T. S. Smith W. B. Collins 1991 <p><span>Various methods were investigated for assessing the relationship between wind-hardened snow (</span><i>upsik</i><span>) and forage availability to reindeer. Mean bottom area of individual craters was not a function of depth, hardness or integrated hardness. Individual crater area was partially dependent on specific cratering time (r2 = .60). Cratering time per active period increased with integrated snow hardness (r2 = .88). Number of craters and total area cratered increased with decreasing site hardness. Reindeer always cratered microsites of lesser depth and hardness than found in the general feeding site. A threefold decrease in snow hardness resulted in a fourfold increase in forage availability.</span></p> application/pdf 10.14430/arctic1541 en Arctic Institute of North America Effects of wind-hardened snow on foraging by reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) article