Parameterization and validation of an ungulate-pasture model

Ecology and Evolution
Antti-Juhani PekkarinenOlli Tahvonen

Abstract

Ungulate grazing and trampling strongly affect pastures and ecosystems throughout the world. Ecological population models are used for studying these systems and determining the guidelines for sustainable and economically viable management. However, the effect of trampling and other resource wastage is either not taken into account or quantified with data in earlier models. Also, the ability of models to describe the herbivore impact on pastures is usually not validated. We used a detailed model and data to study the level of winter- and summertime lichen wastage by reindeer and the effects of wastage on population sizes and management. We also validated the model with respect to its ability of predicting changes in lichen biomass and compared the actual management in herding districts with model results. The modeling efficiency value (0.75) and visual comparison between the model predictions and data showed that the model was able to describe the changes in lichen pastures caused by reindeer grazing and trampling. At the current lichen biomass levels in the northernmost Finland, the lichen wastage varied from 0 to 1 times the lichen intake during winter and from 6 to 10 times the intake during summer. With a higher value for w...Continue Reading

References

Mar 26, 2003·Journal of Chemical Information and Computer Sciences·Douglas M HawkinsDenise Mills
Jul 8, 2005·Oecologia·N Thompson Hobbs, Kate R Searle
Sep 29, 2006·Nature Reviews. Molecular Cell Biology·Khuloud Jaqaman, Gaudenz Danuser

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