Reindeer husbandry under global change in the tundra region of Northern Fennoscandia

• Main Authors: Vehmas Jarmo, Johansen Bernt, Utsi Tove, Käyhkö Jukka, Forbes Bruce, Kivinen Sonja, Oksanen Lauri, Olofsson Johan, Aikio Antti, Jepsen Jane, Horstkotte Tim
• Other Authors: maantiede, Geography, tulevaisuuden tutkimuskeskus (FFRC), Finland Futures Research Centre (FFRC), 2606901, 2608900
• Language: English
• Published: University of Turku 2022
• Subjects: Fennoscandia; reindeer husbandry; Tundra
• Online Access: https://www.utupub.fi/handle/10024/167346; http://www.utu.fi/en/sites/tundra/publications/Documents/Tundra_final_report_Eng.pdf

The Nordic Centre of Excellence (NCoE) TUNDRA (“How to preserve the tundra in a changing climate”) has been a 5-year project (2011–15) within the Top-Level Research Initiative (TRI) by NordForsk. This report combines the key results and a synthesis of the NCoE TUNDRA with earlier research to provide a comprehensive picture of the interplay between the tundra ecosystem, climate change and reindeer husbandry to relevant stakeholders. Most recent climate projections suggest that by the 2070s, temperature conditions that are warm enough for tree growth (> 10 °C average temperature during summer months) will cover almost all of northern Fennoscandia, excluding only the highest-altitude areas of the Scandinavian mountains. A warming climate will promote growth of shrubs and trees, a process that decreases the area of the tundra biome remarkably. The projected increase in spring temperatures will enhance snow melting. Together with the expansion and densification of shrub vegetation, this can significantly decrease surface reflectance (albedo), and have an amplifying feedback on global climate warming. Therefore, hindering shrub expansion and preserving the circumpolar high albedo tundra biome would serve as climate change mitigation. Herbivores (animals feeding on plants) have a strong impact on vegetation communities. The most important herbivores in Northern Fennoscandia include large mammals (reindeer), small mammals (rodents), and insects (geometrid moths). Their exact effect, however, varies between the animal groups and their population dynamics, seasons, weather conditions, and vegetation communities, and is dependent also on the combined impact of these animal groups. Reindeer grazing in particular has the potential to counter-impact the climate-induced shrubification. The maximum grazing impact on woody plants is obtained if reindeer are present in a region during early growing season in June and early July. In addition, grazing has an impact on plant biodiversity. By preventing the invasion of trees, tall ...