Research initiative intensifying at final conference on Swedish mountain environment

A comprehensive research effort on the Swedish mountain environment  has now reached its peak as  the final conference held during the last week of April in Stockholm.

Research initiative intensifying at final conference on Swedish mountain environment

There are about 40 researchers from seven Swedish universities who carried out twelve different research projects in the years 2013-2017 in connection with the Swedish mountain environment.

REXSAC researcher, Gunhild “Ninis” Rosqvist, Professor of Natural Geography (SU) and Director of Tarfala Research Station has led a collaborative research project between Tarfala Research Station and Laevas Sami, which has studied the impact of climate change and other land use on reindeer husbandry.

Among other things, the project has collected data from a number of weather stations within Sameby’s most important reindeer habitation area.

Reindeer husbandry has experienced major weather variations in recent years, especially during the winters. Rain and mild weather has been followed by extreme cold and heavy snowfall periods.

Data from weather stations now confirms how climate change has impacted reindeer husbandry in the last decade.

-This is a confirmation of what we already know, that there are major changes on the way and that there are changes that have already been going on for a long time. Exploitations make the adaptation possibilities for reindeer husbandry disappear, says Niila Inga, chairman of Laevas Sami.

Ninis agrees that the major weather variations are the clearest results from the project so far. Through GPS transmitters, the project has also shown that this affects reindeer movement patterns.

“But more interdisciplinary research is needed to study how the overall pressure affects land usage,” says Ninis Rosqvist.

The research project will continue to record weather data from the weather stations – but through a new project in collaboration with both Laevas and SSR, researchers will now study how to predict how snow conditions change.

The research work described is part of REXSAC Research Task 2. Impacts of multiple pressures on Arctic landscapes and societies.

Link to Sameradion & SVT Sápmi on April 22nd (Text in Swedish, interview with Niila in Sami)

Ninis Rosqvist och Niila Inga. Foto: Jörgen Heikki, Sameradion & SVT Sápmi
Ninis Rosqvist och Niila Inga. Foto: Jörgen Heikki, Sameradion & SVT Sápmi

 

 

Photo to the right: Niila Inga, Laevas sameby Foto: Jörgen Heikki / Sameradion & SVT Sápmi

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Niila Inga, Laevas sameby Foto: Jörgen Heikki / Sameradion & SVT Sápmi

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