Snow conditions and usability value of pastureland for semi-domesticated reindeer ( Rangifer tarandus tarandus ) in northern boreal forest area

• Published in: Rangifer
• Main Authors: Jouko Kumpula, Alfred Colpaert
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Septentrio Academic Publishing 2009
• Subjects: altitude; elevation; forestry; grazing; pasture selection; slope aspect; Animal culture; SF1-1100; Ivalo; Northern Finland; Rangifer; Rangifer tarandus
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.7557/2.27.1.171; https://doaj.org/article/949957b471584a31bba16db158562ef6

We studied variation in snow conditions and selection of pasture area according to altitude by semi-domesticated reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus) during 1999 - 2002 in a pine forest area utilised by forest industry in the Ivalo reindeer herding district, northern Finland. Snow conditions were measured over the course of three winters along equilateral triangles (side 3.5 km) for three times per winter. The altitudinal selection of pasture area by reindeer was studied using GPS tracking data (10 977 locations) from 29 female reindeer. We observed that interannual weather variation mostly affected the depth, density and hardness of snow in the study area. At the forest landscape level, snow depth and density increased with altitude. Thinnest and deepest snow cover occurred on western and northern slopes, respectively. In contrast, forest harvesting did not seem to affect snow conditions. From spring to autumn, reindeer mainly used higher altitudes in pastures. In early and mid-winter, when snow conditions were easy or moderate reindeer still preferred higher altitudes, but in late winter when snow conditions and food accession were at their most difficult, they preferred lower altitudes. We conclude that especially the use of high elevation forestland pastures may become more difficult for reindeer if the global climatic change causes higher winter precipitation to the northern boreal forest area. In general, the low-elevation forestland areas have primary winter grazing value for reindeer but these areas are also intensively used by forest industry. Abstract in Finnish / Tiivistelmä: Lumiolosuhteet ja laidunten käyttöarvo poronhoidossa pohjoisella havumetsäaluella Lumiolosuhteiden vaihtelua ja porojen (Rangifer tarandus tarandus) laidunalueen valintaa maaston korkeuden perusteella tutkittiin vuosina 1999–2002 metsätalouden hyödyntämällä mäntymetsäalueella Ivalon paliskunnassa, Pohjois-Suomessa. Lumiolosuhteet mitattiin kolme kertaa kunakin kolmena talvena käyttämällä mittaukseen tasasivuisia kolmioita (sivu ...