Expressions of Intent for IPY 2007-2008 Activities

Expression of Interest Details

PROPOSAL INFORMATION

Environmental baselines, processes, changes and Impacts on people in sub-arctic Sweden and the Nordic Arctic Regions.  (ENVISNAR)

Outline
Background There is increasing recognition that multiple environmental changes are occurring in the northern regions of Europe. Some of these environmental changes, for example climate warming, levels of UV-B radiation, and habitat fragmentation, are projected to continue leading to impacts on the lands of the Nordic countries unprecedented since deglaciation some 10,000 year ago. There will likely be large impacts on the peoples of the North, both problems and opportunities, and consequences outside the region because of the important role that the Arctic plays in the earth system: changes in treeline and snow and ice cover affect the transfer of energy and water between land and atmosphere; changes in vegetation, soils and permafrost affect the atmospheric composition of greenhouse gases; millions of birds that breed and feed in the Arctic are important winter components of the biodiversity of European countries further south. Although some arctic Nordic observatories such as the Abisko Station have monitored the environment for nearly 100 years, and much research has been initiated within the last decade, our baseline information on multiple and often interacting environmental changes is still weak and our ability to project impacts of future environmental changes on ecosystems and the land surface at the landscape scale is poor. However, it is the landscape scale of changes that is relevant to people. Aims A new collaborative, co-ordinated programme is required to: - provide a standardised, georeferenced baseline of environmental information against which changes throughout the current century can be measured, - develop models of climate, land use, biodiversity and ecosystem function that can be inter-linked and applied to landscape level projections - establish standardised monitoring that can detect change at multiple local sites and that can validate model projections and remotely sensed data. Strategy An "expedition" to northernmost Sweden will be arranged in which international scientists will be offered logistic support to join Abisko researchers working in the field. The research will be focused on large scale land-freshwater-atmospheric exchange studies at the catchment scale, and will include scientists from several natural science disciplines (such as plant ecology, bio-geochemistry, hydrology, biodiversity, GIS, remote science, meteorology etc). The bio-geo modelling community will be involved, particularly for upscaling. The local Swedish indigenous people, the Saami , will be invited to host members of the indigenous peoples from around the Arctic to discuss collaboration on environmental issues and monitoring. Joint meetings of the scientists working in the field, computer modellers and indigenous peoples will be arranged for cross-fertilisation and collaboration on environmental monitoring and assessment and projection of environmental change and its impacts.

What significant advance(s) in relation to the IPY themes and targets can be anticipated from this project?
The integrated, interdisciplinary studies will increase knowledge on the structure and function of ecosystems at the landscape level (Theme 1) Through integration of several studies within paleo-ecology, there will be detailed information on past natural environments (Theme 2) Some of the world’s leading experts in the field of interactions in physical, chemical and biological systems in polar regions are participating, in particular for the carbon cycle, and will train a new generation of researchers (Theme 3) By combining scientific and indigenous knowledge, the project will study the processes that shape the sustainability of circumpolar human societies (Theme 6)

What international collaboration is involved in this project?
Within ENVISNAR, scientific expertise in different fields of natural and social sciences from seeral countries will work together with indigenous people. They will be offered opportunities of comparative studies in other northern regions of Fenoscandia through the SCANNET (SCANdinavian/North European NETwork of terrestrial field bases) member facilities. SCANNET is co-ordinated by the Abisko Station.

FIELD ACTIVITY DETAILS

Geographical location(s) for the proposed field activities:
Most of the field work will carried out in the Abisko area in Northern Sweden. The Abisko Station is situated within the area. (68°21'N, 18°49'E). However comparisons will be made also for vast areas in the Nordic Arctic Regions.

Approximate timeframe(s) for proposed field activities:
Arctic: 02/07 – 12/09            
Antarctic: n/a

Significant facilities will be required for this project:
The Abisko Station will serve as the base for the activities. Logistics, facilities, and workshops will be arranged by the Swedish Polar Research Secretariat, while reporting on the will be led by the Abisko Station The major logistics support for the project will be helicopter and air craft transports to extend the present logistical coverage of the region.

Will the project leave a legacy of infrastructure?
Yes, it will: stimulate new monitoring activities; create new permanent platforms for environmental monitoring and research; establish a forum for meetings on environmental issues and monitoring between the scientists and indigenous people; establish protocols and methodology that can be adopted in more remote and contrasting arctic landscapes.

How is it envisaged that the required logistic support will be secured?
Consortium
Own national polar operator
National agency
Own support

The proposal has been developed in consultation with the Swedish Polar Secretariat which has co-ordinated the logistics for many successful arctic expeditions. The appropriate Swedish Research Council has been fully informed of the plans.

Has the project been "endorsed" at a national or international level?
Yes, The Abisko Scientific research Station is identified by the Swedish Polar Research Secretariat as one of the major Swedish platforms for activities within IPY.

PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND STRUCTURE

Is the project a short-term expansion (over the IPY 2007-2008 timeframe) of an existing plan, programme or initiative or is it a new autonomous proposal?
New
The project is both new and an expansion of existing or planned activity. The research will be carried out by scientists already active in the Abisko region. However, in this project, they will work together in the same study area, creating possibilities for holistic studies at the watershed/landscape level. The part of the project dealing with contacts with scientists and indigenous people is new. Although autonomous, it will link with many IPY and other arctic initiatives because of the central role that the Abisko Station plays in Arctic terrestrial research and monitoring.

How will the project be organised and managed?
The local organisation and management of the project will be made by the existing infrastructures at the Abisko Station. The Station has a long tradition of hosting, arranging and organising research projects, programmes and networks. The logistics will be organised by collaboration between the Swedish Polar Secretariat and the Abisko Station with involvement of SCANNET members. An international planning committee will be formed based on the leaders and research users of the SCANNET observatories, the modelling community and local populations, and a planning meeting will be held. Abisko has EU Transnational Access (2005-2009) and will solicit collaboration and ideas from a new generation of international researchers from the European Union that will be supported to work at the Station over the next 4 years. SCANNET is a member of the Circum Arctic Environmentsal Observatories Network (CEON) and will collaborate with CEON to organise the recording and web-publishing of geographically explicit observations and research focal points.

What are the initial plans of the project for addressing the education, outreach and communication issues outlined in the Framework document?
Education and outreach would be provided at both university and school levels. Already existing networks and contacts will be used for this purpose. Events, such as innovative virtual expeditions, will be tested during the Swedish Beringia expedition of 2005 by Luleå Technical University in collaboration with the Abisko Scientific Research Station and the Swedish Polar Secretariat.

What are the initial plans of the project to address data management issues (as outlined in the Framework document)?
The data management within the project will be based on the positive experiences from the similar activities within SCANNET and CEON. Data will be easily available and accessible through Internet from linked homepages belonging to the Abisko Station, the Swedish Polar Secretiat, SCANNET and CEON. Data and information will also be transformed in a way that they also will be of interest for the public as well as for the education system on all levels.

How is it proposed to fund the project?
Funding will be sought from National, Nordic and EU sources and from bilateral and multilateral arrangements among the Arctic countries. The Abisko Station will itself cover parts of the costs for visiting scientists through the recently received EU-Transnational Access grant, ATANS.

Is there additional information you wish to provide?
The proposed initiative is based on addressing key uncertainties identified by many arctic assessment programmes such as the Arctic Climate Impacts Assessment (ACIA) in which the Abisko Station, its staff and visiting scientists have played key roles. The Station also contributes to, or leads, several research planning activities and the project described here is intended to be a platform for the implementation of some of the recommendations highlighted by such exercises. The long-term environmental monitoring and research in the North of Sweden (resulting in over 2,700 scientific publications) together with exceptionally well-developed scientific infrastructure, has placed the Station at the forefront of terrestrial environmental research in the Arctic. It is envisaged that the project will lead to a new generation of research and monitoring that will provide concepts and methodologies as well as data for future implementaion by other Arctic areas. While focusing on key uncertainties, the proposal seizes key opportunities: integrating scientists in different disciplines by working in one geographical area, collaboration between scientists and indigenous peoples, and outreach through an innovative virtual expedition.

PROPOSER DETAILS

Prof Terry Callaghan
Abisko Scientific Research Station


S-981 07
Sweden

Tel: +46 980 400 71
Mobile: Alt. Phone number +44 1457 763 003
Fax: +46 980 401 71
Email:

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