Reindeer Might Do More Than Just Sleigh Santa Around. Study Says They Help Cool The Arctic

It¡¯s the time of the year when we all welcome Rudolph the reindeer into our homes ¨C he comes bearing gifts after all! But turns out reindeer may play a bigger role than just as gift bearers for according to a new study they might hold one key to altering the negative effects of climate change.

Reuters

Scientists say in the study published in the journal Environmental Research Letters that grazing reindeer cause the amount of sunlight reflected into space, albedo, to increase which is apparently a good thing.

Global warming is increasing temperatures in the Arctic region, which is causing ice to melt and it¡¯s this ice that is needed to reflect some of the sun¡¯s radiation into space. Less ice means less sunlight is being reflected and instead causing open water to absorb the radiation, which in turn further adds to increasing temperatures.

When reindeer graze they lower the among of vegetation, which otherwise thrives in warmer climates contributing to local warming.

Reuters

Lead author of the study, Mariska te Beest of Ume? University, said, ¡°Our results show that reindeer have a potential cooling effect on climate, by changing the summer albedo. Although the estimated differences might appear small, they are large enough to have consequences for the regional energy balance.¡±

The research involved in the study observed reindeer in the Troms, Norway.

One downside to reindeer grazing, they said, is increasing soil temperature. And soil is an effective agent at sucking carbon dioxide.

The study said, ¡°Although grazing might be beneficial in terms of decreasing the net radiation, it might not be in term of releasing carbon into the atmosphere.¡±