Children playing in the snow.
Photo: Martha Main
Figure 4.12: A herd of reindeer belonging to the Nenets, an
indigenous people of the Russian Arctic, feed by digging un-
der the snow in western Siberia. Reindeer herding, practiced
for centuries by several Arctic peoples, is strongly impacted by
snow cover.
Photo: Lars Miguel Utsi/www.ealat.org
them from ripening, or interfere with operation of ma- Impacts on recreational sector
chinery. In the long-term, changes in snow distributions
and their impacts on the local water budget can contrib- Changes in snow distributions have had strong impacts on
ute to changes in vegetation type
85,86
and change the eco- the recreational sector. Skiing is one example that is im-
nomic cost-benefit of raising certain crops. portant to the economies of mountainous regions of North
America, Europe, and Asia
89,90
(see text box on alpine ski
Changes in snow distribution can also influence animal resorts). Snowmobiling, used both recreationally and for
husbandry. During extreme snow events, livestock can get transport in cold regions, is a growing pursuit and is, of
lost, stressed, or fail to give birth successfully
87
. The melt- course, dependent on a healthy base layer of snow. In 1985,
ing of spring snow creates muddy ground conditions that, snowmobiling contributed $300 million to the state econ-
if prolonged, can lead to animal weight loss. In subsist- omy of Minnesota alone
91
. Other less widespread winter
ence communities such as those across the Arctic, access sports such as dog mushing, sledding, and snowshoeing
to traditional hunting or herding of caribou and reindeer can be important to local economies, and are impacted
is strongly impacted by snow distribution
88
(Figure 4.12). when snow arrives anomalously late, too little, or not at all.
CHAPTER 4 SNOW 55