Controlling the stock or the habitat – The crisis of native invasive encroachment in the grazing land of Norwegian reindeer husbandry

Abstract

Climate change negatively impacts reindeer grazing in Fennoscandia, with the encroachment of Empetrum nigrum (crowberry) being a significant, yet largely unrecognized problem. Crowberry encroachment affects the neighboring palatable vegetation negatively, homogenizing the pasture and decreasing ecosystem biodiversity. Current husbandry management aims are based on sustainable use of the pasture land, yet pasture quality is not considered a central indicator. To prevent overgrazing, reindeer numbers are limited, but as the animals avoid crowberry, this invasive species exacerbates the Norwegian reindeer husbandry's pasture crisis. Herders therefore intervene with two adaptive strategies, supplementary feeding and/or crowberry control. We develop a general three-species bioeconomic model with five variants to understand the economic impact of an invasive species on herbivore husbandry, and the net benefits of the two adaptive measures at the steady state. Our analytical results show that the native invasive encroachment causes a decrease in not only the nutrient-high grazing land but also the optimal herbivore herd and slaughter volume. Supplementary feeding is implemented to increase the herd size, yet the measure further depletes the grazing pasture, making this practice unsustainable. Instead, controlling crowberry protects both the grazing pasture and reindeer herd size. Applying this to the Norwegian reindeer husbandry case, we find crowberry control more cost-effective and less stressful for the pasture land than supplementary feeding. Government subsidies are shown to be essential for restoring herd sizes to the status quo.