To evaluate temporal variation in arctic fox numbers and their food resourses in the Kongsfjorden area. The number of foxes captured per 100 trap-days are used as an index of fox density termed "Fox Capture Index". The observations of denning activity i.e. observation of number of arctic fox litters and litter size at den are termed "Fox Den Index" as a second index of fox abundance. A third index is termed "Fox Observation Index". This index is based on both observations of adult foxes seen away from breeding dens pr 100 h field work and reports on request from scientists and local people on observations of adult foxes during summer. In addition, reports on observation of fox tracks in the study area were collected in 1990-2001 as a fourth index, which were called "Fox Track Index". The field census are conducted for 10 days starting at the end of June. All dead foxes in the area should be collected.
Dead foxes will be transported to Tromsø for autopsies.
Tissue and organ samples will be stored frozen at the Norwegian Polar Institute.
MOSJ
The study area comprises the northern and eastern shores of Kongsfjorden, and the Brøggerhalvøya peninsula in the south. There are at least six known breeding arctic fox dens in the study area, which covers an area of 221 km².