Research project NG| The interacting effects of land-use and global warming ...
on the grazing lands of northern Fennoscandia
This research project focuses on the effects of land-use changes and climate change on northern pastures, in particular the reindeer grazing land.
The project is financed by the Bolin Centre for Climate Research (Research area Landscape processes and climate).
Background
Domestic and semi-domestic grazing has been taking place for thousands of years over northern Fennoscandia. Now these pastures are under pressure because of climate change. Grazing has an extensive effect on vegetation and can help to keep the landscape open. Yet, grazing activities are also getting increasingly disturbed by concurrent human activities. In fact, ecosystem climate-driven changes appear to work in synergy with land-use changes. The overall aim of this PhD project is to investigate the effects of the interplay between land-use changes and global warming on the grazing lands of northern Fennoscandia.
Project description
As a first part of the PhD project, we estimate to which degree the grazing lands of northern Norway, Sweden, and Finland are exposed to cumulative pressures. This study provides a spatial baseline for projecting the expected consequences of the interplay between land-use changes, climate change and predator presence on the grazing lands of northern Fennoscandia.
As a second part of the PhD project, we focus on how human presence in the mountains, in particular outdoor tourism, is affecting reindeer grazing activities in summer. To do so, we collaborate with three Swedish reindeer herding districts (Sameby): Handölsdalen, Gran and Sirges to deploy GPS-collars combined with activity loggers (an accelerometer) on 30 reindeer in summer 2019 and 2020. These loggers measure the 3D-movements of the reindeer while simultaneously recording their geographic locations and therefore remotely monitor reindeer activities (i.e. how much it rests, how much it moves, how much it grazes) in space.
As a third part of the PhD project, we are planning to study how vegetation productivity and plant communities have evolved in the borderland between the tundra and shrubland over time, in particular in areas impacted by cumulative pressures. Here we will apply a retrospective analysis using GIS and remote sensing analysis, completed by ground-truthing of the plant communities on site, and estimating the quality of the vegetation available for grazing.
Project members
Project managers
Marianne Stoessel
Doktorand
Members
Regina Lindborg
Professor i geografi
Marianne Stoessel
Doktorand
