Detecting land cover disturbances in the Lappi reindeer herding district using multi-source remote sensing and GIS data

•We quantified landscape transformations in a reindeer herding district using multisource remote sensing and GIS data.•Forestry and hydroelectric construction have significantly altered the forest landscape.•Landscape transformations have had negative impacts on the availability and quality of reindeer pasture land.•The current state of a traditional land use system is related to cumulative pressures from other land use forms.

Land use intensification in northern regions has resulted in major land cover transformations that have generally negative impacts on traditional land use systems. We examined land cover disturbances in the Lappi reindeer herding district in North-Eastern Finland between 1965 and 2005 using multi-source remote sensing and GIS data. We utilised a series of Landsat MSS and TM data, KH-9 images, aerial photography and national GIS databases to detect land cover changes and accumulation of disturbances in a study area of 4504 km2. The results showed that the cover of continuous (old) coniferous forests was notably reduced by the 1970s, and the undisturbed forest cover further declined from 87 to 77% during the study period. The length of the road network increased from 835 km in 1972 to 1855 km in 2010. We estimate that circa 27% of the total area in the reindeer herding district has experienced major disturbances since the late 1960s owing to modern forest management, road construction and hydroelectric reservoirs. These long-lasting or permanent land cover changes have had several negative effects on reindeer pastures and have increased vulnerability of the reindeer herding system.