ABSTRACT
Climate change will have a large impact on community level. As the emissions causing climate change are unlikely to be halted entirely in the near future, local areas and resource users may expect to have to adapt their ongoing land use to some extent (Ford and Smit 2004). Climate change is projected to lead to a more temperate climate in northernmost Europe, resulting in a delayed autumn and milder winters with increased precipitation. This change in climate, and adaptation to it, will cause an additional stress on resource users. The winter season will be shortened by perhaps a month (Hogda et al. 2001; ACIA 2004) and the ice on rivers and lakes will break up earlier and freeze later (IPCC 2001). This in turn will impact the spring flood and the seasonality of the flood may change (Hogda et al. 2001; IPCC 2001). In summer, plants may suffer from heat stress and soil moisture deficit due to the longer growing season and changing precipitation patterns and be exposed to invading pests, pathogens and herbivores. On the other hand, growth conditions may improve as a result of warmer temperatures and the ground being snow-free longer (Krankina et al. 1997; Saelthun 1995; Watson et al. 1998; cf. Maracchi et al. 2005; ACIA 2004).
