Carcass records of autumn-slaughtered reindeer as indicator of long-term changes in animal condition

Abstract

This study investigates the possibility of using carcass records from the commercial slaughter of reindeer as indicator of long-term changes in animal condition and, thus, the condition and use of their snow-free pasture. The aim was to assess the suitability of this indicator for use within adaptive management programmes for reindeer husbandry grazing resources. Data comprising measurements of carcass weight, conformation and fatness taken from commercial reindeer slaughter between 1994 and 2007, were analysed in relation to year, slaughter date, herding district, population density, and three categories of animals selected for slaughter. The carcass measures were significantly affected by year, and the effects were strongly correlated among the three animal categories. There were generally positive trends over the 14-year period studied. We identified several factors that should be considered when using carcass data to indicate long-term changes in animal body condition: (i) slaughter date had different effects depending on animal category; (ii) reindeer population density negatively affected female and calf carcasses, but not male carcasses. The effects of herding district were similar for carcasses of calves and females, but differed between females and males. Some of the differences between animal categories may be due to differing timing of slaughter (point i above), by different slaughter selection among districts, or have ecological explanations, e.g. sex differences in range use. Uncertainties in the classification of animals when using skeletal development to discriminate between calf and yearling carcasses, may also add to differences among districts. That population density effects on body condition were detectable together with the similarities in the effects of year and general long-term trends between animal categories support the suggestion that carcass measures can be used to indicate general changes in reindeer body condition and range use.

Community-Based Management: Under What Conditions Do Sámi Pastoralists Manage Pastures Sustainably?

“…In our study area there is a negative impact of high animal density on the quality of the summer pastures [33] and, as a consequence, a strong negative relationship between calf body mass and reindeer density [30], [31]. High calf body mass reflects high level of growth during the summer, animals in good body condition and reduced vulnerability to harsh winter conditions [30], [31], [34], [35]. The livelihood economy indicator is a measure of the economic benefits derived from the pastures, which is the sum of income from the sale of slaughtered animals and governmental disbursements through slaughter subsidies (provided by the Reindeer Husbandry Administration) and compensation for losses to predators (provided by the Directorate for Nature Management).…”

High Female Mortality Resulting in Herd Collapse in Free-Ranging Domesticated Reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus) in Sweden

“…Reindeer in Sweden are slaughtered at abattoirs and subject to the same regulations as other livestock. Slaughter records (including carcass mass and classification of fat content and muscle conformation according to the EUROP system applied in EU [7] ) were used as indicator of overall reindeer body condition in the herding community [8] . Carcass fat and conformation (class variables) were transformed into quasi-normal distributions before calculations [8] .…”

Unfounded claims about productivity beyond density for reindeer pastoralism systems

“…We agree that meat production per square kilometre is a useful measure of productivity. Carcass mass seems more relevant as an indicator of animal condition in the herds (Tveraa et al 2007;Lundqvist et al 2009;Olofsson et al 2011). It is also generally accepted that areas differ in their environmental suitability for reindeer herding (e.g.…”