Replication Data for: The increase of an allelopathic and unpalatable plant undermines Reindeer pasture quality, diversity and current management in the Norwegian tundra

These datasets contain original data on biomass and extent of vascular plant growth forms in plots from a range of sites in northern Fennoscandia collected in 2003 and in 2020. Main findings are presented in the following abstract: Ongoing Arctic greening can increase productivity and reindeer pasture quality in the tundra. However, greening may also entail proliferation of unpalatable species, with consequences for pastoral social-ecological systems. Here we show extensive greening across 20 reindeer districts in Norway between 2003 and 2020, which has reduced pasture diversity. The allelopathic, evergreen dwarf-shrub crowberry increased its biomass by 60%, with smaller increases of deciduous shrubs and no increase in the most species rich growth forms (i.e., forbs and graminoids). There was no evidence for higher reindeer densities promoting crowberry. The current management decision-making process aims at sustainable pasture management but does not explicitly account for pasture changes and reduced diversity. Large-scale shifts towards evergreening and increased allelopathy may thus undermine the resource base for this key Arctic herbivore and the pastoral social-ecological system. Management that is sensitive to changes in pasture diversity could avoid mismanagement of a social-ecological system in transition.

本数据集收录了来自芬兰斯堪的纳维亚北部多个地点在2003年和2020年采集的生物量及维管植物生长形式的原始数据。主要发现如下摘要：持续的北极绿化可以提升苔原的生产力和驯鹿放牧地的质量。然而，绿化过程也可能导致难以食用的物种增多，从而对游牧社会的生态系统产生负面影响。本研究揭示了挪威20个驯鹿行政区在2003年至2020年间的广泛绿化现象，导致放牧地多样性降低。具有化感作用的常绿矮小灌木越橘的生物量增加了60%，而落叶灌木的增加较小，对物种最为丰富的生长形式（即草本植物和禾本科植物）则没有影响。没有证据表明驯鹿密度的增加促进了越橘的生长。目前的管理决策过程旨在实现可持续的放牧地管理，但并未明确考虑放牧地的变化和多样性降低。因此，大规模向常绿化和增强化感作用的转变可能会削弱这一关键北极草食动物及其游牧社会生态系统的资源基础。对放牧地多样性变化敏感的管理措施能够避免在过渡中的社会生态系统管理不善。