Supplementary feeding is often used as a conservation tool to reverse the decline of food‐limited populations. The arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus) is one of the most endangered mammals in Norway and has been the target of several conservation initiatives for almost 3 decades, including supplementary feeding. To measure and improve the efficiency of supplementary feeding as a conservation action, we used passive integrated transponder (PIT)‐tags in arctic foxes and 6 feeding stations equipped with PIT‐tag readers to monitor individual use of supplemental food between 2013 and 2018. We tested hypotheses about the potential influence of temporal and spatial patterns, individual characteristics (i.e., age, sex, reproductive status), and food abundance (abundance of small rodents and amount of food filled) on the frequency and intensity of use of supplementary feeding stations by arctic foxes. The feeding stations were visited ≥1 time by 196 PIT‐tagged individuals. We detected 54% of juveniles born in the study area between 2013 and 2017 at the feeding stations. More arctic foxes used the feeding stations during the pre‐breeding period than during the other seasons, and the visits occurred mostly at night. The closest feeding station to each natal den was systematically used by the established pair and by the juveniles born at this den. Juveniles did not use the feeding stations more than adult foxes. Older foxes, and breeding adults, visited the feeding stations more than younger and non‐breeding adults. Foxes used feeding stations more intensively when prey was scarce and with greater amounts of supplemental food. This study highlights that supplemental feeding is important for breeding adults, especially in periods of low prey abundance. Understanding the use of feeding stations will contribute to the optimization of supplemental feeding as a conservation action and help wildlife managers to carefully plan and manage its discontinuation. © 2020 The Authors. Journal of Wildlife Management published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of The Wildlife Society.

中文翻译：

---

挪威北极狐使用辅助喂食器

补充喂养经常被用作一种养护工具，以逆转粮食有限人口的减少。北极狐（Vulpes lagopus）是挪威最濒危的哺乳动物之一，近3年来一直是包括保护性饲喂在内的几项保护计划的目标。为了衡量和提高补充喂养作为一项保护措施的效率，我们在2013年至2018年期间在北极狐狸和6个配备有PIT标签阅读器的喂养站中使用了被动集成应答器（PIT）标签，以监控补充食品的单独使用。关于时间和空间格局，个体特征（即年龄，性别，生殖状况）和食物丰富度（小啮齿动物的丰富度和食物填充量）对补充饲养站使用频率和强度的潜在影响的检验假设北极狐。196个带有PIT标签的人员对饲养站进行了≥1次访问。我们在2013年至2017年期间在喂食站检测到研究区域出生的54％的未成年人。在繁殖前期，与其他季节相比，使用北极狐狸的饲养站数量更多。已建立的配对和在该巢穴出生的未成年人系统地使用了离每个出生巢穴最近的喂养站。少年使用喂养站的次数不超过成年狐狸。年长的狐狸和成年繁殖者比年幼的和非繁殖成年造访者更多地访问饲养站。当猎物稀缺且补充食物较多时，狐狸会更频繁地使用饲养站。这项研究强调补充饲喂对成年成年犬非常重要，尤其是在猎物丰富度较低的时期。了解饲养站的使用将有助于优化补充饲养作为一种保护措施，并帮助野生动植物管理者仔细计划和管理其停止生产。©2020作者。Wiley Periodicals，Inc.代表野生动物协会出版的《野生动物管理杂志》。