Metla Project 3493

Impact of climate change on forest damage by mammals

[  Suomeksi  |  Objectives  |  Project leader  |  Researchers  |  Publications  |  Metla Research  ]

Duration: 2008-2012   Keywords: Alces alces, Capreolus capreolus, Microtus agrestis, Myodes glareolus, Norway spruce, Odocoileus virginianus, Picea abies, bank vole, cervids, climate change, damage, economic impacts, field vole, food quality, mammals, moose, population dynamics, range expansion, roe deer, seasonality, vole, white-tailed deer
Research Programme: Functioning of forest ecosystems and use of forest resources in changing climate

Objectives

Climate change will affect the distribution and abundance patterns of both large and small mammals. The distribution ranges of deer (roe deer and white-tailed deer) will expand to the north, and abundances of all cervids (moose and deer) will increase, resulting in more damage to forestry unless controlled. Changes in seasonality will affect small rodent dynamics, possibly stabilizing them. This will result in multiannually stable patterns of damage instead of the present cyclic one. The project aims at predicting future damage by mammals and suggesting ways to reduce and control mammalian damage in the face of a changing climate.

The project is divided into two subprojects
Subproject 1: Ungulate damage to forestry in a changing climate
Duration: 2008-2011
Subproject leader: Dr. Sauli Härkönen
Subproject 2: Vole population fluctuations and damage to forestry in a changing climate
Duration: 2008-2011
Subproject leader: Dr. Otso Huitu



Keywords
Alces alces, bank vole, Capreolus capreolus, cervids, climate change, damage, economic impacts, field vole, food quality, mammals, Microtus agrestis, moose, Myodes glareolus, Norway spruce, Odocoileus virginianus, Picea abies, population dynamics, predators, range expansion, roe deer, seasonality, white-tailed deer, vole

Project leader: Henttonen, Heikki
The Finnish Forest Research Institute, Vantaa Unit, PO Box 18 (Jokiniemenkuja 1), FI-01301 VANTAA, FINLAND
Phone: +358 29 532 2430
E-mail: heikki.henttonen@metla.fi

Other researchers: Huitu, Otso, SU (2008-12), Härkönen, Sauli (2008), Matala, Juho, JO (2009-12)


Top of page

Updated 02.02.2013
Comments