1. Land-use and climate related drivers of change in the reindeer management system in Finland: geography of perceptions
- Author
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Juho Tahkola, Mikko Jokinen, Minna Turunen, Henri Wallen, Sirpa Rasmus, Mia Landauer, Sauli Laaksonen, Department of Physics, Ecosystems and Environment Research Programme, Past Present Sustainability (PAES), and Departments of Faculty of Veterinary Medicine
- Subjects
0106 biological sciences ,cumulative effects ,010504 meteorology & atmospheric sciences ,Geography, Planning and Development ,maankäyttö ,porotalous ,01 natural sciences ,HUSBANDRY ,poronhoito ,PUBLIC-PARTICIPATION GIS ,Climate change ,Herding ,reindeer husbandry ,SEMI-DOMESTICATED REINDEER ,General Environmental Science ,2. Zero hunger ,Cumulative effects ,Questionnaire ,Forestry ,GOVERNANCE ,Livelihood ,Natural resource ,010601 ecology ,climate change ,Geography ,Tourism, Leisure and Hospitality Management ,Management system ,IMPACTS ,1171 Geosciences ,WINTER PASTURES ,Environmental planning ,1172 Environmental sciences ,0105 earth and related environmental sciences ,Land use ,Practitioner knowledge ,land use ,ilmastonmuutokset ,15. Life on land ,Northern Fennoscandia ,Northern fennoscandia ,poronhoitoalueet ,INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT ,RANGIFER-TARANDUS-TARANDUS ,SNOW ,practitioner knowledge ,WILD REINDEER ,Reindeer husbandry - Abstract
Drivers of change in the reindeer management system are rather well-known. But when developing the gover-nance to support the traditional livelihoods, it is crucial to understand also practitioner perceptions. Systematic research on these is lacking. We analyzed the land-use and climate related drivers within the reindeer man-agement area (RMA) in Finland, and, using a perception geography approach, studied the herder perceptions towards these. We conducted an on-site questionnaire survey with herders from 51 herding districts. Factors directly affecting the welfare of reindeer were perceived as crucial by herders, for example basal icing affecting the forage availability, and land-use related factors limiting the seasonal pasture access. Perceptions of herders on biophysical factors were rather homogeneous. The regional heterogeneities in perceptions towards land-use related factors could be explained by spatial differences in land-use and varying herding traditions. Cumulative land-use impacts raised particular concerns. Our approach can be utilized in the co-planning of the northern land-use and more widely in the co-management of natural resources.
- Published
- 2021