Download Reindeer and tundra in a changing world

Reindeer and tundra in a changing world:
threats and opportunities
Boazu ja duottar rievdamin máilmmis –
uhkidusaid ja vejolašvuođaid
NCoE Tundra, 2010-2015, funded by Co-Nordic TFI grant
The threat: climate is warming
Uhkidus: dálkkádat liegganišgoahtá
Mean annual temperature in Lapland/Sápmi
Gaskamearalaš jagitemperatuvra Sámis
<-2.0 oC
-2.0-0.0
0.0-2.0
>2.0
today
otne
2050
Source http://www.worldclim.org/ processed by Sonja Kivinen
Climatic treeline: summer cooler than + 10oC
Orda dálkadaga mielde: geassi čoaskab go + 10oC
2070 jus RCP = +2.6 W/m2
otne / today
if RCP = +2.6 W/m2
Muihte: dat lea
optimistalaš
”niehkuskenario”
orda
treeline
orda
treeline
Remember: this is
the optimoistic
”dream scenario”
Source
http://www.worldclim
.org/ processed by
Sonja Kivinen
If tree line follows climate change, the Fennoscandian tundra will almost
vanish even if CO2 emissions would be strongly reduced
Jus orda čuovvu dálkadaga, Sámi duottar measta jávkka, berosgeahtta man
bures mi nágodat gáržžit CO2 njuoskadeami
What will be left is mainly rocks and bouderfields, unsuitable
for tundra plants and animals
Dušše ráššat ja báljis rávdat bázet  birgemeahtun dilli
duottara ealidje ja rássidje
Goodbye?? Báhccet dearvan??
If tundra vanishes, global warming will be even faster
Jus duottar jávka, dálkkádatrievdan manná vel jođáneappot
Open tundra reflects solar radiation back to space, forest changes it to warmth
Rábas duottar speadjalasta beaivesuotnjariid ruovttoluotta gomuvuhtii, vuovdi fás
rievdá suotnjariid liekkasvuođain
Snow melts earlier in forest  large increase in absorbed radiation
Vuovdi bievlá árat go duottar  bievla geasuha beaivesuotnjariid
J
Cohen et al. 2013 Remote Sensing of Environment, 135:107-117
Growing trees fix
carbon - somethng
positive anyway?
Muhto muorat
válddet hiilla áimus –
igo dat lea buorre?
So it seems: above ground plant biomass
increases if the tundra becomes forest but…
Nubat sáhtta doaivut. Vumin lea gal eambo hiila
oainusin, muhtto…
in north, most of carbon is in soil; decomposition is faster in forest
davviguovlluin hiila lea eanes oassin eatnamis, «decomposition»
dáhpáhuvvá jođáneappot vuomis
Forest advancement would thus mean large net release of CO2
lassáneapmi máksá dánin áhte ollu hiila (karbona) beassa áibmui
Hartley et al. 2012, Nature Climate Change
Vumiid
The changes are not just theory: brushwood
has expanded in North Norwegian inland
Rissevuovdi leage lassanan Sis-Finnmarkust
1976
2016
But on Darju (35 km NW of
Garasavvon / Karesuanto),
tree line has not moved at all
from 1976 (a) to 2016 (b).
Muhto Darjust (35 km
Gárasávvona davabealde)
orda i lea sirdun i veahage
1976st (a) 2016 rádjai (b)
Vuorinen et al. 2017, under revision for Climate
Change Biology
In N. Finnish Lapland tundra has rather expanded
Ohcejogast duottar lea šaddan viidaseabot
When I was young, I could only see birches in this place
Mu nuoravuođas dás i oaidnan šat eara go soagid
Geavvu, Ohcejohkka
because the tundra has also defenders
dáningo duottaris lea maiddai bealusdeajit
Moths kill birch trunks – small mammals and reindeer eat up recovery shoots
Lastamáđut goddet sogiid, sáhpanat ja bohccot borret ođđa soahkenáđđuid
After a moth outbreak in summer grazed areas,
only birches with high surviving branches recover
Máhtojagi máŋŋil dušše dat soagit seilot geasseeatnamist, main leat eallimin alla oavssit
The result is a kind of ”birch savanna” Boađus
lea juogalágan ”soahke savanna”
And that is equal to tundra for plants, animals and climate
Ja dat lea seamma go duottar šattuide, elliide ja dálkkádahkii
Arctic species dependent on base rich soils especially in trouble, since dolomite
primarily found in the oldest (=basal) parts of the mountains, i.e. at low altitudes
Arktalaš rássit erenomalažžan uhkiduvvon – gáibidit dolomitta ja dat gávdnu
lahkka ordda
Large parts of arctic biodiversity
hot spots thus in Sweden and
Finland, much of the Norwegian
high mountain nature species
poor
Biodiversieattaguovddažat leat
dánin stuorra oasin Ruođa ja
Suoma bealde, Norga alla várin i
lea šat ollu hárvi rásid
Occurrence of Ca favored arctic vascular
plant species in Fennoscandia; source Atlas
Florae Europae (as available in 2005)
But do arctic plants tolerate intense grazing?
Muhtto: gierdetgo árktalaš rásit garra guohtuma?
Method: chose dolomite outcrops slightly above
tree line in areas with different densities of
reindeer; sample areas immediately below the
outcrops, count numbers of subplots where
different plant species occur
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Kilpisjärvi (Pikku-Malla, Iso-Malla, Saana)
Abisko-Riksgränsen (Geađgečorro, Boazuvárri)
Torneträsk (Vággečohkka)
Altafjord (Jeahkkir)
Nordreisa (Jávrioaivit)
Reindeer / km2
Results - bohhtosat
but more red listed species in areas
with higher grazing intensity
Grazing had no impact on
total total number of species
muhto eambo ”rukšes lista” soarttaid
garrasid guhtujuvvon duoddarin
species richness
Seamma ollu rássisoarttaind
berosgeahtta guohtuma
80
60
40
20
0
0
1
2
3
reindeer density index
Reindeer density index here based on dropping counts
Black: Pikku and Iso Malla, gray: Saana
Ohter methods: comparisons across reindeer fences
Eara barguvuogit: geavadit boazuaidit eksperimenttan
intensely used
summer range
abandoned since
mid 1960’s
garrasid
guhtujuvvon
geassieana
hilgujuvvon 1960
logu rájist
Main Collaborators:
Johan Olofsson, Sari Stark
, Henni Ylänne,
Long term exclosure experiments
Bistevas áidigehččalusat
Both reindeer and rodents excluded
Open refererence area
Rábas veardidansadji
Sihke bohccot áhte sáhpanat olggustuvvon
Fenced for 10 years
Áidujuvvun 10 jagi
Main collaborators: Risto Virtanen, Johan Olofsson, Jon Moen, Elina Kaarlejärvi
Main results - oaivibohttosat
Tall forbs suffer from hard grazing
Garra guohttun baha stuorra rásidje
Also the glacial buttercup – a specialist of nival
altitudes – suffers from grazing
Maiddai jieŋŋarássi – jiehkkalvári šáddu – i gierde
šat guohtuma
Whereas most graminoids and low growing, lime
dependent arctic dicots gain from intense reindeer grazing
muhto suinidje ja smávva árktaš rásidje garra guohttun lea ávkkalaš
In this group there are many species, which are rare and
threatened on the entire European mainland
Dán joavkku siste lea ollu
šaddusoarttaid mi leat hárvi
miehtta Europa nannamist
Reason: carrying capacity in unproductive tundra areas is lower than the
herbivore density required by efficient predators  intense grazing is an
essential part of tundra´s natural state (Tihomirov 1959)
Carrying
capacity
200 kg / km2
Here ”desert
dynamics” =
pre-emptive
competition
between
plants
Strong herbivore-plant
interactions in this
productivity interval =
typical tundra
Green worlds where predators
control herbivores, and plants
compete with other plants
The same seen from plant’s perspective
seamma šattulasvuođa perspektivast
Compete!
Tolerate grazing!
Brown = impact of
natural herbivory
Compete!
Green = plant
biomass at
natural
equilibrium
state
We can save the tundra and its flora in spite of global warming
Mii sáhttit seailluhit duoddara váikko dálkkádat liegganišgoahtá
But then reindeer grazing is
needed – just voles and moths do
not do it alone
Muhto dálle lea dehalaš ahte
bohccot guhtot- sáhpanat ja
lastamađut eai okto šat nagot
And reindeer must be there in early summer when birch
leaves are tasty
Ja bohccot fertejit leat doppe guohtume giđđageasi, go
soahkelasttat leat njálgát
But: grazing during snow-free season damages lichen grounds
Muhtto: guohttun bievllaáigis duolmma jeagileatnamat
Lichens are important winter forage and have also high albedo
Jeagil lea dehalaš dalvebiepmu ja jeagilist lea alla ”speadjalastanfábmu”
So, bog here - marsh there?
De, ráhppa dás, rohtu dovle?
Enontekiö-Guovddageidnu
border / rádji;
2.5 – 3.3 reindeer / km2
on both sides
goabbage bealde
Guovddageidnu: only
winter grazing  lichen
cover good but
brushwood advances
Guovddageidnu: dušše
dálviguohttun 
jeagileatnamat vielgat,
muhtto rissevuovdi
lassana
Enontekiö: year-around grazing  brushwood controlled but lichens suffer
from summer trampling
Eanudat: guohttun birra jagi  rissevuovde lassaneabmi hehttejuvvun, muhtto
jeagieatnamat leat čáhppun
Problems are not tivial – but remember: reindeer can cover long distances
Ollu váttisvuođaid– muhtto muihte: boazu johtta guhkis máŧki jus lea dárbbu
The future of the tundra can be brigth IF the big societies understand the
importance of reindeer in protecting it and act accordingly
Duoddara boahtteáigi sáhttá leat čuovgat JUS stuorraservvodagat
ipmirdit bohcco dehálašvuođa ja váldet dan vuhtii
Our job is to start the process!
Galga fál barganisgoahttit!