Abstract

In northern Sweden, improvements of grazing conditions are necessary for the continuation of traditional, natural pasture-based reindeer husbandry. Ground and tree lichen constitute the main fodder resource for reindeer during winter but have reached critically low levels. Using a forest decision support system, we prescribe adapted forest management to improve the preconditions for reindeer husbandry and compare outcomes with the continuation of current forest management. We found that adapted management increases the forest area with ground lichen habitat by 22% already within 15 years, while a continuation of current management would result in a further decrease in ground lichen. Tree lichen habitat can be retained and increased in all scenarios, which is important in a changing climate. Compared to a continuation of current practices, adapted management with significantly improved conditions for lichen resulted in a decrease in net revenues from wood production by 11-22%.

Keywords

Boreal forest; Forest management; Rangifer tarandus; Scenario analysis

Published in

AMBIO: A Journal of the Human Environment
2024, Volume: 53, number: 1, pages: 46-62
Publisher: SPRINGER

SLU Authors

• Eggers, Jeannette

  • Department of Forest Resource Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

• Roos, Ulrika

  • Department of Forest Resource Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

• Lind, Torgny

  • Department of Forest Resource Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

• Sandström, Per

  • Department of Forest Resource Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

Sustainable Development Goals

Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss


UKÄ Subject classification

Forest Science


Publication identifier

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-023-01903-7

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/123487