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Climate change: in Finland, reindeer are allies for the climate
Climate change: in Finland, reindeer are allies for the climate – (France 2)
Reindeer are one of the solutions to slow the warming of the polar regions. By eating vegetation and walking, they pack the snow and help keep the ground frozen.
In polar regions, such as Finland, temperatures are warming four times faster than elsewhere and reindeer could be of great help in keeping the ground cold for longer. By trampling in the forest, reindeer prevent shrubs from growing and compact the snow. According to a scientist, these animals help keep permafrost, this ground frozen throughout the year, threatened by global warming.
Deforestation threatens their food
“When the reindeer walk, they compact the snow (…) this keeps the ground frozen and therefore preserves the permafrost”, explains Bruce Forbes, Arctic Center researcher, University of Lapland. But reindeer lack food due to deforestation. The Finnish state extracts six million cubic meters of wood every year. Under pressure from breeders, operators try to cut down only one tree in two, but the timber industry is vital for the country.
