The impacts of reindeer grazing on Cladonia lichen ranges have been receiving increasing attention from both scientists and the general public. Often, grazing pressure is seen as too high and as endangering lichen vegetation ecosystems. During the PAN Park verification process in Oulanka National Park in north-eastern Finland, a study was requested to evaluate the condition of lichen ranges and, if needed, to make recommendations for improvements. In addition to the requested information, this thesis examined the situation of other reindeer winter food plants and the role of Oulanka National Park as part of the pasture area of Alakitka reindeer herding association.
Fieldwork was carried out in June and July 2004 on 21 dry Scots pine forest sites in and adjacent to the national park. Ground vegetation characteristics, stand characteristics and biomass of arboreal lichens were measured or estimated on 15 plots per sample site. Fieldwork data collected by other team members for the whole of Alakitka herding association were used as well. Statistical analysis, including correlation analysis and analysis of variance, was carried out using SPSS for Windows and WinStat for Microsoft Excel.
Cover percentage and correlations of ground vegetation species on dry sites were used to assess grazing impacts. Grazing pressure was found to be correlated to lichen biomass. Since only 2 % of pasture lands are dry, lichen grazing by reindeer is concentrated on a small area only. Nevertheless, the vegetation cover results support the theory that moderate grazing increases biodiversity by preventing the establishment of species-poor climax states. Even though pastures seem heavily overgrazed from the viewpoint of productivity, neither reindeer survival nor species composition nor forest vitality are negatively affected.
Total and usable biomasses of reindeer lichens, Deschampsia flexuosa and arboreal lichens were calculated for the national park and the other part of Alakitka herding cooperation. The park is important for reindeer lichens because half of the dry pastures are situated there and for arboreal lichens because of the park’s old-growth forests.
The outside part of Alakitka is essential for hair grass biomass because of the large areas with fresh young-growth forest.
The only possibilities to improve the condition of lichen pastures seem to be a radical reduction in reindeer numbers or fencing off the national park against reindeer use.
Both appear unrealistic. However, the new herding technique of keeping most reindeer in corrals all winter has led to an improvement in lichen biomass and a reduction of grazing pressure on dry sites already.
Die Folgen intensiver Rentierbeweidung für Rentierflechtenbestände kommen zunehmend in die Diskussion. Der Weidedruck wird häufig als zu stark und mit negativen Folgen für das Waldökosystem verbunden betrachtet. Im Nationalpark Oulanka in Finnland wird das Thema als besonders wichtig erachtet, weil der Park Teil eines europäischen Wildnis-Netzwerk (PAN) werden soll. Deshalb wurde eine Studie in Auftrag gegeben, die die Folgen der Rentierbeweidung auf die Bodenvegetation, insbesondere auf Rentierflechten, erforschen und mögliche Verbesserungsvorschläge vorbringen sollte. Diese Diplomarbeit ist Teil der Studie und versucht neben den genannten Fragestellungen auch die Rolle anderer Winterfutterpflanzen und des Nationalparks als Teil des Alakitka Rentierzuchtverbunds zu begutachten.
Die Feldarbeit wurde im Sommer 2004 auf 21 Trocken-Kiefer-Waldflächen durchgeführt. Neben der Bodenvegetation wurde der Wald an 15 Messpunkten pro Untersuchungsfläche vermessen und die Biomasse von Baumflechten abgeschätzt.
Die Daten für den gesamten Rentierverbund wurden von einem anderen Mitglied der Studie erhoben und in dieser Arbeit verwendet. Statistische Analysen, unter anderem Korrelationen und Variationsanalyse, erfolgten mit den Programmen SPSS für Windows und WinStat für Microsoft Excel.
Flächenanteil und Korrelationen für verschiedene Arten der Bodenvegetation auf trockenen Waldflächen gaben Auskunft über Beweidungseffekte. Weidedruck war korreliert mit Flechtenbiomasse. Da nur 2 % der Weideflächen trocken sind, ist die Flechtenbeweidung durch Rentiere auf diese kleine Fläche konzentriert. Dennoch erlauben die Daten die Unterstützung der Hypothese, dass durch moderate Beweidung die Biodiversität erhöht wird dadurch dass sich nicht die artenarme Vegetation des Sukzessionshöhepunkt entwickeln kann. Obwohl vom Gesichtspunkt der Produktivität die Flechtenbestände stark überweidet sind, hat dies keine negativen Auswirkungen auf die Rentierbestände, Biodiversität oder Waldgesundheit.
Gesamt- und die von Rentieren verwendbaren Biomassen wurden für Deschampsia flexuosa, Rentierflechten und Baumflechten berechnet, jeweils getrennt nach Nationalpark und übriger Fläche. Der Nationalpark ist wichtig für die Rentierflechtenbiomasse, da die Hälfte aller trockenen Flächen sich darin befinden.
Wegen der Altbaumbestände ist der Park auch für Baumflechten bedeutend. Die Abholzung durch die Forstwirtschaft außerhalb des Parks begünstigt andrerseits das Wachstum von D. flexuosa. Nur eine radikale Verringerung der Rentierzahlen oder ein komplettes Abzäunen des Parks könnten die Flechtenbestände dort verbessern. Beide Lösungen erscheinen unrealistisch. Neue Rentierhütetechniken, bei denen bis zu 90 % der Rentiere im Winter in Umzäunungen gehalten werden, haben aber schon zu einer Verbesserung der Situation geführt und den Weidedruck auf trockenen Flächen vermindert.
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APPENDIXII
SAMPLEAREA: DATE:
PLOTNO. GPS- COORDINATES CALLUNASP. VACCINIUM VITIS-IDEA VACCINIUM MYRTILIS VACCINIUM ULIGINOSUM EMPETRUM SP. LEDUMSP. MOSS CLADONIA STELLARIS OTHER CLADDONIA LICHEN HEIGHT
1
PLOTNO. BASAL AREA HEIGHT AGE WINTER PELLETS SUMMER PELLETS CAPER- CAILLE WILLOW GROUSE OTHER BIRDS PINE SEEDLINGS ARBOREAL LICHENS HAIRGRASS
1
APPENDIXIII List of tables
Table 1. Pastures and other areas and site type distribution in Alakitka reindeer herding association and
Oulanka National Park. … … … 15
Table 2: Forest development classes and their average cubic volumes in Kuusamo … … … … ...19
Table 3: Arboreal lichen biomass according to arboreal lichen class. … … … .21
Table 4: Arboreal lichen biomass according to site type in Oulanka National Park. … … … .22
Table 5: three-layered ground vegetation on dry Scots pine forest sites … … … 23
Table 6: Correlation matrix of the mean values of 21 sample sites of dry Scots pine forest. … 24 Table 7: Percentages of individual sample sites that show correlations within their 15 measured plots. … … … ...24
Table 8: Correlation matrix for different dwarf shrub species … … … ...25
Table 9. Descriptives of reindeer lichen biomass on different site types. … … … 26
Table 10: Total lichen biomass on different site types inside and outside the national park. … ...27
Table 11. Descriptives of hair grass biomass on different site types. … … … 29
Table 12: Total hair grass biomass on different site types in- and outside the national park. … ..31
Table 13: Mean number of winter pellet groups per site type. … … … ..33
List of figures Figure 1. Abundant growth of hair grass … … … … … … ..… … … … .. 6
Figure 2. Arboreal lichens … … … .. 8
Figure 3: Alakitka reindeer herding association … … … ...11
Figure 4: Pasture areas by site types inside and outside Oulanka National Park … … … ..12
Figure 5: Tree age distribution in Oulanka National Park 2004 … … … . 13
Figure 6: Tree age distribution of Scots Pine dry sites in Oulanka National Park … … … ..14
Figure 7: Age structure in Kuusamo province 1953 … … … .... 14
Figure 8: Age structure in Alakitka (excluding the national park) in 2004. … … … 15
Figure 9: Cubic volume distribution in Oulanka National Park. … … … .16
Figure 10: Cubic volume distribution in Alakitka (excluding the national park) in 2004. … … … … 16
Figure 11: Development of reindeer winter herd numbers and number of slaughtered reindeer in Alakitka reindeer herding association between 1960 and 2004 … … … .17
Figure 12. Assessment of reindeer lichens. … … … .18
Figure 13: Scattergraphs showing the relationship between lichen biomass and lichen cover/lichen length.. … … … .19
Figure 14: Mean reindeer lichen biomass on different site types. … … … 26
Figure 15: Total lichen biomass on different site types inside and outside the national park. … .27 Figure 16: On subdry sites, the scattergraph between lichen biomass and cubic volume.. … … .28
Figure 17: On subdry sites, the scattergraph between lichen biomass and age. … … … ...28
Figure 18: Mean hair grass biomass on different site types. … … … 29
Figure 19. Scattergraph of hair grass biomass and tree age. … … … ...30
Figure 20. Hair grass biomass on subdry and fresh sites in 5-year age intervals. … … … 30
Figure 21: Total hair grass biomass on different site types in- and outside the national park… . 31 Figure 22: Distribution of arboreal lichen classes in Oulanka National Park. … … … .31
Figure 23: Distribution of arboreal lichen classes outside the national park. … … … 32
Figure 24: Arboreal lichen biomass at different growth stages. … … … .32
Figure 25: Total arboreal lichen biomass on different site types inside and outside the national park … … … 33
Figure 26: Mean number of winter pellet groups per site type. … … … .34
Figure 27: Scattergraph of winter pellet groups byCladonia biomass separated by site type. ...34
Figure 28: Distribution of food plants inside and outside Oulanka National Park … … … ...35
Figure 29: The proportions of reindeer lichen, arboreal lichen and hair grass of total food biomass. … … … ..35
Figure 30: Usable biomass of reindeer lichens, hair grass and arboreal lichens. … … … .36
Figure 31: Comparison of total and usable biomass for each food plant. … … … 36
Figure 32: Proportions of usable biomass outside Oulanka National Park. … … … 37
Figure 33: Proportions of usable biomass in Oulanka National Park. … … … .37
Figure 34: Mean reindeer lichen biomass 1971, 1983 and 2004 on dry Scots pine forest sites in Oulanka National Park. … … … 39
Fig. 35. The relationship between reindeer density and and volume of lichens dm³/m³ in the Finnish reindeer management area in 1995 ( means for 1974-95). … … … ..47