Abstract
In
the management of natural resources, conflicting interests and
objectives among different stakeholders often need to be considered.
Here, we examine how two contrasting management scenarios of boreal forests
in northern Sweden differ in their consequences on forest structural
composition and the economic gains at harvest. Management strategies
prioritize either (i) forest characteristics that promote grazing
resources for reindeer herded by the indigenous Sámi, or (ii) timber production as practiced in Sweden today. When prioritizing reindeer
grazing, forest stands develop a higher abundance of older age classes
with larger trees and lower stem density, which reduces harvest and
revenue levels by approximately 20 % over a 100-year period. The
differences between these strategies illustrate the complexity in
finding a trade-off for coexistence between industrial land users and
other livelihoods that share the same landscape. Political support and
institutional solutions are necessary to initiate changes in policy in
finding such trade-offs in the management of environmental resources and
thereby influence the optimal distribution of costs and benefits
between different actors.
KEYWORDS:
Boreal forests; Forest management scenarios; Land use conflict; Multiple-use management; Reindeer husbandry; Trade-off
