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Long- and short-term effects of reindeer grazing on tundra wetland vegetation

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Abstract

We studied long-term (50 years) and short-term (4 years) effects of summer grazing of reindeer on subarctic tundra wetland vegetation. The long-term effects of summer grazing were studied by comparing vegetation on Finnish and Norwegian sides of the fence line separating reindeer grazing regimes. The Finnish side was intensively grazed and trampled throughout the year, whereas the Norwegian side was grazed in winter. Experimental fences were erected to examine short-term effects of grazing exclusion. Both in the long- and short-term, summer grazing decreased the height of Salix lapponum whereas the short-term effects on willow cover were less clear than the long-term effects. In contrast, Carex spp. benefited from grazing. Long-term grazing had little effect on total bryophyte cover. Grazing had negligible effects on the nutrient content of leaves of S. lapponum and Eriophorum angustifolium. We conclude that tundra wetlands can withstand moderately high grazing pressure sustained over several decades.

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Acknowledgments

We wish to thank Satu Huttunen, Risto Virtanen and Birgitta Åhman for valuable comments on previous versions of this manuscript. We thank Karen Inga Kemi, Pilvi Kuure, Tuula Niskanen and Anu Pajunen for help in the field, Anu Eskelinen for bryophyte identification, assistants Vibeke Nordberg and Liv Nesset for laboratory analyses; Jari Hietanen for drawing maps. We also thank reindeer herders Juha Magga, J. Antti Magga, Antti Näkkälä and Samuli Näkkälä for valuable knowledge and transport to the field; Tarmo Lindh Pentti Raittimo, Jarmo Rauhala, and Jouni Unga for building fences. Major funding for this research was provided by the RENMAN project (2001–2004) funded by the European Union’s 5th Framework Programme (Contract number QLK5-CT-2000-07459). The ARKTIS graduate school, Arctic Centre, University of Lapland, paid Heidi Kitti’s salary during 2006–07. Her fieldwork in 2006 was funded by Saami University College, Kautokeino, Norway.

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  1. Arctic Centre, University of Lapland, PO Box 122, 96101, Rovaniemi, Finland

    Heidi Kitti & Bruce C. Forbes

  2. University of Oulu, PO Box 3000, 90014, Oulu, Finland

    Jari Oksanen

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  1. Heidi Kitti
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Correspondence to Heidi Kitti.

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Kitti, H., Forbes, B.C. & Oksanen, J. Long- and short-term effects of reindeer grazing on tundra wetland vegetation. Polar Biol 32, 253–261 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-008-0526-9

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