Vegetation Changes in the Nordic Mountain Birch Forest: the Influence of Grazing and Climate Change

The study focuses on vegetation changes in the Nordic mountain birch forest in northern Norway, covering a period of more than 40 yr. The study area comprises the municipalities of Kautokeino and Karasjok on Finnmarkskvidda; it is predominantly covered by lichen and dwarf shrub vegetation. Sizes of...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Arctic, antarctic, and alpine research antarctic, and alpine research, 2004-08, Vol.36 (3), p.323-332
Main Authors: Tømmervik, H., Johansen, B., Tombre, I., Thannheiser, D., Høgda, K. A., Gaare, E., Wielgolaski, F. E.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Artificial satellites
Climate change
Cornus suecica
Deschampsia flexuosa
Effect of Climate Variability on Terrestrial Ecosystems
Forest cover
Forest ecology
Hardwood trees
Heathlands
Lichens
Mountain forests
Reindeer
Vaccinium myrtillus
Vegetation
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Summary:The study focuses on vegetation changes in the Nordic mountain birch forest in northern Norway, covering a period of more than 40 yr. The study area comprises the municipalities of Kautokeino and Karasjok on Finnmarkskvidda; it is predominantly covered by lichen and dwarf shrub vegetation. Sizes of various vegetation classes were estimated by the use of remote-sensing techniques and ground surveys. A significant change in vegetation cover during the study period was registered in the whole study area. Vegetation types dominated by bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus), wavy hair-grass (Deschampsia fleuxuosa), the dwarf cornel (Cornus suecica), and mosses have tripled in abundance compared to 40 yr ago. In contrast, lichen-dominated heaths and woodland (forests), preferred by the reindeer stocks intensively utilizing these areas of Finnmarksvidda, have decreased by approximately 80% in abundance during the same period. Correspondingly, there has been a significant increase in the extent of birch forests especially in Kautokeino (90% increase). The reason for the steep decline in lichen-dominated areas appears to be a direct consequence of the intensive grazing by the increasing reindeer population in the period 1961–1987, but climate change (increased precipitation), caterpillar attacks, and long-transported air pollution (e.g., nitrogen) may also have accentuated the increase of forests and other vegetation types.
ISSN:1523-0430
1938-4246
DOI:10.1657/1523-0430(2004)036[0323:VCITNM]2.0.CO;2