Husdyr og beitebruk i fjell-Norge

Husdyra har gjennom flere tusen år med beiting påvirket fjellregionen og er en bærebjelke i fjellandbruket i Norge. Gjennom beiting høstes store fôrressurser i utmarka, noe som er en viktig del av ressursgrunnlaget for landbruket i fjellregionen. Husdyra sin beiting gir oss både mat og tekstiler (ull), de er en forutsetning for at vi kan ta vare på biologisk mangfold, og avgjørende for hvordan fjellandskapet vil utvikle seg i fremtiden.

DSC08001
Spælsauer på fjellbeite, Sølnkletten i bakgrunn. Foto: Ola Flaten
Lise_hest.jpg
Det er mange som liker å bruke fjellet. Flerbrukshensyn i utmarka må forståes i en helhetlig kontekst. Foto: Lise Grøva

Mange husdyr i fjellet 

Fjellkommunene i Sør- og Midt-Norge huser ca. 22% av melkekyrne, 22% av ammekyrne, 30% av sauene og 46 % av mjølkegeitene  i landet (basert på produksjonstilskuddstall fra fjellkommuner  2020). Om sommeren slippes husdyr på beite i fjellet fra også andre områder, og vi antar at over 1 millioner sau og over 70 000 storfe beiter i fjellet. Det er en tendens til nedgang i antall mjølkekyr i fjellkommunene, mens antallet ammekyr øker. I fjellet, slik som ellers i landet, øker bruksstørrelsen, men bruka med melkekyr i fjellområda er mindre enn i andre områder. Sauebruka er derimot gjennomgående større i fjellområdene enn ellers i landet.  

Reindrift er også en viktig del av fjellandbruket, og omtales på en egen temaside som det er lenket til nedenfor.

Forskningstema i NIBIO

NIBIO sitt arbeid med husdyrhold og beitebruk i fjellregionen er knyttet spesielt til småfe, storfe og hest. Sentrale fagområder er beitebruk på inn- og utmark, fôring, produktkvalitet, dyrehelse og -velferd, atferd hos dyr, rase som er tilpassa ressursgrunnlaget   og   klimaforskning.   Bruk av teknologi for overvåking av husdyr, både som hjelpemiddel for bonden og for å sikre at dyra har det bra, er et viktig arbeidsfelt i NIBIO.  

Flerbruksinteresser i utmarka gir utfordringer for husdyr på beite. Hyttebygging, friluftsliv og rovdyr er noen viktige faktorer som påvirker husdyra sin bruk av fjellbeitene. Flerbrukshensyn i utmarka er en sentral utfordring som må forståes i en helhetlig kontekst. 

NIBIO sitt arbeid med beitekartlegging og beitebruk har gitt oss ledende kompetanse på husdyra sin utnyttelse av utmarksbeite.  Denne kompetansen er viktig for videre arbeid med å forstå hvordan husdyra i fjellandbruket skal være del av en bærekraftig utvikling.  

Tjenester

Beitestatistikk for sau i utmark

Beitestatistikken viser dyretall og tap på utmarksbeite for sau organisert i beitelag under tilskuddsordninga "Organisert beitebruk" (OBB). Dette omfatter om lag 75 prosent av sau sleppt i norsk utmark. Tall vises for hvert år siden 1981 og på tre geografiske nivå. Fra 2002 er det laget kart over områder som beitelaga bruker. Kart for forrige beitesesong ligger på Kilden.

Mer informasjon Til tjenesten

Publikasjoner

Sammendrag

I denne artikkelen beskriver jeg hvordan beitelag planlegger, organiserer og utfører sine fellesoppgaver gjennom både formelle og uformelle avtaler. Datainnsamlingen baserer seg på kvalitative intervjuer med ledere for beitelag. Jeg er særlig opptatt av hvordan beitelagene kan ha betydning for sauebøndenes helse og livskvalitet. For å forstå og fortolke innholdet i samtalene bruker jeg teori om sosiale nettverk, sosial kapital, sosiale støttesystemer og setter dette inn i en folkehelsevitenskapelig ramme. Artikkelen ser særlig på hvordan hverdagsaktivitetene i beitelagene bidrar til å vedlikeholde de sosiale båndene mellom beitelagets medlemmer og heve beitebrukernes livskvalitet. Samtalene med beitelagene viser at beitelagene kan betraktes som sosiale nettverk hvor medlemmene gjennom felles gjøremål og formelle avtaler, bygger samhold, fellesskap og identitet. Beitelaget ser ut for å representere et sosialt støttesystem hvor det utveksles og byttes ulike former for hjelp og støtte, både sosialt, emosjonelt og instrumentelt.

Til dokument

Sammendrag

Grasslands represent key functional ecosystems due to their global contribution to macronutrients cycling and their role as reservoirs of microbial diversity. The strategic importance of these habitats rests on their involvement in carbon and nitrogen fluxes from the atmosphere to the soil, while at the same time offering extensive sites for livestock rearing. In this study the management type, differentiated in pasture or meadow, was investigated as a variable for its possible effects on overall bacterial diversity and specific genes related to functional guilds. Its contribution was compared to that of other variables such as region, soil pH, and soil organic carbon, to rank their respective hierarchies in shaping microbial community structure. A latitudinal gradient across the European continent was studied, with three sampling groups located in Norway, France, and Northern Italy. The applied methods involved 16S DNA metabarcoding for taxonomic classification and determination of the relative abundance of the bacterial component, and quantitative PCR for the genetic determinants of bacterial and archaeal nitrification, intermediate or terminal denitrification, and nitrogen fixation. Results indicated that soil pH exerted the dominant role, affecting high taxonomy ranks and functions, along with organic carbon and region, with whom it partly covaried. In contrast, management type had no significant influence on microbial community structure and quantitative counts of functional genes. This suggests an ecological equivalence between the impacts of pasture and meadow practices, which are both perturbations that share the aspect of vegetation withdrawal by browsing or cutting, respectively.

Til dokument

Sammendrag

Genetic selection in commercial sheep production has mainly focussed on production traits and to a large extent ignoring behavioural traits, such as response towards predators. The Icelandic leadersheep is a sheep breed selected and known for its special behavioural traits, such as leading the flock and bringing it home from pasture in case of danger. Those traits are also said to be beneficial in areas with a high predator pressure. In this study, it was investigated if there are behavioural differences in sheep flocks with and without a leadersheep present. Behaviour of sheep flocks was observed before, during and after a predator test, in small groups of Icelandic sheep with or without a leadersheep in the group. Eleven groups of Icelandic sheep with six ewes in each group were observed in a test arena while a human, a dog and a drone passed through the pasture. Six of the groups included a leadersheep and the remaining five did not. Groups including a leadersheep spent more time grazing after both the human and dog test, indicating a faster recovering to normal behaviour. They were also located close to the exit during the dog test compared to groups without a leadersheep, fitting well with the assertion that leadersheep bring the flock home in case of danger. During the drone test, groups with a leadersheep however spent more time moving around compared to the other groups. Since the sheep had experienced both humans and dogs before, but not drones, this may indicate that groups with leadersheep recovered quickly from the figurants they had experienced before, but tended to react more in the test which was a new situation. In conclusion, it appears likely that the earlier selection for leader traits in the leadersheep have indeed changed both their own behaviour and also that this has an effect on the behaviour of group members.

Til dokument

Sammendrag

Increasing populations of large carnivores are leading to tension and conflicts with livestock production, a situation that potentially might escalate. In Norway the objective of the large carnivore policy is two-folded: to ensure viable carnivore populations and to secure a sustainable grazing industry. The main instrument is zonation, with carnivore management zones (CMZs) prioritized for reproduction of the large carnivore species separated from other areas prioritized for grazing livestock. The objective of this paper is to describe current knowledge about the impact of the zoning management strategy on the grazing industry. This is done by documenting status and changes in sheep production, losses of livestock to predating carnivores, and the use of grazing areas inside and outside the CMZs. CMZs offering protection for lynx, wolverine, bear and wolf cover 55% of the Norwegian mainland. 30% of the sheep and 50% of the Sami reindeer grazing areas are found inside the CMZs. Livestock (semi-domestic reindeer excluded) is using 59% of the available natural pasture areas outside the CMZs, but only 26% inside the CMZs. The lowest use of available grazing areas was found inside zones for wolves (12%) and brown bears (6%). Livestock in these zones are confined to fenced enclosures, mostly on the farm itself, or moved to pastures outside the management zone for summer grazing. Livestock losses increased in the affected regions during the period when carnivores were reestablished. Later, losses declined when CMZs were established and mitigation efforts were implemented in these zones. The bulk of sheep and reindeer killed by carnivores are now found in boundary areas within 50 km off the CMZs, where sheep are still grazing on open mountain and forest ranges. Therefore, instruments to protect livestock in areas close to the CMZs are also needed. The number of sheep declined inside the CMZs from 1999 to 2014, but increased outside the zones. The reduction in the absolute number of sheep in the CMZs is balanced by a similar increase outside, thus the total sheep production in Norway is maintained. We conclude that although of little consequence for the total food production in Norway, the economic and social impact of the large carnivore management strategy can be serious for local communities and individual farmers who are affected. There is a need for more exact carnivore population monitoring to quantify the carnivore pressure, better documentation of reindeer losses, and a clearer and stricter practicing of the zoning strategy. Increased involvement of social sciences is important in order to understand the human dimension of the carnivore conflicts.

Til dokument

Sammendrag

Sheep grazing is an important part of agriculture in the North Atlantic region, defined here as the Faroe Islands, Greenland, Iceland, Norway and Scotland. This process has played a key role in shaping the landscape and biodiversity of the region, sometimes with major environmental consequences, and has also been instrumental in the development of its rural economy and culture. In this review, we present results of the first interdisciplinary study taking a long-term perspective on sheep management, resource economy and the ecological impacts of sheep grazing, showing that sustainability boundaries are most likely to be exceeded in fragile environments where financial support is linked to the number of sheep produced. The sustainability of sheep grazing can be enhanced by a management regime that promotes grazing densities appropriate to the site and supported by area-based subsidy systems, thus minimizing environmental degradation, encouraging biodiversity and preserving the integrity of ecosystem processes.

Til dokument

Sammendrag

The objective of this pilot study was to compare resource use in a mountainous summer farming landscape between old and modern dairy cow breeds during a five-day period. The modern breed used a larger part of the landscape than the old breed, most likely due to differences in habitat patterns. The old breed group preferred semi-natural pastures, while the modern breed preferred overgrown semi-natural meadows, intermediate fen, intermediate wooded fen, and grass-rich sub-alpine birch woodland. Both breeds spent most time grazing grasses, but the modern breed showed a higher frequency of grasses and Vaccinium myrtillus in its diet, while the old breed showed a higher frequency of bushes and trees. The pilot study shows some trends supplementing and strengthening earlier results on how modern and traditional cattle breeds are differing in their impact on vegetation based on their use of space and their different diets.

Til dokument

Sammendrag

In Norway domestic sheep are mostly kept on mountain pastures over summer. Previous studies have shown that climate conditions affect the growth of mountain grazing lambs in contrasting ways. We analysed a data-set from the Tjøtta Research farm in northern Norway comprising weights and growth of 8696 lambs over 17 years. The lambs grazed coastal or a mountain pasture, 15 km apart. We found that the lambs grew faster when grazing the mountain pasture. Spring and integrated Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) affected only the lambs grazing in the mountains. Winter conditions (North Atlantic Oscillation) and summer temperature had a positive effect on growth in both pastures while spring temperature and spring NDVI were important only in the mountains. The positive effect of spring NDVI suggests that the mountain pasture will produce bigger lambs under future climate warming, while the lambs on the coastal pasture will be less affected.

Til dokument

Sammendrag

The purpose of this study was to compare the effect of grazing on mountain (M) versus cultivated lowland pasture (C) on the performance and meat quality of suckling calves (Experiments 1 and 2). In addition, the effect of finishing on C after M on growth and meat quality was assessed (Experiment 2). Animals on C and M had on average similar live weight gain and carcass weight in the first experiment. However, the performance depended on year as gain and carcass weight was higher on C than on M in the first year and vice versa in the second year. In the second experiment the calves on M had lower gain and carcass weight than on C. Three weeks finishing on C after M compensated to some extent for the lower growth rate on M. Overall, the results indicate that mountain grazing may yield similar growth rates and slaughter weights as improved lowland pasture depending on year. There were only small effects of pasture type on carcass and meat quality traits like conformation, fatness, intramuscular fat and protein content, and fatty acid (FA) composition. The variation in FA composition could to a large extent be explained by difference in fatness with increase in monounsaturated and decrease in polyunsaturated FA with increasing intramuscular fat content, in turn varying between pasture type, experiment and year. There was a tendency that M led to higher proportion of C18:1n-9 and lower proportion of C18:1n-7 than C. which may be due to difference in milk and forage intake. Both pasture types resulted in meat with intramuscular fat with high nutritional value since the n-6/n-3 ratio was low. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Prosjekter

Logo

Divisjon for skog og utmark

DIGI-Rangeland


Hvordan kan nye digitale verktøy være til hjelp for utmarksbeitebonden?

DIGI-Rangeland er et europeisk nettverksprosjekt. 

Her skal kunnskapsdeling og kommunikasjon mellom ulike aktører i utmarka være et utgangspunkt for arbeidet med å forstå hvordan nye digitale verktøy kan være til hjelp for utmarksbeitebonden. Det er 10 ulike land med i prosjektet (Frankrike, Romania, Hellas, Spania, Kroatia, Slovenia, Bulgaria, Island, Norge, UK og Sveits).

Aktiv Sist oppdatert: 11.07.2025
Slutt: des 2028
Start: apr 2025
Project image

Divisjon for skog og utmark

BeiteDrone


Droner er et relativt nytt verktøy med for tida dårlig kompetanseflyt, mye innovasjon og lite samhandling.

Mål 1) NIBIO ønsker å kartlegge mulighetene for bruk av droner i beitenæringene i både drift og som FKT (forebyggende- og konfliktdempende tiltak). Mål 2) Samtidig vil vi utvikle kunnskap og heve praktisk kompetanse om dronebruk parallelt i utmarksnæringene og hos rådgivere ved NIBIO i Nordland, Troms og Finnmark. Mål 3) NIBIO vil teste og utvikle nye metoder for dronebruk som kan bidra til å effektivisere beitenæringene og redusere tap av beitedyr til fredet rovdyr.

 

INAKTIV Sist oppdatert: 13.09.2023
Slutt: des 2024
Start: apr 2023
_DSC3091-20110914-A Rehnberg - Norsk genressurssenter - Skog og landskap_gammelnorsk_sau-Cropped

Divisjon for matproduksjon og samfunn

Innlandsull: økt verdiskaping av ull hos sauebønder i Innlandet fylke.


Formålet med prosjektet er verdiskaping i fjelllandbruket for den enkelte sauebonde, for beitenæringen og næringsaktører i verdikjeden for ull. Videre å bidra med et kunnskapsgrunnlag som tilrettelegger for næringsvirksomhet basert på bærekraftig utnyttelse og produksjon av nedklassifisert ull som ressurs i utvalget "Fjellandbrukskommuner" i Innlandet. 

Aktiv Sist oppdatert: 20.10.2025
Slutt: des 2025
Start: aug 2021
20240701_121916-SeEi

Divisjon for kart og statistikk

Mitigation and Adaptation in Cultural Heritage Landscapes: Lessons from Transhumant Pastoral Systems for Managing Novel Climate Risks (PastAdapt)


Cultural landscapes provide essential ecological and sociocultural services and contain insights needed to combat climate change, but they are vulnerable to climate change and other stressors. By examining the cultural landscapes of transhumant pastoralism in France, Norway, and Spain, we will detail climate and other threats to this intangible cultural heritage (ICH), the characteristics and factors that create adaptive capacity in these systems, and methods for sustaining ICH through community action and policy. 

Aktiv Sist oppdatert: 20.10.2025
Slutt: apr 2027
Start: mai 2024