It is important to note that logging impacts forests massively since they are no longer viable for reindeer to forage during winter. It is stated that “it’s best for us if the reindeer could live freely and survive in the forest by themselves without additional food” (ArcticPeoples, 2013). In other words, the Saami people are heavily burdened by the need to provide forage for the animals during winter. The given period is already associated with scarcity of food for the Saami people, and the need to keep reindeer alive makes logging even more problematic to their lifestyles and survival. The Finnish lawyer reports that “both public and private land use threaten the reindeer herding and thereby the Saami identity” (ArcticPeoples, 2013). One should be aware that reindeer are of great importance for the Saami people’s livelihood. The animal is used for almost everything essential, ranging from food, trade, clothing, and labor. The traditional reindeer herding allows the Saami people to ensure that there is no shortage of animals since it is a vital and only resource.
Extensive logging practices cause deforestation and a shortage of forage for reindeer. The replacement solutions tend to create monoculture forests, whereas reindeer thrive on mixed ones. Traditional forestry was used to preserve the lichen from the old trees and pass on the newly growing sapling (ArcticPeoples, 2013). However, the current practices dismiss the importance of lichen, making the trees a sole priority, and since reindeer primarily eat herbs, mosses, and grasses, it is critical to preserve traditional practices. Clear-cuts are dangerous because barren lands lose their regenerative power, which leaves simply empty areas without an ecosystem to support the reindeer population as well as the Saami people.
Reference
ArcticPeoples. (2013). The last Yoik in Sami forests? – A documentary video for the UN. [Video]. YouTube. Web.