Editing Arctic fox (section)

==Conservation status==
[[File:Lagopusskull.jpg|thumb|left|Drawing of skull by [[St. George Mivart]], 1890]]
The Arctic fox has been assessed as [[least concern]] on the [[IUCN Red List]] since 2004.<ref name=iucn /> However, the Scandinavian mainland population is acutely endangered, despite being legally protected from hunting and persecution for several decades. The estimate of the adult population in all of Norway, Sweden, and Finland is fewer than 200 individuals.<ref name=NOAA/> Of these, especially in Finland, the Arctic fox is even classified as [[Critically Endangered|critically endangered]],<ref>{{cite web| title= Naali ''Alopex lagopus''. | date= 2011-08-01 | publisher= Metsähallitus |url=http://www.metsa.fi/sivustot/metsa/fi/Luonnonsuojelu/Lajitjaluontotyypit/Uhanalaisetelaimet/Naali/Sivut/Naali.aspx |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111214233500/http://www.metsa.fi/sivustot/metsa/fi/Luonnonsuojelu/Lajitjaluontotyypit/Uhanalaisetelaimet/Naali/Sivut/Naali.aspx |archive-date=2011-12-14  | access-date = 2022-08-11 | language = fi}}</ref> because even though the animal was declared a protected species in Finland in 1940, the population has not recovered despite that.<ref>{{cite book| author= Olli Järvinen & Kaarina Miettinen | title= Sammuuko suuri suku? – Luonnon puolustamisen biologiaa | pages= 95, 190 | location= Vantaa | publisher= Suomen luonnonsuojelun tuki | year= 1987 | isbn= 951-9381-20-1 | language = fi}}</ref> As a result, the populations of Arctic fox have been carefully studied and inventoried in places such as the [[Vindelfjällens Nature Reserve]] (Sweden), which has the Arctic fox as its symbol.

The abundance of the Arctic fox tends to fluctuate in a cycle along with the population of lemmings and [[vole]]s (a 3- to 4-year cycle).<ref name=truett/> The populations are especially vulnerable during the years when the prey population crashes, and uncontrolled [[Animal trapping|trapping]] has almost eradicated two subpopulations.<ref name=NOAA>{{cite web |url=http://www.arctic.noaa.gov/report12/arctic_fox.html |title=Arctic fox (''Vulpes lagopus'') |author1=Angerbjörn, A. |author2=Berteaux, D. |author3=I.R. |date=2012 |work=Arctic report card: Update for 2012 |publisher=NOAA Arctic Research Program |access-date=6 October 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141011195501/http://www.arctic.noaa.gov/report12/arctic_fox.html |archive-date=11 October 2014 |df=dmy-all }}</ref>

[[File:Alopex lagopus 05 MWNH 289.JPG|thumb|Skull]]

The pelts of Arctic foxes with a slate-blue coloration were especially valuable. They were transported to various previously fox-free [[Aleutian Island]]s during the 1920s. The program was successful in terms of increasing the population of blue foxes, but their predation of [[Aleutian cackling goose|Aleutian Canada geese]] conflicted with the goal of preserving that species.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sbYL7JNnMNIC&pg=PA42|page=42|title=Ecology of North America|author=Bolen, Eric G. |publisher=[[John Wiley and Sons]]|year=1998|isbn=978-0-471-13156-4}}</ref>

The Arctic fox is losing ground to the larger [[red fox]]. This has been attributed to [[climate change]]—the camouflage value of its lighter coat decreases with less snow cover.<ref name="Hannah2010">{{cite book|author=Hannah, Lee|title=Climate Change Biology|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4Vvqw2gdk9QC&pg=PA63|year=2010|publisher=Academic Press|isbn=978-0-12-374182-0|page=63}}</ref> Red foxes dominate where their ranges begin to overlap by killing Arctic foxes and their kits.<ref name="MacdonaldSillero-Zubiri2004">{{cite book|author1=Macdonald, David Whyte|author2=Sillero-Zubiri, Claudio|title=The biology and conservation of wild canids|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Vrgow9ERQeIC&pg=PA10|year=2004|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-851556-2|page=10}}</ref> An alternative explanation of the red fox's gains involves the [[gray wolf]]. Historically, it has kept red fox numbers down, but as the wolf has been hunted to near [[extinction]] in much of its former range, the red fox population has grown larger, and it has taken over the niche of [[Apex predator|top predator]].<ref>{{GBIF |taxon=''Vulpes lagopus'' (Linnaeus, 1758) |id=113392918 |access-date=2024-02-21}}</ref> In areas of northern Europe, programs are in place that allow the hunting of red foxes in the Arctic fox's previous range.

As with many other game species, the best sources of historical and large-scale population data are hunting bag records and questionnaires. Several potential sources of error occur in such data collections.<ref name=G_and_E>{{cite book |author1=Garrott, R. A.  |author2=Eberhardt, L. E. | year = 1987 | chapter = Arctic fox | editor = Novak, M. | title = Wild furbearer management and conservation in North America | pages = 395–406|publisher=Ontario Trappers Association |isbn=978-0774393652|display-editors=etal}}</ref> In addition, numbers vary widely between years due to the large population fluctuations. However, the total population of the Arctic fox must be in the order of several hundred thousand animals.<ref name=Tannerfeldt>{{cite book | author = Tannerfeldt, M. | year = 1997 | title = Population fluctuations and life history consequences in the Arctic fox. | publisher = Dissertation, Stockholm University | location = Stockholm, Sweden}}</ref>

The world population of Arctic foxes is thus not endangered, but two Arctic fox subpopulations are. One is on [[Medny Island]] ([[Commander Islands]], Russia), which was reduced by some 85–90%, to around 90 animals, as a result of [[mange]] caused by an ear tick introduced by dogs in the 1970s.<ref name=Goltsman>{{cite journal | author = Goltsman, M.| year = 1996 | last2 = Kruchenkova | first2 = E. P. | last3 = MacDonald | first3 = D. W. | title = The Mednyi Arctic foxes: treating a population imperilled by disease | journal = Oryx | volume = 30 | pages = 251–258 | doi = 10.1017/S0030605300021748 | issue = 4| doi-access = free }}</ref> The population is currently under treatment with antiparasitic drugs, but the result is still uncertain.

The other threatened population is the one in [[Fennoscandia]] (Norway, Sweden, Finland, and [[Kola Peninsula]]). This population decreased drastically around the start of the 20th century as a result of extreme fur prices, which caused severe hunting also during population lows.<ref name="Lönnberg">{{cite book | author = Lönnberg, E. | year = 1927 | title = Fjällrävsstammen i Sverige 1926 | publisher = Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences | location = Uppsala, Sweden}}</ref> The population has remained at a low density for more than 90 years, with additional reductions during the last decade.<ref name="Angerbjörn">{{cite journal | year = 1995 | title = Dynamics of the Arctic fox population in Sweden | journal = Annales Zoologici Fennici | volume = 32 | pages = 55–68 | url = http://su.diva-portal.org/smash/record.jsf?pid=diva2:234717 | author = Angerbjörn, A. | display-authors = etal | url-status = live | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140224040113/http://su.diva-portal.org/smash/record.jsf?pid=diva2:234717 | archive-date = 24 February 2014 | df = dmy-all }}</ref> The total population estimate for 1997 is around 60 adults in Sweden, 11 adults in Finland, and 50 in Norway. From Kola, there are indications of a similar situation, suggesting a population of around 20 adults. The Fennoscandian population thus numbers around 140 breeding adults. Even after local lemming peaks, the Arctic fox population tends to collapse back to levels dangerously close to nonviability.<ref name=Tannerfeldt/>

The Arctic fox is classed as a "prohibited new organism" under New Zealand's [[Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 1996]], preventing it from being imported into the country.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1996/0030/latest/DLM386556.html#DLM386556|title=Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act 2003 – Schedule 2 Prohibited new organisms|publisher=New Zealand Government|access-date=26 January 2012|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120616104517/http://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1996/0030/latest/DLM386556.html#DLM386556|archive-date=16 June 2012|df=dmy-all}}</ref>