Abstract
Wild reindeer are sensitive to disturbance caused by road traffic and their habitat use and grazing are restricted by road activity. The wild reindeer area at Hardangervidda in southern Norway has become fragmented due to a highway (Hw 7) and railway line. The Norwegian Directorate for Nature Management has suggested closing down part of Hw 7 during the winter to resume reindeer habitat use. A 5-year study to undertake research on patterns of reindeer habitat use and movements in areas influenced by the road was started in 2002 by the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research. The research showed that Hw 7 had a barrier effect and that the appearance of human disturbance in general had a repelling effect on reindeer.