Reindeer Wish lists Includes Greener Pastures
Posted by Kathryn Beley on Wed, Dec 28, 2011 @ 11:26 AM
Santa and his elves have been working hard to ensure their reindeer have the best Finnish pastures for their offseason.
Starting in 1995 and spanning to 2008 Jolly Old Saint Nicholas in conjunction with University of Eastern Finland, Joensuu Campus, Department of Geological and Historical Studies compared research results from the period of 1995-1996 with the results from 2005-2008.
The data was collected using the ASD FieldSpec HandHeld Pro spectroradiometer for remote sensing and field inventory research. Santa and the University elves then compared the data from the two time periods to find that there had been a significant decline in reindeer lichen biomass from the first time frame to the latter.
Conversely, the data also showed that saplings, grass and shrubs all increased in the felled areas of reindeer pasture. Perhaps it was on a certain reindeer’s wish list to have lusher surrounds.
Santa does acknowledge that the data could have some levels of error or uncertainty. Between the two time frames, elves were able to develop more sophisticated remote sensing instruments and changes were made in software and methods of analysis. By monitoring the health of the grazing areas, Santa knew where to put fencing for winter and summer grazing pastures and were able to improve the overall ecological health of the entire pasture area. The Finnish environment for Santa’s reindeer now has an abundance of grass and herbs for grazing.
“This is great for us,” said Dasher. “We put in a lot of hard work one night a year and to have such a wonderful grazing pasture. We are lovin’ our lichen.”
Citation: Alfred Colpaert and Jouko Kumpula (2012). Detecting changes in the state of reindeer pastures in northernmost Finland, 1995–2005. Polar Record, 48, pp 74-82 doi: 10.1017/S0032247411000581