The effects of stand characteristics on reindeer lichens and range use by semi-domesticated reindeer

The study was carried out in Kuusamo (66°15'N, 29°05'E) and Inari (68°30'N, 28°15'E), northern Finland, where 24 and 22 Scots pine stands were studied respectively. Clear-cutting (logging residue) caused a decline in lichen biomass for some few years, but otherwise the age of the stand had no effect upon lichen biomass. Instead, a positive correlation was found between litter/logging residue and the mean height of lichens; in Kuusamo, logging residue decreased significantly with the age of the stand. Grazing pressure in terms of fecal group density increased with the age of the stand. The preference of old forests came visible also as a lower mean height of lichens, which eliminates the possibility that the preference of old forests is associated only to the use of arboreal lichens. In Inari, grazing pressure sharply increased after the stand had reached the age of 100 years despite scarce litter/logging residue and fair lichen ranges in younger forests; there prevailed a negative correlation between stand density and grazing pressure. It has been suggested that there might be three main reasons for reindeers preferring old forests: 1) hardening of the snow (because of winds) on clear-cut areas, 2) logging residue preventing digging for the food beneath the snow, and 3) poor visibility in young pine stands (Inari) which might increase predation risk

Lichen ranges, animal densities and production in Finnish reindeer management

In the 1970s, mean lichen biomass ranged by the earmark districts (comprising of 2-9 adjacent herding associations) between 54 kg and 380 kg DM per ha correlating negatively with animal density per lichen ranges (range 1.5 - 14.3 ind. per km2). Biomasses were far below economic carrying capacity of lichen ranges (900 kg DM per ha). The condition of lichen ranges was poorest in the southern half of the area where alternative food to reindeer lichens (Deschampsia flexuosa, arboreal lichens and supplementary feeding) was available. In 1980-86, recruitment (calves per 100 females) was 33% higher than in the 1970's, on an average (65 vs. 49), despite a 90% increase in animal numbers between 1970 and 1986; recruitment has not been dependent on the condition of lichen ranges. The increase in production has been some higher than expected on the basis of animal numbers. The reasons for the increasing trends in animal numbers, recruitment and production remains some unclear, but they may include favorable winter conditions, supplementary feeding, medical treatment against parasites and proper harvesting policy

40 Longitudinal Study Section

Abstract Background: The FTO gene harbors the strongest known susceptibility locus for obesity. While many individual studies have suggested that physical activity (PA) may attenuate the effect of FTO on obesity risk, other studies have not been able to confirm this interaction. To confirm or refute unambiguously whether PA attenuates the association of FTO with obesity risk, we meta-analyzed data from 45 studies of adults (n = 218,166) and nine studies of children and adolescents (n = 19,268)