Sirpa Rasmu
Biographic Data
| ID | 3607163 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Sirpa Rasmu |
| GIVEN NAMES | Sirpa |
| FAMILY NAME | Rasmu |
| SIGNATURE | RASMU S |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Lapland |
| ORCID | 0000-0001-8106-0299 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 16 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 12 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 16 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2015 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 2 |
Adapting in polycrisis
Current global socio-environmental changes challenge human societies and give rise to new adaptation needs also for Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs). Based on participatory workshops with Sámi and Finn reindeer herders we examined adaptation challenges for reindeer herding in a situation characterized by complex, intertwined and unpredictable risks framed as polycrisis. We found that increasing the possibilities of reindeer herder…
A new scenario architecture to capture granularity of governance within and across Shared Socioeconomic Pathways
Publisher Copyright: © 2026 The Authors
Changing Winter Landscapes
Snow is a crucial part in the lives of Sámi reindeer herders, and changes in snow conditions can affect their well-being in multiple ways. However, meanings and emotions associated with snow are rarely considered in research on reindeer herding and climate change. Based on thematic interviews with reindeer herders in two reindeer herding co-operatives in the Sámi Homeland in Finland, we examined the roles and meanings of snow for Sámi reindeer he…
Reindeer husbandry is more than herding – Contemporary roles of women in reindeer husbandry in Finland
Women's role in reindeer husbandry has received little attention and women have been largely excluded from the public image and management of the livelihood in Finland. We adopted a mixed-methods approach to examine the role of women in reindeer husbandry, focusing on the practices and agency of female herders from the 1980s to the present. Although women have historically been underrepresented in official roles and decision-making related to rei…
Policy documents considering biodiversity, land use, and climate in the European Arctic reveal visible, hidden, and imagined nexus approaches
Climate change, cultural continuity and ecological grief
Arctic regions are warming significantly faster than other parts of the globe, leading to changes in snow, ice and weather conditions, ecosystems and local cultures. These changes have brought worry and concern and triggered feelings of loss among Arctic Indigenous Peoples and local communities. Recently, research has started to address emotional and social dimensions of climate change, framed through the concept of ecological grief. In this stud…
The impact of winter warming and more frequent icing events on reindeer herder occupational safety, health, and wellbeing
BACKGROUND: Northern Finland, like the rest of the Arctic, has experienced increases in mean annual temperature, the number of winter rains, the number of thaw-freeze days, the number of extremely warm weather events, and a shortened snow season. These changes have produced numerous problems for reindeer herders whose livelihoods rely on a healthy ecosystem with predictable weather patterns. METHODS: We performed a scoping literature review to as…
Land-use and climate related drivers of change in the reindeer management system in Finland
Drivers of change in the reindeer management system are rather well-known. But when developing the governance to support the traditional livelihoods, it is crucial to understand also practitioner perceptions. Systematic research on these is lacking. We analyzed the land-use and climate related drivers within the reindeer management area (RMA) in Finland, and, using a perception geography approach, studied the herder perceptions towards these. We …
Arctic rain on snow events
When rain falls on an existing cover of snow, followed by low temperatures, or falls as freezing rain, it can leave a hard crust. These Arctic rain on snow (ROS) events can profoundly influence the environment and in turn, human livelihoods. Impacts can be immediate (e.g. on human travel, herding, or harvesting) or evolve or accumulate, leading to massive starvation-induced die-offs of reindeer, caribou, and musk oxen, for example. We provide her…
Matching societal knowledge demand, research funding and scientific knowledge supply
Matching knowledge Demand, research Funding and knowledge Supply (DFS) is important in order to enhance societally and policy relevant research, target funding appropriately and enhance the connectivity between science, policy and society. The DFS field around reindeer management in Finland offers a fertile case study to examine interconnected and complex trends as well as the relations between herders' and policymakers' knowledge demand, ministe…
Mission impossible? Pursuing the co-existence of viable predator populations and sustainable reindeer husbandry in Finland
The recovery and expansion of large carnivores have increased livestock damage in Europe, one example being the reindeer husbandry in northern Fennoscandia. Mostly free-ranging reindeer herds have been exposed to increased predation. We studied connections between the contemporary predator management approach and the consequences of predation in reindeer husbandry within the reindeer management area in Finland. National and supranational manageme…
Changes in mountain birch forests and reindeer management
Mountain birch forests in the northern areas of Sápmi, the Saami homeland, serve as pastures for semi-domesticated reindeer. Recent reindeer management of the area has, to date, proceeded with little involvement of reindeer herders or their knowledge. To get more in-depth understanding of recent changes, we present together herders’ knowledge and scientific knowledge concerning the impacts of herbivory and climate change on mountain birch forests…
The Importance of Reindeer in Northern Finland during World War II (1939–45) and the Post-War Reconstruction
We studied the consequences of World War II (WWII, 1939–45) for reindeer herding in northern Finland, evaluated the significance of the livelihood for the population during and after the war, and identified the factors that made successful reconstruction of the livelihood possible. The study is based on qualitative content analysis of articles published in the professional journal Poromies (‘Reindeer Herder’) during the period 1931–67. Reindeer w…
Basal ice formation in snow cover in Northern Finland between 1948 and 2016
Basal ice formation in the terrestrial snow cover is a common phenomenon in northern circumpolar areas, one having significant impacts on ecosystems, vegetation, animals and human activities. There is limited knowledge on the spatial and temporal occurrence of basal ice formation because of the sparse observation network and challenges involved in detecting formation events. We present a unique dataset on the annual extent of ice formation events…
Local and regional variability in snow conditions in northern Finland
Observed cold season changes in a Fennoscandian fell area over the past three decades
Local and regional variability in snow conditions in northern Finland
Climate change, cultural continuity and ecological grief
Arctic regions are warming significantly faster than other parts of the globe, leading to changes in snow, ice and weather conditions, ecosystems and local cultures. These changes have brought worry and concern and triggered feelings of loss among Arctic Indigenous Peoples and local communities. Recently, research has started to address emotional and social dimensions of climate change, framed through the concept of ecological grief. In this stud…
Mission impossible? Pursuing the co-existence of viable predator populations and sustainable reindeer husbandry in Finland
The recovery and expansion of large carnivores have increased livestock damage in Europe, one example being the reindeer husbandry in northern Fennoscandia. Mostly free-ranging reindeer herds have been exposed to increased predation. We studied connections between the contemporary predator management approach and the consequences of predation in reindeer husbandry within the reindeer management area in Finland. National and supranational manageme…
Observed cold season changes in a Fennoscandian fell area over the past three decades
Reindeer husbandry is more than herding – Contemporary roles of women in reindeer husbandry in Finland
Women's role in reindeer husbandry has received little attention and women have been largely excluded from the public image and management of the livelihood in Finland. We adopted a mixed-methods approach to examine the role of women in reindeer husbandry, focusing on the practices and agency of female herders from the 1980s to the present. Although women have historically been underrepresented in official roles and decision-making related to rei…
Changes in mountain birch forests and reindeer management
Mountain birch forests in the northern areas of Sápmi, the Saami homeland, serve as pastures for semi-domesticated reindeer. Recent reindeer management of the area has, to date, proceeded with little involvement of reindeer herders or their knowledge. To get more in-depth understanding of recent changes, we present together herders’ knowledge and scientific knowledge concerning the impacts of herbivory and climate change on mountain birch forests…
Observed cold season changes in a Fennoscandian fell area over the past three decades
Local and regional variability in snow conditions in northern Finland
The Importance of Reindeer in Northern Finland during World War II (1939–45) and the Post-War Reconstruction
We studied the consequences of World War II (WWII, 1939–45) for reindeer herding in northern Finland, evaluated the significance of the livelihood for the population during and after the war, and identified the factors that made successful reconstruction of the livelihood possible. The study is based on qualitative content analysis of articles published in the professional journal Poromies (‘Reindeer Herder’) during the period 1931–67. Reindeer w…
Basal ice formation in snow cover in Northern Finland between 1948 and 2016
Basal ice formation in the terrestrial snow cover is a common phenomenon in northern circumpolar areas, one having significant impacts on ecosystems, vegetation, animals and human activities. There is limited knowledge on the spatial and temporal occurrence of basal ice formation because of the sparse observation network and challenges involved in detecting formation events. We present a unique dataset on the annual extent of ice formation events…
Changes in mountain birch forests and reindeer management
Mountain birch forests in the northern areas of Sápmi, the Saami homeland, serve as pastures for semi-domesticated reindeer. Recent reindeer management of the area has, to date, proceeded with little involvement of reindeer herders or their knowledge. To get more in-depth understanding of recent changes, we present together herders’ knowledge and scientific knowledge concerning the impacts of herbivory and climate change on mountain birch forests…
Matching societal knowledge demand, research funding and scientific knowledge supply
Matching knowledge Demand, research Funding and knowledge Supply (DFS) is important in order to enhance societally and policy relevant research, target funding appropriately and enhance the connectivity between science, policy and society. The DFS field around reindeer management in Finland offers a fertile case study to examine interconnected and complex trends as well as the relations between herders' and policymakers' knowledge demand, ministe…
Mission impossible? Pursuing the co-existence of viable predator populations and sustainable reindeer husbandry in Finland
The recovery and expansion of large carnivores have increased livestock damage in Europe, one example being the reindeer husbandry in northern Fennoscandia. Mostly free-ranging reindeer herds have been exposed to increased predation. We studied connections between the contemporary predator management approach and the consequences of predation in reindeer husbandry within the reindeer management area in Finland. National and supranational manageme…
Land-use and climate related drivers of change in the reindeer management system in Finland
Drivers of change in the reindeer management system are rather well-known. But when developing the governance to support the traditional livelihoods, it is crucial to understand also practitioner perceptions. Systematic research on these is lacking. We analyzed the land-use and climate related drivers within the reindeer management area (RMA) in Finland, and, using a perception geography approach, studied the herder perceptions towards these. We …
Arctic rain on snow events
When rain falls on an existing cover of snow, followed by low temperatures, or falls as freezing rain, it can leave a hard crust. These Arctic rain on snow (ROS) events can profoundly influence the environment and in turn, human livelihoods. Impacts can be immediate (e.g. on human travel, herding, or harvesting) or evolve or accumulate, leading to massive starvation-induced die-offs of reindeer, caribou, and musk oxen, for example. We provide her…
The impact of winter warming and more frequent icing events on reindeer herder occupational safety, health, and wellbeing
BACKGROUND: Northern Finland, like the rest of the Arctic, has experienced increases in mean annual temperature, the number of winter rains, the number of thaw-freeze days, the number of extremely warm weather events, and a shortened snow season. These changes have produced numerous problems for reindeer herders whose livelihoods rely on a healthy ecosystem with predictable weather patterns. METHODS: We performed a scoping literature review to as…
Policy documents considering biodiversity, land use, and climate in the European Arctic reveal visible, hidden, and imagined nexus approaches
Climate change, cultural continuity and ecological grief
Arctic regions are warming significantly faster than other parts of the globe, leading to changes in snow, ice and weather conditions, ecosystems and local cultures. These changes have brought worry and concern and triggered feelings of loss among Arctic Indigenous Peoples and local communities. Recently, research has started to address emotional and social dimensions of climate change, framed through the concept of ecological grief. In this stud…
Changing Winter Landscapes
Snow is a crucial part in the lives of Sámi reindeer herders, and changes in snow conditions can affect their well-being in multiple ways. However, meanings and emotions associated with snow are rarely considered in research on reindeer herding and climate change. Based on thematic interviews with reindeer herders in two reindeer herding co-operatives in the Sámi Homeland in Finland, we examined the roles and meanings of snow for Sámi reindeer he…
Reindeer husbandry is more than herding – Contemporary roles of women in reindeer husbandry in Finland
Women's role in reindeer husbandry has received little attention and women have been largely excluded from the public image and management of the livelihood in Finland. We adopted a mixed-methods approach to examine the role of women in reindeer husbandry, focusing on the practices and agency of female herders from the 1980s to the present. Although women have historically been underrepresented in official roles and decision-making related to rei…
Adapting in polycrisis
Current global socio-environmental changes challenge human societies and give rise to new adaptation needs also for Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs). Based on participatory workshops with Sámi and Finn reindeer herders we examined adaptation challenges for reindeer herding in a situation characterized by complex, intertwined and unpredictable risks framed as polycrisis. We found that increasing the possibilities of reindeer herder…
A new scenario architecture to capture granularity of governance within and across Shared Socioeconomic Pathways
Publisher Copyright: © 2026 The Authors
Geography (12 works) · Indigenous Studies and Ecology (12 works) · Livelihood (9 works) · Agriculture (7 works) · Climate change (7 works) · Climate change and permafrost (7 works) · Ecology (7 works) · Environmental Science (7 works) · Herding (6 works) · Physical geography (6 works)