Reindeer pastures

Natural pastures are still the basis of reindeer herding, even though the style of reindeer herding has changed over the decades. The changes on pastures, whether they are caused by grazing, other land use, or by climate and weather, are usually reflected in reindeer herding. The goal of pasture research is to monitor the quality and quantity of landscapes and to study factors associated with the sustainable use of pastures.

Intensive field work is required to better understand the role of pastures in reindeer husbandry. Satellite photos are regularily analysed to evaluate vegetation diversity and density in the reindeer herding regions. Photo Mauri Nieminen

The condition of winter pastures is the limiting factor in determining the carrying capacity. The quality of summer pastures is most influential on the fall and winter slaughter weights of calves. There is a finite balance between the maximum number of allowable living reindeer and the extent to which renewable resources are able to support the herd. The Finnish Game and Fisheries Research Institute is collaborating with the Department of Geography of the University of Oulu in a long-term joint pasture inventory project to evaluate some of these issues.

Text version