A Decision-Tool for Adaptation of Reindeer Herds to Rangelands: The User`s Manual

The management of reindeer ranges is a complicated task as indicated both by the complexity of the normative analyses required and the mismanagement observed in real and laboratory settings. The present report is a user’s manual to a decision-tool that attempts to strike a balance between complex normative analyses and practical decision-making. A simulator is provided to give decision-makers experience with the tool and to build intuition for strategies. Several cases are used to illustrate the use of the decision-tool and to demonstrate how even scarce and imprecise data can yield important insights. The project has been financed by “Nordisk ministerråd” under the program “Nordiska miljöstrategin för jord- och skogsbruk 1996-1999”. It was initiated and administered by “Nordisk organ for reinforskning”, NOR.