Abstract
Changes in climate and reindeer grazing may both influence the vegetation structure on arctic tundra heaths. Long-term data on such changes are extremely important to understand current patterns and predict future changes. By using a remarkably detailed century-old historical data set on vegetation composition in combination with new surveys and data analyses, the proposed project provides a unique opportunity to evaluate effects of changes in climate and reindeer grazing on vegetation type distributions in northern Scandinavia. There are no previous long-term studies in this ecosystem investigating vegetation responses to both climate and reindeer grazing, which is of great importance in order to understand ongoing vegetation processes. In order to minimize overestimations of extinction/colonisation rates, the project will focus on vegetation type transitions rather than species. Vegetation types represent a more reliable indicator of changing conditions than the extinction of a single species. Thus, the project will gain important knowledge of vegetation responses to changes in both climate and reindeer grazing, which will be of great importance for sustainable use of grazing resources in the arctic tundra in the future and an understanding of ongoing vegetation processes.
Sweden