Epsilon Archive for Student Projects

Abstract

In Northern Sweden, reindeers (Rangifer tarandus) feed on Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) saplings, impacting their growth. In the open areas (clearcuts or sites that have experienced stand replacing fires), pine saplings experience improved light conditions but also higher levels of browsing. The relative importance of these two factors remains poorly quantified. I hypothesized that the growth of pine saplings remains primarily controlled by the light conditions, with the intensity of browsing playing a secondary role. To test this hypothesis, I studied the growth of 350 pine saplings, for which stem growth dynamics were modelled as a function of browsing damages and light conditions. Samples originated from multiple locations in Swedish Lapland, from Jokkmokk and Arjeplog municipalities. From the samples gathered, a statistical analysis was supervised to produce data. The data shows that light dominated over reindeer browsing affecting growth of pine saplings in the study area and may therefore provide a proxy for light conditions. Capitalizing on this finding, I reconstructed the light conditions in the area located in the municipalities of Arjeplog and Jokkmokk. I used a written RStudio script from my supervisor to reconstruct and statistically analyze these results from volume growths correlation to light, browsing and the correlation between both.