Forest Fragmentation and Landscape Transformation in a Reindeer Husbandry Area in Sweden |
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Authors: | Email author" target="_blank">Sonja?KivinenEmail author Anna?Berg Jon?Moen Lars??stlund Johan?Olofsson |
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Institution: | 1.Department of Geography,University of Oulu,Oulu,Finland;2.Department of Ecology and Environmental Science,Ume? University,Ume?,Sweden;3.Department of Forest Ecology and Management,SLU, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences,Ume?,Sweden |
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Abstract: | Reindeer husbandry and forestry are two main land users in boreal forests in northern Sweden. Modern forestry has numerous
negative effects on the ground-growing and arboreal lichens that are crucial winter resources for reindeer husbandry. Using
digitized historical maps, we examined changes in the forest landscape structure during the past 100 years, and estimated
corresponding changes in suitability of forest landscape mosaics for the reindeer winter grazing. Cover of old coniferous
forests, a key habitat type of reindeer herding system, showed a strong decrease during the study period, whereas clear-cutting
and young forests increased rapidly in the latter half of the 20th century. The dominance of young forests and fragmentation
of old-growth forests (decreased patch sizes and increased isolation) reflect decreased amount of arboreal lichens as well
as a lowered ability of the landscape to sustain long-term persistence of lichens. The results further showed that variation
in ground lichen cover among sites was mainly related to soil moisture conditions, recent disturbances, such as soil scarification
and prescribed burning, and possibly also to forest history. In general, the results suggest that the composition and configuration
of the forest landscape mosaic has become less suitable for sustainable reindeer husbandry. |
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