Managing predators, managing reindeer: contested conceptions of predator policies in Finland's southeast reindeer herding area

Polar Record ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 47 (3) ◽  
pp. 218-230 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hannu I. Heikkinen ◽  
Outi Moilanen ◽  
Mark Nuttall ◽  
Simo Sarkki
Keyword(s):  
Actor Network Theory ◽  
Modern Human ◽  
Complex Case ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Reindeer Herding ◽  
Human Environment ◽  
Reindeer Husbandry ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Conservation Projects ◽  
Theoretical Considerations

ABSTRACTPreserving biodiversity and establishing healthy and thriving populations of predator animals are the expressed aims of many wildlife and ecosystem conservation projects and initiatives. However, such conservation strategies are often in conflict with the traditions, practices and land-use priorities of local communities. This article concentrates on the situation concerning the predation of reindeer (mainly by wolves) in Finland's southeast reindeer herding area and its immediate vicinity, but makes reference to the broader situation of predation and reindeer herding in Finland. Based on analysis of statistics and interviews with local stakeholders, the research findings refer to the intermingled contradictions related to conceptual, statistical and other management relevant knowledge and resulting problems, for example, in conservation hunting licensing. The article concludes that the wolf comprises a complex case for nature conservation initiatives and sustainable reindeer husbandry and that, in practice, it has particular implications compared to other policy approaches to dealing with the problem of animal predators. The article ends with some theoretical considerations as to whether we can improve our understanding of modern human-environment relations by deriving ideas from the actor-network theory debates.

scholarly journals Wealth of nomads – an exploratory analysis of livestock inequality in the Saami reindeer husbandry

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marius Warg Næss ◽  
Bård-Jørgen Bårdsen
Keyword(s):  
Primary Source ◽  
Wealth Inequality ◽  
External Factors ◽  
Social Differentiation ◽  
Reindeer Herding ◽  
Reindeer Husbandry ◽  
The Poor ◽  
Wealth Inequalities ◽  
Rank Differences ◽  
Over Time

Social inequality is pervasive in contemporary human societies. Nevertheless, there is a view that livestock, as the primary source of wealth, limits the development of inequalities, making pastoralism unable to support complex or hierarchical organisations. Thus, complex nomadic pastoral organisation is predominantly caused by external factors, i.e., historically nomadic political organisation mirrored the neighbouring sedentary population's sophistication. Using governmental statistics on reindeer herding in Norway (2001 - 2018), this study demonstrates nothing apparent in the pastoral adaptation with livestock as the main base of wealth that level wealth inequalities and limits social differentiation. This study found that inequality was generally decreasing in terms of the Gini coefficient and cumulative wealth. For example, the proportion owned by the wealthy decreased from 2001 to 2018, while the proportion owned by the poor increased. Nevertheless, rank differences persist over time with minor changes. Especially, being poor is stable: around 50% of households ranked as poor in 2001 continued to be so in 2018. In sum, results from this study indicate that pastoral wealth inequality follows the same patterns as all forms of wealth. Wealth accumulates over time, and because the highest earners can save much of their income (i.e., newborn livestock), low earners cannot. High earners can thus accumulate more and more wealth over time, leading to considerable wealth inequalities.

scholarly journals The temporal and the temporary. Time, collaboration and architecture in post-quake Christchurch

2017 ◽  
Vol 2 (3) ◽  
pp. 135
Author(s):  
Barnaby Bennett ◽  
Timothy John Moore
Keyword(s):  
Large Earthquake ◽  
Actor Network Theory ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Stepping Stones ◽  
Master Plans ◽  
Planning Decisions ◽  
Engagement Strategies ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
New City

<p>This paper will look at an apparent tension between master plans that envision cities as finished objects and temporary projects that form in response to more immediate issues and concerns. In the five years since the large earthquake that struck Christchurch on February 22, 2011, a huge array of interventions, planning decisions, and design proposals have been made -affecting the lives of thousands of people and costing many billions of dollars. These actions are almost always separated into temporal categories of the short-term and the long-term; temporary and the permanent. In this categorisation there is a strange paradox in which the more concrete short-term actions are characterised as ephemeral and the paper ideas of the long-term more real. <br />The relationship between two forms is complex. Temporary and permanent forms of city-making can be complementary or in conflict - and sometimes both at the same time. Temporary projects can act as stepping-stones to a “finished” city, they can subvert and undermine the long-term plans, and they can support some aspects while undermining others.<br />The creation of a master plan in Christchurch – 18 months after the earthquakes – will be compared and contrasted with the making of a large temporary project called the Pallet Pavilion. Notions of <em>public engagement strategies</em>, <em>finishing</em>, and <em>risk management</em> will be articulated and used to illustrate how different the modes of temporary and permanent design operate in relation to the construction of the contemporary city.<br />Concepts from actor network theory will be used to describe the temporary and permanent forms of city-making and different associate types of collaboration. It is argued that the conception and planning of a new city and the design and construction of temporary amenities produce different experiences of time, and different forms of temporality. The authors are PhD candidates researching the role of temporary architecture in contemporary urban settings - this paper reflects on research findings from post-quake Christchurch.</p>

scholarly journals The origin, current diversity and future conservation of the modern lion ( Panthera leo )

2006 ◽  
Vol 273 (1598) ◽  
pp. 2119-2125 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ross Barnett ◽  
Nobuyuki Yamaguchi ◽  
Ian Barnes ◽  
Alan Cooper
Keyword(s):  
Evolutionary History ◽  
Mitochondrial Control Region ◽  
Modern Human ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
African Origin ◽  
Continental Scale ◽  
History Of ◽  
Physical Barriers ◽  
Geographic Populations ◽  
Sub Saharan

Understanding the phylogeographic processes affecting endangered species is crucial both to interpreting their evolutionary history and to the establishment of conservation strategies. Lions provide a key opportunity to explore such processes; however, a lack of genetic diversity and shortage of suitable samples has until now hindered such investigation. We used mitochondrial control region DNA (mtDNA) sequences to investigate the phylogeographic history of modern lions, using samples from across their entire range. We find the sub-Saharan African lions are basal among modern lions, supporting a single African origin model of modern lion evolution, equivalent to the ‘recent African origin’ model of modern human evolution. We also find the greatest variety of mtDNA haplotypes in the centre of Africa, which may be due to the distribution of physical barriers and continental-scale habitat changes caused by Pleistocene glacial oscillations. Our results suggest that the modern lion may currently consist of three geographic populations on the basis of their recent evolutionary history: North African–Asian, southern African and middle African. Future conservation strategies should take these evolutionary subdivisions into consideration.

The evolutionary study of human family systems

1997 ◽  
Vol 36 (4) ◽  
pp. 563-589 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen T. Emlen
Keyword(s):  
Human Behavior ◽  
Modern Human ◽  
Human Environment ◽  
Additional Information ◽  
Family Counselling ◽  
Conflict Resolution Strategies ◽  
Patterns Of Behavior ◽  
High Degree ◽  
Human Family ◽  
Level Of Analysis

Evolutionary biologists seek to understand human behavior by postulating that many of our current social behaviors and emotions represent heritable adaptations that were selectively advantageous during our ancestral (pre-agricultural, pre-industrial) human environment. Studies of animal species that live in societies structured similarly to those of our ancestors (i.e. in multi-generational family groups) may thus provide insights into the genetically influenced behavioral predispositions that may be present in ourselves. The evolutionary approach argues that family groupings have a biological basis. They form under particular ecological and demographic conditions when the reproduction of individuals is enhanced by prolonging the association between parents and young. Because families are comprised of close genetic relatives, a high degree of cooperation is expected between their members. Conflict is also expected, however, because the reproductive interests of parents, offspring, and other family members are rarely identical. Such conflicts are intensified in reconstituted (step) families because replacement mates (stepparents) are unrelated to offspring of the previous pairing, and extant offspring are less related to future young of the new pairing. I develop a set of predictions specifying when, where, and between whom, conflict is expected in reconstituted family environments. After briefly documenting the robustness of this approach in explaining the behavior of non-human species, I examine its value for interpreting patterns of behavior in human stepfamilies. I suggest that much of the increased conflict seen in modern human families is due to the recent surge in numbers of stepfamily households. Increased understanding of our behavioral predispositions can help us to design better conflict resolution strategies for human families in crisis. I offer a five point program for incorporating such knowledge into family counselling. The evolutionary perspective does not challenge or contradict the intellectual frameworks of sociology or psychology. Rather it seeks explanations for human behavior at a different level of analysis. In doing so it provides additional information of a new dimension which should lead to a better understanding of the types and frequencies of human family dysfunction.

scholarly journals The interface between political ecology and actor-network theories: exploring the reality of waste

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Swatiprava Rath ◽  
Pranaya swain
Keyword(s):  
Political Ecology ◽  
Network Theory ◽  
Environmental Issues ◽  
Actor Network Theory ◽  
Consumption Pattern ◽  
The Political ◽  
Special Focus ◽  
Rapid Urbanization ◽  
Human Environment ◽  
Actor Network

<p>Human-environment relationship is a prominent discourse in many academic disciplines. Initial studies in social sciences viewed nature being independent of society but gradually researchers proved that both are related and dependent upon each other. Current studies confirm the association between humans and the environment which changes with time and space. Waste is part of the human environment and is ubiquitous. Climate change, environmental pollution, and vulnerabilities associated with it have been major concerns for policymakers, activists, and academicians across the globe over the past couple of decades. The report of International Solid Waste Association (ISWA) and United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) in 2006 delineated waste management as an important part of urban infrastructure having close relation to issues of urban lifestyle, resource consumption pattern, income level, jobs, socio-economic and cultural factors. According to World Bank estimation in 2018, waste generation will increase from 2.01 billion tones in 2016 to 3.40 billion tones in 2050. However, despite its significance in the academic world, the waste remains under-theorized. The meaning and value of waste vary from person to person and also from culture to culture. Rapid urbanization and globalization have led to the social, economic and political crisis with an increased amount of waste. The multidimensional nature of waste creates the need for interpreting it in a distinct way. With the help of theoretical pluralism, this paper aims at explaining the concept of waste through the theoretical lens of political ecology and actor-network theory. The political ecology perspective aims at explaining the environmental issues by analyzing the political-economical causes and provides the alternative for solving the issue. The actor-network theory explains the environmental issues by studying the association among actors at various scales with a special focus on the power interest of the actors as the cause of such association. These two approaches can be integrated based on the pragmatic approach and can help in understanding the complex reality of waste. The paper views that societal problems like waste can be studied with the use of both these theories with a firm hold on the context as they tend to transcend the dualism between nature and society. </p>

scholarly journals Forestry and reindeer husbandry in northern Sweden – the development of a land use conflict

Rangifer ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 43-54 ◽  
Author(s):  
Camilla Widmark
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Adverse Effects ◽  
Institutional Arrangement ◽  
Forest Resources ◽  
Northern Sweden ◽  
Reindeer Herding ◽  
Reindeer Husbandry ◽  
Land Use Conflict ◽  
Forestry Sector ◽  
The Relationship

Both the forestry sector and reindeer herders in northern Sweden use the forest resources in northern Sweden, albeit for different purposes, and have adverse effects on each other. To reduce conflicts between them negotiations take place in so-called “consultations”, but the institutional arrangement does not seem to be working well; the conflicts have not been resolved, and the reindeer herders are generally more dissatisfied with the outcome than the forest companies. This paper provides an overview of the parallel development of forestry and reindeer herding in the region. In addition several issues that complicate the consultations and need to be resolved in order to secure the continued co-existence of the two activities are identified, based on an analysis of physical, societal and judicial aspects of the relationship between them.Abstract in Swedish / Sammandrag:Skogsbruk och rennäringen i norra Sverige – utveckling av en markanvändningskonflikt Skogsresursen i norra Sverige nyttjas för bland annat timmerproduktion och renbete och skogsbruket respektive rennäring påverkar varandra negativt. För att minska konflikterna har samråd instiftats men processen fungerar inte tillfredsställande eftersom det finns ett missnöje bland renskötarna. Denna studie ger en översikt av den parallella utvecklingen av de två näringarna och deras inbördes relationer och därmed identifieras flera nyckelområden som komplicerar relationen mellan de båda näringarna och därmed även samråden. Genom att analysera de fysiska, sociala och juridiska aspekterna av relationen mellan rennäring och skogsbruk pekar studien på ett antal problem som måste lösas för att kunna säkerställa en fortsatt parallell existens.

scholarly journals Can a snow structure model estimate snow characteristics relevant to reindeer husbandry?

Rangifer ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 37 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sirpa Rasmus ◽  
Jouko Kumpula ◽  
Jukka Siitari
Keyword(s):  
Snow Cover ◽  
Annual Reports ◽  
Ground Vegetation ◽  
Reproduction Rate ◽  
Mold Growth ◽  
Reindeer Herding ◽  
Model Estimate ◽  
Reindeer Husbandry ◽  
Meteorological Observations ◽  
Snow Model

Snow affects foraging conditions of reindeer e.g. by increasing the energy expenditures for moving and digging work or, in contrast, by making access of arboreal lichen easier. Still the studies concentrating on the role of the snow pack structure on reindeer population dynamics and reindeer management are few. We aim to find out which of the snow characteristics are relevant for reindeer in the northern boreal zone according to the experiences of reindeer herders and is this relevance seen also in reproduction rate of reindeer in this area. We also aim to validate the ability of the snow model SNOWPACK to reliably estimate the relevant snow structure characteristics. We combined meteorological observations, snow structure simulations by the model SNOWPACK and annual reports by reindeer herders during winters 1972-2010 in the Muonio reindeer herding district, northern Finland. Deep snow cover and late snow melt were the most common unfavorable conditions reported. Problematic conditions related to snow structure were icy snow and ground ice or unfrozen ground below the snow, leading to mold growth on ground vegetation. Calf production percentage was negatively correlated to the measured annual snow depth and length of the snow cover time and to the simulated snow density. Winters with icy snow could be distinguished in three out of four reported cases by SNOWPACK simulations and we could detect reliably winters with conditions favorable for mold growth. Both snow amount and also quality affects the reindeer herding and reindeer reproduction rate in northern Finland. Model SNOWPACK can relatively reliably estimate the relevant structural properties of snow. Use of snow structure models could give valuable information about grazing conditions, especially when estimating the possible effects of warming winters on reindeer populations and reindeer husbandry. Similar effects will be experienced also by other arctic and boreal species.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document