Land cover, plant functional type, and forage quality in the reindeer herding district of Sattasniemi, Finland

It makes intuitive sense that herbivore movements are driven by the nutritional landscapes in which they live. But understanding the details requires we move beyond coarse landcover classifications to considerations of forage quality variation across plant functional types and vegetation communities. Here, we present an example and model linking landcover type, plant functional type, and nutritional composition for the Sattasniemi reindeer herding district in northern Finland. We analyzed 2,645 leaf plant samples (representing 52 taxa from 72 sites spanning nine landcover types), measuring crude protein, acid detergent fiber, and neutral detergent fiber using near-infrared spectroscopy calibrated against wet chemistry analyses. Wetlands, particularly forested peatlands and mires, exhibited the highest crude protein content (13.4–15.0%) and moderate fiber levels, making them nutritionally superior to deciduous, mesic, and nutrient-poor dry forests, which did not differ significantly from one another. Among plant functional types, deciduous tall shrubs and trees showed the highest crude protein (> 15%), while bryophytes exhibited exceptionally high fiber content (> 45% ADF). These findings demonstrate that forage quality varies across the landscape in ways not captured by simple landcover classifications. The discrepancy between high forage quality in wetlands and observed reindeer avoidance of some areas suggests that non-nutritional factors such as insect harassment, infrastructure disturbance, or predation risk—may override nutritional considerations in habitat selection. This work provides foundational data for understanding ranging decisions by semi-domesticated reindeer and for informing husbandry decisions by the herders whose livelihoods depend on herd productivity.