Interacting processes in Arctic reindeer systems experiencing rapid climate change

Today the north is becoming a very different place than what we have come to know just a decade or two ago. The weather and climate are becoming much more erratic, inconsistent, extreme in summer and in winter; especially the form of precipitation is rain when it should be snow, across Fennoscandia and Lapland in Finland. This New North is creating a challenging place for rural communities and for those whom raise reindeer, such as the Sami and the reindeer herders of the districts throughout Finland, Sweden, and Norway seeking to maintain a culture and lifestyle they greatly value and strive to pass on their values and lifestyles to future generations.

We will create a revolutionary, holistic framework for understanding ungulate (reindeer and caribou) systems of the north that considers the most critical facets of environment-social interactions and feedbacks. We will use a systems approach where experts from different disciplines and members of the stakeholder community (i.e. Sami, reindeer herders, LUKE) are woven into quilt of collaboration, sharing, discovery, and the co-production of new knowledge, education and management options.

Links

• Ecology and Genetics Research Unit
• Oulanka Research Station
• Changing climate and northern environment
• Reindeer-climate interactions (UArctic research)