Lichens are an important part of Arctic vegetation as they are less affected by the coldness of these areas compared to many other organisms. In dry areas especially, they are a dominant group of organisms that contribute to a major part of the...
The aim of this investigation of the circumpolar arctic-alpine elymus alaskanus complex is to analyse the genetic variation over the total distribution area. At least 13 taxa have been described in this species complex. However, morphologically...
The individual projects in the Biodiversity theme focus on the diversity and evolution of a number of different organisms ranging from microbes, such as bacteria, algae and fungi, to higher plants and animals. The fact that these organisms live...
Study area with sited where radar observations were carried out during the Tundra northwest 1999 expedition. Many Arctic birds are renowned for their magnificent migratory achievements not only in the sense that they carry out the longest journeys...
Many waders breeding in the Arctic tundra regions perform spectacular annual migrations to wintering areas in temperate, subtropical and tropical areas all over the world. In some species, the number of individuals and their distribution are...
Large numbers of birds breed each summer on the tundra of the northern hemisphere. A prominent group of the Arctic bird fauna are the shorebirds. Breeding, which is an energetically costly activity irrespective of climate (Drent and Daan 1980), is...
The aim of this project is to investigate how some insects, particularly moths and butterflies (order Lepidoptera), have become equipped for survival and reproduction in the Arctic. Arctic animals possess traits that help them to survive and...
Nocturnal passerine migrants possess at least two different compass systems for orientation based on the geomagnetic field and celestial cues (stars, sun and the related pattern of skylight polarisation; for reviews see, for example, Emlen 1975;...
Migratory birds have the capacity to migrate very long distances between High Arctic breeding areas and more favourable wintering areas in temperate and tropical regions. How birds navigate on these long distance journeys is one of the most...
The Arctic is an extreme environment for many organisms. The primary objective of Theme C has been to make a comprehensive investigation and analysis of bird migration ecology in High Arctic North America. The approach is interdisciplinary and...
Despite the sparseness and the exceedingly slow growth rate of its vegetation, the Arctic terrestrial ecosystem is known to be a site of net accumulation of organic matter within the global biosphere, and at the same time, an important source of...
The scientific background and the aim of the project standing of the mechanisms influencing the distribution and abundance of animals and plants, how these organisms change at their species border, and how they cope with interspecific interactions...
Lakes and ponds are generally very common in Arctic and sub-Arctic regions, constituting an important component of the landscape. They are also vital for many terrestrial organisms, such as birds and mammals, which are attracted to water bodies...
Our project aims at a better understanding of Arctic lake and pond ecosystems, in particular the role of food quality for the zooplankton community structure, and vice versa. Arctic waters are of interest because they may favour such studies due...
The Tundra Northwest 1999 expedition to the Canadian Arctic included a limnological theme (D): ”Freshwater ecosystems in the high Arctic”. Although most projects under Theme D were of a basic nature, they were in several cases...
The polar regions are generally considered to be pristine and scarcely influenced by human activity. Thus it might be surprising that contamination of the Arctic environment should be of major concern. Nevertheless the Arctic has become...
Ever since the first nuclear facility was taken in to use in Chicago, USA in 1942, the environment has been contaminated by anthropogenic radionuclides. The Arctic environment was first exposed to these nuclides through the atmosphere and the...
Biodiversity is intrinsically important for ecosystem structure and function. While ecologists are uncovering the relationships between species and their environments, and how these relationships are important for maintaining ecosystems in their...
In order to understand past climatic change in the Canadian Arctic, a detailed climate record is necessary. However, scientific knowledge of Arctic climate since the end of the Little Ice Age (c. 1850) is incomplete. The Arctic meteorological...
The polar regions are key areas for climate changes and pollution. Many areas can be defined as cold deserts. There is less biodiversity here and food-chains are direct and less complicated. The low temperature causes decomposition to be very low...
