Reindeer Feed Research Articles

Bohccuid dálvebiebman – váikkuhusat bohccuid láhttenvieruide, boazodoalu geavadagaide ja birrasii

This report is based on the results from a Nordic network project funded by The Nordic Joint Committee for Agricultural and Food Research (NKJ) during the years 2021-2022. This network was created to encourage further cross-border discussions about the prospects of winter feeding of reindeer. In reindeer husbandry winter feeding has increased during the last decades due to competing land use activities and climate change. Herders in Norway, Sweden and Finland have previously raised concerns about the benefits and risks associated to the increasing need of winter feeding of reindeer in all three countries. The report, published in Swedish, Norwegian, Finnish and North Sámi, and covers the main findings from a series of preparatory workshops within each country and a main workshop in Arvidsjaur 8-9 June 2022. During the network activities, reindeer herders, researchers and managers discussed the effects of feeding on reindeer behaviour, herding practices and the environment. The two main topics discussed at the preparatory workshops were 1) the short- and long-term effects of winter feeding on reindeer behaviour, and 2) local to large scale effects of feeding on the environment and the natural pastures. During the main workshop, discussions were held about reasons for feeding of reindeer, the preconditions of feeding in the three countries, how winter feeding is usually performed, and best practices in relation to reindeer behaviour and the environment. The work aimed at promoting knowledge exchange on winter feeding of reindeer among all participants to help find solutions and mitigation actions to avoid changes in reindeer behaviour and negative effects of feeding on reindeer, reindeer herding and the environment. The report is aimed at herders, managers, as well as other land users, authorities and policymakers to give information on what was discussed and a summary of the challenges related to winter feeding and effects on reindeer behaviour and reindeer husbandry, and the environment. Rangifer Report No 23 is the North Sámi version of the report. The Swedish, Finnish and Norwegian versions have already been published (Rangifer Report No 18, 19 and 20 respectively).

Vinterforing av reinsdyr - effekter på reinsdyrs oppførsel, beitepraksis og miljøet

This report is based on the results from a Nordic network project funded by The Nordic Joint Committee for Agricultural and Food Research (NKJ) during the years 2021-2022. This network was created to encourage further cross-border discussions about the prospects of winter feeding of reindeer. In reindeer husbandry winter feeding has increased during the last decades due to competing land use activities and climate change. Herders in Norway, Sweden and Finland have previously raised concerns about the benefits and risks associated to the increasing need of winter feeding of reindeer in all three countries. The report, published in Swedish, Norwegian, Finnish and North Sámi, and covers the main findings from a series of preparatory workshops within each country and a main workshop in Arvidsjaur 8-9 June 2022. During the network activities, reindeer herders, researchers and managers discussed the effects of feeding on reindeer behaviour, herding practices and the environment. The two main topics discussed at the preparatory workshops were 1) the short- and long-term effects of winter feeding on reindeer behaviour, and 2) local to large scale effects of feeding on the environment and the natural pastures. During the main workshop, discussions were held about reasons for feeding of reindeer, the preconditions of feeding in the three countries, how winter feeding is usually performed, and best practices in relation to reindeer behaviour and the environment. The work aimed at promoting knowledge exchange on winter feeding of reindeer among all participants to help find solutions and mitigation actions to avoid changes in reindeer behaviour and negative effects of feeding on reindeer, reindeer herding and the environment. The report is aimed at herders, managers, as well as other land users, authorities and policymakers to give information on what was discussed and a summary of the challenges related to winter feeding and effects on reindeer behaviour and reindeer husbandry, and the environment. Rangifer Report No 20 is the Norwegian version of the report. The Swedish and Finnish versions have been published (Rangifer Report No 18 and 19, respectively). A version in North Sámi is published as a following number of Rangifer Report.

Porojen talviruokinta ja sen vaikutukset porojen käyttäytymiseen, poronhoitokäytäntöihin ja ympäristöön

This report is based on the results from a Nordic network project funded by The Nordic Joint Committee for Agricultural and Food Research (NKJ) during the years 2021-2022. This network was created to encourage further cross-border discussions about the prospects of winter feeding of reindeer. In reindeer husbandry winter feeding has increased during the last decades due to competing land use activities and climate change. Herders in Norway, Sweden and Finland have previously raised concerns about the benefits and risks associated to the increasing need of winter feeding of reindeer in all three countries. The report, published in Swedish, Norwegian, Finnish and North Sámi, and covers the main findings from a series of preparatory workshops within each country and a main workshop in Arvidsjaur 8-9 June 2022. During the network activities, reindeer herders, researchers and managers discussed the effects of feeding on reindeer behaviour, herding practices and the environment. The two main topics discussed at the preparatory workshops were 1) the short- and long-term effects of winter feeding on reindeer behaviour, and 2) local to large scale effects of feeding on the environment and the natural pastures. During the main workshop, discussions were held about reasons for feeding of reindeer, the preconditions of feeding in the three countries, how winter feeding is usually performed, and best practices in relation to reindeer behaviour and the environment. The work aimed at promoting knowledge exchange on winter feeding of reindeer among all participants to help find solutions and mitigation actions to avoid changes in reindeer behaviour and negative effects of feeding on reindeer, reindeer herding and the environment. The report is aimed at herders, managers, as well as other land users, authorities and policymakers to give information on what was discussed and a summary of the challenges related to winter feeding and effects on reindeer behaviour and reindeer husbandry, and the environment. Rangifer Report No 19 is the Finnish version of the report. The Swedish version has been published (Rangifer Report No 18) and reports in Norwegian and North Sámi are published as following numbers of Rangifer Report.

Vinterutfodring av renar - effekter på renarnas beteende, renskötseln och miljön

This report is based on the results from a Nordic network project funded by The Nordic Joint Committee for Agricultural and Food Research (NKJ) during the years 2021-2022. This network was created to encourage further cross-border discussions about the prospects of winter feeding of reindeer. In reindeer husbandry winter feeding has increased during the last decades due to competing land use activities and climate change. Herders in Norway, Sweden and Finland have previously raised concerns about the benefits and risks associated to the increasing need of winter feeding of reindeer in all three countries. The report, published in Swedish, Norwegian, Finnish and North Sámi, and covers the main findings from a series of preparatory workshops within each country and a main workshop in Arvidsjaur 8-9 June 2022. During the network activities, reindeer herders, researchers and managers discussed the effects of feeding on reindeer behaviour, herding practices and the environment. The two main topics discussed at the preparatory workshops were 1) the short- and long-term effects of winter feeding on reindeer behaviour, and 2) local to large scale effects of feeding on the environment and the natural pastures. During the main workshop, discussions were held about reasons for feeding of reindeer, the preconditions of feeding in the three countries, how winter feeding is usually performed, and best practices in relation to reindeer behaviour and the environment. The work aimed at promoting knowledge exchange on winter feeding of reindeer among all participants to help find solutions and mitigation actions to avoid changes in reindeer behaviour and negative effects of feeding on reindeer, reindeer herding and the environment. The report is aimed at herders, managers, as well as other land users, authorities and policymakers to give information on what was discussed and a summary of the challenges related to winter feeding and effects on reindeer behaviour and reindeer husbandry, and the environment. Rangifer Report No 18 is the Swedish version of the report. Reports in Norwegian, Finnish and North Sámi are published as following numbers of Rangifer Report.

Multi-isotope analysis of bone collagen of Late Pleistocene ungulates reveals niche partitioning and behavioural plasticity of reindeer during MIS 3

Here we present stable carbon, nitrogen and sulfur isotope ratios of collagen extracted from Rangifer, Equus and Bison bone (n = 128) from different stratigraphic levels at the chronologically well-constrained Middle and Upper Palaeolithic site of Les Cottés, France. Samples were taken from five phases of site use (US08, US06, US04 [upper and lower], and US02; ~ 45.8–35.3 ka cal BP) to explore the dietary and spatial palaeoecology of these ungulate species during MIS 3, and the contemporary climate. Temporal trends in δ15N values of all species broadly align with other climatic indicators at the site and the lowest values in US04 correspond to the Heinrich 4 cooling event, reflecting changes in the composition of soil/plant nitrogen at this time. Rangifer collagen is 13C-enriched compared to the other species throughout, consistent with lichen consumption. However, this isotopic niche partitioning between Rangifer and Equus/Bison is most extensive during US04, indicating plasticity in reindeer feeding behaviour, and potentially overall increased lichen biomass during this cooler/more arid phase. Rangifer δ34S values are consistently lower than Equus and Bison, which could be indicative of their more extensive spatial ranges incorporating greater inland areas. Equus and Bison demonstrate a significant decrease in δ34S values through time, which may be linked to contemporary climatic decline.

Infectious keratoconjunctivitis in semi-domesticated reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus): a questionnaire-based study among reindeer herders in Norway and Sweden

BackgroundThe effects of climate change, loss of pastureland to other land usage and presence of large carnivores are the main reasons for the increase in supplementary feeding of semi-domesticated reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus) in Fennoscandia over the last decades. Feeding might expose reindeer to stress and increased animal-to-animal contact, leading to an increased risk of infectious disease transmission, such as infectious keratoconjunctivitis (IKC). As it can develop rapidly and be very painful, IKC is described as an important animal welfare concern and a potential source of economic loss. The aim of this study was to investigate the current presence of IKC and potential associations between IKC and supplementary feeding through an online questionnaire survey, distributed among reindeer herders in Norway and Sweden in 2021.ResultsSeventy-six reindeer herders (33 from Norway and 43 from Sweden) responded to the questionnaire, representing 6% and 4% of the registered reindeer herding groups in Norway and Sweden, respectively. Infectious keratoconjunctivitis was common, with 54 (71%) of the 76 herders that responded having observed clinical signs during the past 10 years. These signs were mainly observed as increased lacrimation, causing “wet cheeks”, but also as keratitis and conjunctivitis. Autumn and winter were the seasons in which IKC was observed most. The herders reported several measures, such as slaughter and isolation of affected reindeer, to counteract the spread of disease. The herding year 2019/2020 was associated with reports of outbreaks of IKC in herds as well as being the herding year where most herders (80%) had performed supplementary feeding. A significant association was found between IKC and feeding performed in an enclosure (odds ratio = 15.20), while feeding on free-range areas had a non-significant, negative, relationship with the appearance of IKC outbreaks (odds ratio = 0.29). Finally, there was a trend in the data suggesting that IKC affected calves especially.ConclusionsInfectious keratoconjunctivitis is a common disease, mainly observed in winter and autumn. It usually has mild to moderately severe clinical signs. Our results imply that IKC is associated with stress and feeding situations and that calves might be more susceptible than adults, however, this needs to be confirmed with further studies, preferably at an individual animal level.

Recent changes in mountain birch forest structure and understory vegetation depend on the seasonal timing of reindeer grazing

Abstract Subarctic forest‐tundra ecotones dominated by mountain birch (Betula pubescens ssp. czerepanovii) are an important habitat for semi‐domestic reindeer Rangifer tarandus. The seasonal timing of reindeer grazing may direct vegetation trajectories in these systems, because in the summer ranges, mountain birches are subjected to browsing, while in the winter ranges, reindeer feed on understorey vegetation and arboreal lichens but leave the mountain birches intact. Based on earlier research, we predicted that (a) summer browsing dampens ongoing vegetation ‘shrubification’ in semi‐dry and dry mountain birch forests and (b) ‘shrubification’ is accompanied by a decline in lichens. We tested these predictions through re‐analysing forest structure and understorey vegetation after 12 years in areas where winter and summer ranges had been separated since the 1980s. We also tested how changes in lichen abundances align with changes in shrub abundances through correlation analyses. The number of tall mountain birch seedlings had increased twice as fast in winter than summer ranges, while big mountain birches had increased in summer ranges. The dominant evergreen dwarf shrub mountain crowberry (Empetrum nigrum ssp. hermaphroditum) had increased to a greater extent in winter ranges in a semidry habitat, and to a greater extent in summer ranges in a dry habitat. Deciduous dwarf shrub and graminoid biomass had increased similarly in summer and winter ranges. We found no evidence to support that increasing shrub abundances had contributed to a decline in lichens; instead, the lichen cover increased with increasing number of mountain birch seedlings. Synthesis and application. The vegetation trajectories of dry and semi‐dry subarctic mountain birch forests depend greatly on whether the area is used as a winter or a summer range for the reindeer. The recent changes in vegetation are likely to lead to improved summer forage availability for the reindeer, while the opposite may be true for the winter forage availability.

Влияние наследственных и паратипических факторов на мясную продуктивность домашних северных оленей

Abstract. Purpose. Study of various factors that determine quantitative and qualitative indicators of meat productivity of reindeer. Methods. The results are based on analytical, statistical, expert methods and the authors own research. Results. The analysis of the breed characteristics of live and slaughtered mass of deer, slaughter yield shows that the increase in production of venison to a certain extent depends on the rational allocation of genetic resources of reindeer. As practice shows, the main method of breeding in reindeer husbandry should be considered outbreeding. The limited use of interbreeding in reindeer husbandry is explained both by the complex and expensive logistics of transporting reindeer between regions, and by the problems of adapting induced animals to local natural and climatic conditions. Of the paratypical factors, natural and climatic ones are the determining ones. During the snow-free period, the main feeding of reindeer is based on intensive consumption of green food: leaves and grass.by the end of the snow period, the live weight of an adult deer may decrease by 20 % from the autumn indicators. Particularly noteworthy is the impact of veterinary and preventive measures on the meat productivity of reindeer. early chemotherapy of gadfly infestations increases meat productivity by 6-7 kg per 1 head. Scientific novelty. Found that the most important genetic factor for the indices of meat productivity is the breed, climatic factors are decisive, starting with fetal development and throughout postnatal development of the deer, the decrease in physiological status of the animal, the defeat of the deer disease has a negative effect on live weight, meat productivity. The results of the research can be used in the technology of reindeer husbandry in order to increase the meat productivity of animals.

Reindeer feeding ecology and hunting strategies by Magdalenians from Pincevent (Paris Basin, France): New insights from dental microwear textural analyses

AbstractIn Pincevent (Paris Basin), archeaozoologists have observed a variation of hunting strategies between Magdalenian levels IV0 and IV20. Previous works on human‐prey interaction showed that hunters modelled their behaviour on their prey; therefore, reconstructing animal behaviour in order to reconstruct human strategies could enable better interpretation of these levels. This study aims to contribute to a global understanding of the variation between these level's hunting strategies using microwear texture analysis. This proxy, which can be used to reconstruct diet, will enable to detect changes in the behaviour pattern of the prey. The decision was made to focus this study on reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) as it was one of the two most exploited resources on this site, alongside horses. The enamel surface of teeth from two populations of reindeer, hunted and found in levels IV0 and IV20, showed a variation of diet between levels. Environmental and ecological matters are discussed with an aim to understanding this variation of behaviour in reindeer populations and highlight a change of strategic behaviour among hunters.

The current state of Taimyr reindeer (Taimyr-Evenk population) and the probable reasons for its reduction

The North Siberian plain is the main fawning ground and summer feeding of wild reindeer of the Taimyr tundra population. After an explosive increase in numbers in 2000, when the population increased to 1 million of individuals, there is a decrease in the deer number. According to aerial surveys in 2017, it amounted to 404-442 thousand of individuals, in 2019, according to research staff members of the Taimyr Nature Reserves, it decreased to 250-280 thousand. Based on mathematical modeling and analysis of information obtained when marking 17 deer with collars with satellite transmitters, the paper considers version of the population response to environmental factors. Against the background of tundra “greening”, the growth of plant biomass, the length of deer stay in Taimyr did not increase, but, on the contrary, it decreased almost three times and averages 63 days in comparison with the 1960s. The questions solved in this paper consider the reasons why deer leave their former feeding grounds in the middle, or even at the beginning of August and if a significant reduction in the volume of deer hunting will lead to a completely opposite effect.

Zooarchaeological and stable isotope evidence of Sámi reindeer offerings

This paper presents new osteometric and stable isotope evidence of Sámi reindeer offerings. Previous archaeological studies have shown that reindeer domestication and intensification of reindeer herding transformed Sámi indigenous religion. However, because of the methodological challenges in the identification of wild and domesticated reindeer in the archaeological record, the exact nature of the relationship between people and offered reindeer has remained elusive. To address this problem, we analyze zooarchaeological and stable isotope data from thirteen Sámi offering sites situated in Finland and Sweden and dating to c. 1200–1700 CE. We employ zooarchaeological analysis of age, sex and size and explore the possibilities of these analyses to identify domestication and other characteristics of reindeer selected for offering. Analyses of stable isotopes of carbon, nitrogen and sulphur are utilized to identify human influence on reindeer feeding patterns and mobility. Our results show that many kinds of reindeer with different engagements with people were offered. The results confirm that people had different motives for giving offerings and that a simple dichotomy of wild/domesticated does not adequately reflect the range of relationships the Sámi had with reindeer.

Infectious Disease Outbreak Associated With Supplementary Feeding of Semi-domesticated Reindeer.

Supplementary winter feeding of semi-domesticated reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus) has become more common in Sweden and Norway due to reindeer pasture fragmentation and climatic conditions. With increased corralling and feeding, often associated with animal stress, increased animal-to-animal contact, and poor hygienic conditions, an altered range of health challenges and diseases may emerge. An outbreak of three different infectious diseases appeared simultaneously in a reindeer herd in Norrbotten County, Sweden. The animals were corralled and fed silage. Several animals in poor body condition stopped eating, with drool and discoloration of the hair coat around the mouth. There were large, black, necrotic lesions on the tongue and gingiva, with holes perforating the chin, indicative of oral necrobacillosis and Fusobacterium spp. infection. Simultaneously, animals were seen with proliferative lesions in the oral mucosa and on the lips, characteristic of contagious ecthyma and Orf virus infection. Furthermore, three animals had keratoconjunctivitis suggesting exposure to cervid herpesvirus 2 (CvHV2) and possibly secondary bacterial infections. DNA specific for Fusobacterium necrophorum and ORFV was detected in relevant tissue samples. Antibodies against CvHV2 were detected in 10 of 13 diseased and in four of 11 apparently healthy reindeer. Nine animals were found dead or were euthanized during the outbreak. Health risk factors associated with feeding and corralling may severely impact animal welfare and the herder's economy, and may represent an underestimated cost when replacing natural grazing with feeding.

Reindeer turning maritime: Ice‐locked tundra triggers changes in dietary niche utilization

AbstractThe rapid warming of the Arctic may not only alter species’ abundances and distributions, but likely also the trophic interactions within and between ecosystems. On the high‐arctic tundra, extreme warm spells and associated rain‐on‐snow events in winter can encapsulate the vegetation entirely in ground‐ice (i.e., basal ice) and directly or indirectly affect plants, herbivores, and carnivores. However, the implications of such extreme events for trophic interactions and food‐web ecology are generally far from understood. Here, we show that wild Svalbard reindeer populations increasingly isolated by lack of sea‐ice respond to rain‐on‐snow and ice‐locked pastures by increased kelp consumption. Based on annual population surveys in late winters 2006–2015, the proportion of individual reindeer feeding along the shoreline increased the icier the winter. Stable isotope values (δ34S, δ13C, δ15N) of plants, washed‐ashore kelp, and fresh reindeer feces collected along coast‐inland gradients, confirmed ingestion of marine biomass by the reindeer in the shoreline habitat. Thus, even on remote islands and peninsulas increasingly isolated by sea‐ice loss, effects of climate change may be buffered in part by behavioral plasticity and increased use of resource subsidies. This marine dimension of a terrestrial herbivore's realized foraging niche adds to evidence that global warming significantly alters trophic interactions as well as meta‐ecosystem processes.

Cratering behaviour and faecal C:N ratio in relation to seasonal snowpack characteristics in a High-Arctic ungulate

ABSTRACTSnow and ice determine winter forage availability for Arctic herbivores. Winter precipitation is anticipated to increase, and icing following warm spells and rain-on-snow (ROS) are likely to become more frequent. While this may reduce herbivore survival, fecundity and population growth, we can also expect behavioural and dietary responses. Here, we tested predictions from optimal foraging theory on how changing snowpack conditions influence choice of feeding craters and diet quality in a large generalist herbivore, the wild Svalbard reindeer. Snow and ice conditions over winter 2012/13 (a ‘normal’ winter with little ROS and icing) were measured in reindeer feeding craters, in paired controls one metre away and in fixed control sites. On average, feeding craters had less snow and integrated ram hardness (IRH, the force needed to reach the ground), but not less ice, than nearby controls. However, on this fine spatial scale, reindeer tended to select for microhabitat with worse snowpack conditions up...

Past and Present Winter Feeding of Reindeer in Finland: Herders’ Adaptive Learning of Feeding Practices

The research examines reindeer feeding practices and herders’ learning of them in three herding co-operatives in Finland: Kuukas in the south, Oraniemi in the central area, and Hammastunturi in the north. In the southern and central co-operatives, from the late 19th century until the Second World War (1939 – 45), trees rich in lichens were cut to provide emergency forage. Harvesting lichens from trees and feeding associated with “tether calving” and “fence calving” have been common in the central and northern co-operatives. In the 1960s and 1970s, poor digging conditions resulted in reindeer losses, and pressure to feed reindeer increased further as forestry practices and overgrazing caused pastures to decline. Large-scale feeding entered daily practice in Kuukas and Oraniemi in the late 1980s and mid-1990s. The increased interaction between humans and reindeer brought about by regular feeding has made the animals tamer. In fact, they have adopted the permanent feeding areas as part of their pasture rotation. In Hammastunturi, herders entice reindeer from one pasture to another by providing supplementary forage. Knowledge about feeding developed in close concert with agriculture, and was transferred from south to north in the1980s and 1990s. We argue that feeding practices draw on traditional ecological knowledge, which includes old ways of herding cattle. Herders’ personal working practices and training are knowledge that is difficult to describe in words and must be learned by experience. Learning to feed reindeer requires not only familiarity with herding in practice (which implies profound knowledge about the animals, their nutrition, digestion, behavior, and handling), but also familiarity with the herding district and co-operation across generations.

Impacts of winter feeding of reindeer on vegetation and soil in the sub-Arctic: insights from a feeding experiment

The overall impacts of winter feeding, including the effects of both forage and reindeer (Rangifer tarandus), were studied in an experiment in the Hammastunturi herding cooperative (68°N), Finland, with 300 reindeer in a sub-xeric heath forest (35 ha) during March/April 2009 and 2010. The feeding practices on the 50 plots were: (1) feeding with grass silagehay with leftovers cleared in the spring; (2) feeding with grass silage+hay with leftovers not cleared; and (3) feeding with pellets. In addition, (4) unfenced and (5) fenced control plots were included, on which the reindeer were not fed. No invasive plant species introduced through grass silage+hay were observed on the plots. The coverage of Deschampsia flexuosa increased on grass silage+hay plots after the first winter, and both coverage and height of the grass increased after the second winter. The coverage of Dicranum sp. and Pleurozium schreberi was lower on plots where reindeer were fed with grass silage (leftover silage not cleared) vs. controls. Some dwarf shrubs, e.g., Calluna vulgaris, showed a similar response after the second winter. The N content of Empetrum nigrum was higher on grass silage plots (leftover silage not cleared) after the first winter vs. controls. After two winters, the N content of both E. nigrum and Vaccinium myrtillus was increased. Of the soil variables studied, C/N decreased on grass silage+hay plots vs. fenced controls. We conclude that even a moderate level of feeding may cause changes that can lead to a gradual shift from nutrient-poor heath forest towards a more nutrient-rich type.Keywords: Reindeer herding; supplementary winter feeding; sub-xeric heath forest; forage(Published: 20 March 2013)To access the supplementary material for this article, please see the supplementary files in the column to the right (under Article Tools).Citation: Polar Research 2013, 32, 18610, http://dx.doi.org/10.3402/polar.v32i0.18610

Experimental reduction of food quality is not compensated with increased food intake in high-arctic muskoxen (Ovibos moschatus)

A total of four barren adult female muskoxen (Ovibos moschatus) were used over a period of 2 years for the purpose of the present study. During the first year, the natural changes in appetite (ad libitum intake of standard pelleted reindeer feed) and body mass were determined in two of the animals. During the second year, the effect of reduced food quality on ad libitum food intake was tested in all four animals in July when the appetite had been found to be at a high. We found that the experimentally reduced food quality was not compensated with increased food intake in these large high-Arctic herbivores.

Current state of forage resources and feeding of reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) and musk oxen (Ovibos moschatus) in the arctic tundras of Wrangel Island

The species composition and aboveground biomass of plant and lichens and the composition of reindeer and musk ox diet in the arctic tundra of Wrangel Island were studied in 2004 to 2007. The above-ground phytomass in different areas of the island varied from 1105 to 2100 kg/ha. The composition of plants consumed by reindeer and musk oxen and their proportions in the diet were determined by standard micro-histological analysis of plant remains in their feces. The results showed that, either in winter or in summer, both species obviously preferred feeding on willows (Salicaceae), which comprised almost half of their diet. Moreover, their feeding was highly selective, especially with respect to sedges and rushes (Cyperaceae + Juncaceae) and legumes (Fabaceae). Although the contributions of these plant groups to the total aboveground phytomass were very small (less than 4 and 8%), their proportions in the diet reached 27 and 24%, respectively. Mosses were not a preferred forage: their proportion in the aboveground phytomass reached 40%, but that in the diets of both species was below 10% in summer and increased to 20% only in the winter diet of reindeer. At a high abundance of lichens (up to 20% of the aboveground phytomass), neither of the animals consumed them during the study period.

Cross-infection of gastrointestinal nematodes between winter corralled semi-domesticated reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus) and sheep (Ovis aries)

The increasing number of sheep (Ovis aries) in the reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus) herding area in North Finland and supplementary winter feeding of reindeer in corrals shared with sheep causes potential for cross-infection of gastrointestinal nematodes between reindeer and sheep. The aim of this study was to elucidate this potential. The study included 46 animals, of which 12 reindeer and 8 sheep had shared a corral. Twelve reindeer had no known contact with sheep. Both reindeer groups shared free ranging areas with wild moose (Alces alces). Two moose were included in this study, as were 12 sheep which had no contact with other ruminants. After slaughter in September-November abomasa and proximal small intestines were collected and examined for gastrointestinal nematodes. The parasites were collected, counted and identified. Following species were found in reindeer: Ostertagia gruehneri, Ostertagia arctica, Spiculopteragia dagestanica, Nematodirus tarandi, Nematodirella longissimespiculata and Bunostomum trigonocephalum. Sheep were infected with Teladorsagia circumcincta, Teladorsagia trifurcata, Ostertagia gruehneri, Ostertagia arctica, Nematodirus filicollis and Nematodirus spathiger. Spiculopteragia dagestanica and Ostertagia gruehneri were identified in moose. Ostertagia gruehneri, which is considered to be a reindeer parasite, was only found in the sheep that had shared a corral with reindeer. These sheep were not found to be infected with other abomasal nematodes. The reindeer that had shared a corral with sheep were not infected with nematodes usually having sheep as their primary host.

Effects of Modern Forest Management on Winter Grazing Resources for Reindeer in Sweden

Boreal forests in Sweden are exploited in a number of ways, including forestry and reindeer husbandry. In the winter, reindeer feed mainly on lichens, and lichen-rich forests are a key resource in the herding system. Commercial forestry has mainly negative effects on reindeer husbandry, and conflicts between these two industries have escalated over the last century. This article reviews the effects of modern forest management practices on the winter resources available for reindeer husbandry. Forestry affects reindeer husbandry at both the stand level and the landscape level and over various time scales. Clear-cutting, site preparation, fertilization, short rotation times, and forest fragmentation have largely resulted in a reduced amount of ground growing and arboreal lichens and restricted access to resource. This article also discusses alternative forestry practices and approaches that could reduce the impacts of forestry on reindeer husbandry, both in the short and long-term.