Multivariate clustering of reindeer herding districts in Sweden according to range prerequisites for reindeer husbandry

摘要

The 51 reindeer herding districts in Sweden vary in productivity and prerequisites for reindeer herding. In this study we characterize and group reindeer herding districts based on relevant factors affecting reindeer productivity, i.e. topography, vegetation, forage value, habitat fragmentation and reachability, as well as season lengths, snow fall, ice-crust probability, and insect harassment, totally quantified in 15 variables. The herding districts were grouped into seven main groups and three single outliers through cluster analyses. The largest group, consisting of 14 herding districts, was further divided into four subgroups. The range properties of herding districts and groups of districts were characterized through principal component analyses. By comparisons of the suggested grouping of herding districts with existing administrative divisions, these appeared not to coincide. A new division of herding districts into six administrative sets of districts was suggested in order to improve administrative planning and management of the reindeer herding industry. The results also give possibilities for projections of alterations caused by an upcoming global climate change. Large scale investigations using geographical information systems (GIS) and meteorological data would be helpful for administrative purposes, both nationally and internationally, as science-based decision tools in legislative, economical, ecological and structural assessments. Abstract in Swedish / Sammanfattning: Multivariat gruppering av svenska samebyar baserat p? renbetesmarkernas grundf?rutsettningar Svenska rensk?tselomr?det best?r av 51 samebyar som varierar i produktivitet och f?ruts?ttningar f?r rensk?tsel. Vi analyserade variationen mellan samebyar med avseende p? 15 variabler som beskriver topografi, vegetation, betesv?rde, fragmentering av betesmarker, klimat, skaref?rekomst och aktivitet av parasiterande insekter och vi f?resl?r en indelning av samebyar i tio grupper. Den st?rsta gruppen, som bestod av 14 samebyar, delades vidare in i 4 undergrupper. Klusteranalyser med 4 olika linkage-varianter anv?ndes till att gruppera samebyarna. Principalkomponentsanalys anv?ndes f?r att kartl?gga unders?kta variabler och de resulterande samebygruppernas karakt?r. Samebygrupperna f?ljde inte l?nsgr?nser och tre samebyar f?ll ut som enskilda grupper. Denna unders?kning ger underlag f?r j?mf?relser mellan samebyar med beaktande av likheter och olikheter i fr?ga om produktivitet och funktionella s?rdrag ist?llet f?r l?nsgr?nser och historik. Vi f?resl?r en ny administrativ indelning i sex omr?den som skulle kunna fungera som ett alternativt underlag f?r planering och beslut som r?r produktionsaspekter i renn?ringen. Resultaten ger ocks? underlag f?r f?ruts?gelser av f?r?ndringar i samebyars produktionsf?ruts?ttningar till f?ljd av klimatf?r?ndringar.