The North American box pine, which has been planted in northern Sweden since the 1960s due to its rapid growth, negatively affects the reindeer’s winter grazing in forest areas in Vilhelmina norra Samiby.
This is shown by new research from Sweden’s University of Agriculture and Umeå University, which has researched the subject for the past three years, reports Sameradion.
– The reindeer avoid stands of tall pine where the trees are taller than three meters, says Tim Horstkotte at Umeå University.
The researchers have also concluded that the biological diversity and vegetation were less where the pine has been planted as the densely grown pine makes it difficult for light to reach the ground.
– It is not only the reindeer that are negatively affected, but there is a greater biological diversity aspect in this, says Horstkotte.