Early recruitment and body mass of calves in the autumn are affected population densities and annual variation in food availability.

For districts where it is difficult to get precise estimates of population size, the weight of calves that are slaughtered may reveal if the quality of food the food at the ranges is stable or changing. The proportion of females reproducing is another sensitive measure of the conditions that reindeer face. Reduced reproductive investment is one of the first signs of food limitation. Newborn calves are also quite vulnerable to predation.

Early recruitment refers to the number of calves marked in the summer or autumn per female counted in the previous winter. Body mass refers to carcass weights of calves slaughtered in the autumn or winter.

Below you may study the development in body mass and early recruitment over time, or download the data for further analyses.