and guided hunts in September took both trophy muskoxen and reindeer (F. Feldmann pers. comm.). Importantly for 2018, the Arsuk Resource Management Council lost a key member, Ejnar Jakobsen, due to an unfortunate fatal accident. Thus, trophy agent numbers dropped from four to three in the community and the local team conducting annual minimum counts lost an experienced and valued member. In the first week of May 2020, snow on the mountains brought most of the muskoxen into the lowlands where they were easy to detect. The hunting officer, P.N. Hansen, counted 556 muskoxen (areas covered not specified). The count included 40 trophy bulls, 82 young bulls, 156 adult cows and 278 muskoxen of undetermined sex or age. No newborn calves were observed during the count, which could be expected given the timing of the count. Figure. 56. Muskox hoof-print in shallow snow. Photo C. Cuyler. 116 [Empty page]