Reindeer husbandry and game management in the changing climate
Finland has a long tradition of reindeer husbandry and game management. Hunting in Finland dates back to the hunter-gatherer societies that first occupied the area after the last ice age. Wild reindeer hunting by the Sami in Fennoscandia led to the breeding of a semi-domesticated subspecies and the invention of a new source of livelihood [1]. Because game management and reindeer husbandry are based on the use of natural resources, their survival hinges on sustainable development.
The state of the environment affects the numbers and geographic distribution of animals and their choice of habitat. Climate change is one of the factors that shape animal habitats, and each species reacts differently to its effects. Game management and reindeer husbandry depend on the natural environment, and hunting and herding practices need to be adapted to changes in animal populations in the future. On the other hand, humans can help animals to adapt to climate change by using natural resources in a sustainable manner, and game management and reindeer husbandry practices play a central role in this development [2].

Reindeer rounded up for tagging.
References
- Paliskuntain yhdistys, http://www.paliskunnat.fi/PoroNet2/
- Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. 2005. Finland’s National Strategy for Adaptation to Climate Change. Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Helsinki. Publications 1a/2005. 280 p. http://mmm.fi/documents/1410837/1721050/MMMjulkaisu2005_1a.pdf/63f5d78d-8492-4621-b019-fe38d7aeb709
External Links
- Peltonen-Sainio, P., Sorvali, J., Müller, M., Huitu, O., Neuvonen, S., Nummelin, T., Rummukainen, A., Hynynen, J., Sievänen, R., Helle, P., Rask, M., Vehanen, T. & Kumpula, J. 2017. Sopeutumisen tila 2017. Ilmastokestävyyden tarkastelut maa- ja metsätalousministeriön hallinnonalalla. Luonnonvarakeskus, Helsinki. Luonnonvara- ja biotalouden tutkimus 18/2017. 87 s.
- Rasmus, S., Kivinen, S., Bavay, M. & Heiskanen, J. 2016 Local and regional variability in snow conditions in northern Finland: A reindeer herding perspective. Ambio, 11 January 2016. 17 p.
- Rasmus, S. & Turunen, M. 2015. Suomen poronhoitoalueen lumiolosuhteet ja niiden vaikutukset poronhoitoon. (Abstract in English.) Lapin yliopisto, Arktinen keskus, Rovaniemi. Arktisen keskuksen tiedotteita 62. 71 s.
- Rasmus, S., Kumpula, J., & Jylhä, K. 2014. Suomen poronhoitoalueen muuttuvat talviset sää- ja lumiolosuhteet. [The changing winter weather and snow conditions in Finnish reindeer husbandry area] Terra 126: 4.