Lichens are a bottleneck resource for circumpolar populations of reindeer, and as such, for reindeer husbandry as an indigenous Sami land-use tradition in northern Sweden. This study uses ground lichen data and forest information collected within the Swedish National Forest Inventory since 1953, on the scale of northern Sweden. We found a 71 % decline in the area of lichen-abundant forests over the last 60 years. A decline was observed in all regions and age classes and especially coincided with a decrease of [60 year old, open pine forests, which was the primary explanatory factor in our model. The effects of reindeer numbers were inconclusive in explaining the decrease in lichen-abundant forest. The role that forestry has played in causing this decline can be debated, but forestry can have a significant role in reversing the trend and improving ground lichen conditions.

Contemporary approaches to the treatment of chronic illness in mainstream healthcare services require long-term specialist support that attend to specific health complaints rather than the multi-faceted individual case presentation. However, treatment outcomes are often poor, treatment engagement is deficient, and longitudinal efficacy is typically variable. The Läklabbet Healing Lab utilized a single-arm non-randomised pilot study design comprising multiple integrative interventions targeted at improving general wellbeing and health markers for a demographic of people with diffuse diagnoses, that had been unable to work for a period of over one-year despite conventional primary care treatment. A total of N = 6 participants were recruited to the Healing Lab, presenting with varied, multiple and complex health complaints, all of whom were female. All participants completed the intervention programme (Timepoint 2), and no participants were lost to follow up. Symptom tracking subjective rating scores at each timepoint demonstrated overall global improvement across all domains in all participants. Cognitive improvement was also observed in continuous performance testing (QIK Test CPT) outcomes. The collaborative multidisciplinary working practices augmented the therapeutic climate for change through interdisciplinary communication and continuity of care; methodology that promoted the value of collaborative inquiry and case formulation is discussed in this paper.