Metla Project 3362

Reindeer husbandry in a changing environment

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Duration: 2002-2006   Keywords: Arctic Oscillation, Cladonia, arboreal lichens, climate change, range management, reindeer, sustainability
Research project group: Distinct projects - Social impact of forests

Objectives

The project will produce information about winter food resources and their development, as well as about the causes underlying any changes. The data on winter food resources, collected as a part of the Finnish Forest Inventory, will be supplemented with biomass data for horsehair lichen (Alectoria). The material can then be used for modelling the relationship between reindeer husbandry and forestry for the purposes of multi-objective forest planning and other forms of land use. An attempt will also be made to investigate the socio-economical relationships between reindeer husbandry and forestry in local and regional economies.

The use of common grazing areas by the members of the reindeer husbandry associations will be investigated in the light of different common-pool regimes. The aim is to determine which factors best explain the considerable regional and local differences in winter grazing resources and productivity of the reindeer stock. This material can also be used in studying the sustainability of different sub-areas and the relationships between these areas. The project will generate information about the impact of climatic variability (AO, NAO) on reindeer husbandry, and investigate how such effects are reflected, through the availability of winter food resources, in management regimes and in the relationship between reindeer management and forestry

As the historical perspective of many of the sub-projects extends back to the beginning of the 20th century, the final report of the project will provide a comprehensive synthesis of reindeer husbandry in Finland, especially the question of winter grazing, that can be published as a textbook.

Results

The results were introduced in a seminar in Rovaniemi 11 May 2007. The seminar presentations are available in Finnish.

Project leader: Helle, Timo

Other researchers: Hallikainen, Ville, RO (2003), Jaakkola, Lotta (2002-05), Mattila, Eero, RO (2002-06), Mikkola, Kari, RO (2004-06), Naskali, Arto, RO (2002), Niskanen, Mikko (2002-03), Susiluoto, Paulo (2002), Yrjönen, Mikko (2002)


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Updated 12.06.2012
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