The Swedish Wolverine Project – ecology and conservation

Conservation of wolverines in Fennoscandia represents a unique conservation challenge with an endangered species living in conflict with an indigenous, reindeer-herding culture (Sámi). The wolverine is classified as endangered in Sweden and globally classified as vulnerable. Global conservation concerns for wolverines include habitat fragmentation, climate change, overexploitation and depredation conflicts with sheep and reindeer husbandry. In Sweden, the major concern is the conflict between conservation of the wolverine population and sustainability of the reindeer husbandry.

The endangered Swedish wolverine population is completely dependent on semi-domestic reindeer. As a consequence, managers have to compromise between sustaining a viable wolverine population and supporting those involved in reindeer husbandry.Intensive population monitoring is critical for conservation of this endangered population and a necessity for the current compensation system. Lately, management actions have resulted in a deliberate decrease in lynx numbers in the reindeer husbandry area. The consequence for the endangered wolverine population is a concern for which we have little information.

We expect that this study will continue to produce results that will bring a significant increase in our knowledge about factors which influence the size and distribution of the Scandinavian wolverine population, how wolverine demography is influenced by habitat characteristics, spatial dynamics and how it is influenced by increased mortality of resident individuals, interactions between wolverine and lynx and its influence on food availability and wolverine reproduction, denning behaviour and related factors. Altogether, this information will provide a fundamental basis for science-based conservation of wolverines in Scandinavia, as well as in other parts of the wolverine range.

Project aims and objectives

In the light of current conservation concerns, there is a general lack of information on wolverine ecology which is critical for the long term conservation. Therefore, the overall aim of the wolverine project is to collect information on wolverine ecology necessary for conservation. More specific aims of the project are to:

1. Understand what factors limit the size and distribution of the wolverine population on the Scandinavian Peninsula. This means that we need to study;
   1. wolverine reproduction and survival and what factors influence these parameters,
   2. analyze population viability in relation to population size, management strategies and poaching,
   3. wolverine social dynamics,
   4. wolverine-lynx interactions and its influence on food availability and wolverine reproduction,
   5. the linkage between habitat and wolverine demography
2. Collect information on wolverine ecology which will contribute to reliable population monitoring. To fulfil this goal, we need to study:
   1. female denning behaviour,
   2. den site characteristics,
   3. and refine calculations of total population size based on number of denning females in a wolverine population.