Facilitates dialogue between forestry and reindeer management
SLU researchers have developed a decision support system (ToSIA) further, which can make discussions between different interested parties, such as forest officials and Sami people, easier when discussing forestry measures.
Using this decision support system, the researchers examined how increased considerations to reindeer husbandry in the Malå Sami village would influence the production of forestry companies. The researchers also examined the effects on the proceeds of forestry and reindeer husbandry.
The researchers studied several scenarios stretching over a period of 25 years. The National Association of Swedish Sami has worked out a forest policy with proposals of adjustments of current forest management practices for large forest owners. The policy was included in the studied scenarios.
The results show that with greater consideration to reindeer husbandry, the annual felling decreased by 0.2 m3 million accompanied by a reduced income of the forestry companies.
Erik Valinger, Professor at SLU, says that in this scenario it will be possible to increase the felling in the future, due to the fact that you have saved more forest. However, the income from reindeer husbandry increased considerably in this scenario.
SCA (A Swedish cellulose company), the forestry company Sveaskog and Norra Skogsägarna (i.e. an association of private forest owners in Northern Sweden), the National Association of Swedish Sami and the Malå municipality took part in the study.
Writer:
Ulla Ahlgren
Published:
2011-12-14
Facts About the study
The researchers used two computer models in the study: Heureka and ToSIA. In the examined scenarios, the researchers used data from the Swedish National Forest Inventory and information from SCA (a Swedish cellulose company), the forestry company Sveaskog and Norra Skogsägarna (i.e. an association of private forest owners in Northern Sweden), the National Association of Swedish Sami and the Malå municipality.
Read more: