Arctic Research Consortium of the Member Institution Winter 2006/2007, Volume 12 Number 2

Research at the University of Arctic Centre

stablished in 1979 and located on the Oulu, and Helsinki, and about 50 supervi- EArctic Circle, the University of Lap- sors and associate members from multiple For more information, contact: land in , , enrolls about institutions. The theme of the school is Riku Lavia 4,300 undergraduate and 400 graduate stu- Social and Environmental Impacts of Arctic Centre dents and employs a staff of 650. Within Modernization and Global Change in the University of Lapland the university, the Arctic Centre was Arctic. ARKTIS students work in the social PO Box 122 established in 1989 as a multidisciplinary sciences—including sociology, political sci- FI-96101 Rovaniemi research institute and science centre. Its ence, environmental politics, international Finland multinational staff of 80 conducts a wide relations, economics, cultural studies, law, [email protected] • 358-16-3412758 range of research and education activities, and education—as well as biology and www.arcticcentre.org carries out project services, and maintains geography. Most research groups at the a science centre, information service, and Arctic Centre also include graduate stu- The Arctic Centre hosts the Finnish library. The operating budget for the Arctic dents who are funded by outside sources, National Secretariat of the International Centre (€2.34 million in 2005) comes such as the Academy of Finland and vari- Polar Year (IPY; see page XX) in coopera- from the Finnish Ministry of Education. ous foundations. tion with the Thule Institute of the Univer- Arctic Centre research projects also receive The Arctic Centre organizes and sity of Oulu. The secretariat is responsible funding (€1.43 million in 2005) from a coordinates a non-degree granting Arctic for coordination of national IPY events, variety of outside sources, including the Studies Program (ASP) in cooperation international cooperation with other IPY Academy of Finland and European Union with the International Studies Centre of entities, and IPY education and outreach (EU) funding instruments. the University of Lapland. The one-year services. The University of Lapland also Founded in 2003 at the Arctic Centre, ASP provides students with comprehensive operates the International Secretariat of the ARKTIS is a multidisciplinary graduate knowledge of the physical, environmental, University of the Arctic (see page XX). school funded by the Ministry of Educa- social, and cultural aspects of the Arctic as With a strong emphasis on interna- tion. ARKTIS has 22 Ph.D. students well as research opportunities at the centre. tional multidisciplinary cooperation, the enrolled at the Universities of Lapland, The program is designed for a variety of 40 scientists working at the Arctic Centre students, includ- combine the perspectives of natural and ing Finnish and social sciences to understand societal and foreign degree stu- environmental problems of northern dents, international regions and contribute to management exchange students, decisions with the goal of a sustainable and professionals, future. While the centre has a circumpolar who would like mandate, its primary emphasis is on north- to improve their ern , Scandinavia, and . knowledge of the Research focuses on three main themes, North. each of which is led by a research professor: • global change, The Arktikum building, which houses the Arctic • sustainable development, and Centre, is on the banks • environmental and minority law. of the Ounasjoki River This insert includes highlights of recent in Rovaniemi, Finland. Photo by Timo Lindholm/ Arctic Centre research activities. Fotoplan.

Published by the Arctic Research Consortium of the United States • 3535 College Road • Suite 101 • Fairbanks, AK 99709 Arctic Centre at the University of Lapland: ARCUS Member Institution

Global Change Research Group ed by Bruce Forbes (Biogeography/ LEcology), the global change research group examines the effects of large-scale changes in climate and ecology and efforts to adapt to them. The research group As part of the emphasizes both the natural sciences and ENSINOR project, Anu Pajunen, a the relationship between human com- Ph.D. student in munities and rapid environmental change. Botany, talks with a Because the responses and resilience of herder about forage plants in reindeer northern societies are of special interest, pastures in the the global change group works closely Bolshezemel’skaia with the sustainable development research tundra, Nenets Autonomous Okrug, group (see page 3). Russia. Photo by For example, a 2004 Arctic Centre Bruce Forbes. project entitled Challenges of Modernity for Reindeer Management: Integration Ole Henrik Magga and Svein Mathiesen, forage plants to increasing ultraviolet-B and Sustainable Development in Europe’s Saami University College, . (UV-B, 280–320 nm) radiation as indica- Subarctic and Boreal Regions (REN- The ENSINOR project’s comparative tors of climate change. ECOREIN investi- MAN) developed new models of partici- case studies examine changes resulting from gators manipulate plants’ UV-B exposure in patory research and planning in reindeer energy development in two districts— the field and characterize plant responses, management that fostered integrated and Nenets Autonomous Okrug and the including synthesis of defensive phenolic sustainable use of semi-domestic reindeer Yamal-Nenets Autonomous Okrug—that compounds, nitrogen metabolism, and resources in northernmost Europe. contain the region’s most productive proven composition of waxes and nutritive sub- Arctic Centre researchers are using the energy sources. The research team conducts stances. The social science component of participatory approach developed through biological, geographic, and anthropologi- the project analyzes the human-animal- RENMAN in a multidisciplinary analy- cal investigations and works closely with plant-relationship. An assessment, derived sis of energy development in northwest migratory Nenets herders. The research- from participant observation and question- Russia. With primary funding from the ers combine quantitative methods, such naires, will identify environmental and Academy of Finland, Forbes works with as high-resolution satellite image analysis socioeconomic factors that make reindeer Florian Stammler (Social Anthropology) and on-site biological data collection, with herding vulnerable to change and ways on Environmental and Social Impacts of anthropological research on the herders’ herders can cope with these changes effec- Industrial Development in Northern Rus- qualitative knowledge of herding, hunting, tively. For more information, see http:// sia (ENSINOR). This four-year project fishing, and gathering. In December 2007, thule.oulu.fi/projects/ecorein.html. includes collaboration with Tuula Tuisku the Arctic Centre will develop a museum Arctic Centre research in glaciology of the Thule Institute at the University of exhibition sharing the project’s findings and paleoclimatology is funded primarily Oulu and Svetlana Ektova of the Institute that will travel to regional museums in by the Academy of Finland. John Moore of Plant and Animal Ecology at the Rus- Salekhard and Naryan Mar. A final work- leads a group of investigators specializing sian Academy of Sciences and with three shop will involve stakeholders, including in geophysics (Venkata Gandikota, Aslak closely related projects: government, the oil industry, reindeer herd- Grinsted, and Anna Sinisalo) and chemis- • Heterogeneity and Resilience of Human- ers, indigenous officials, and researchers. try (Kristiina Virkkunen) with the aim of Rangifer Systems: A Circumpolar Social- Stammler also works with Minna better understanding the climate system Ecological Synthesis, funded by NSF Turunen (Global Change, Botany), Päivi and its interactions with the cryosphere. and led by Gary Kofinas, University of Soppela (Global Change, Zoology), and They combine geophysical measurements, Alaska Fairbanks (UAF); Monica Tennberg (Sustainable Develop- such as ground penetrating radar on gla- • Application of Space-Based Technolo- ment) on a project investigating ecologi- ciers and ice core analyses, with advanced gies and Models to Address Land-Cover/ cal and socioeconomic impacts of global mathematical methods to explore the non- Land-Use Change Problems on the change on reindeer herding in Finnish Lap- linear mechanistic behavior of the climate Yamal Peninsula, funded by the National land and northwest Russia. Conducted in system. These methods allow features that Aeronautics and Space Agency (NASA) collaboration with researchers at the Uni- are largely obscured by complex noise pro- and led by Skip Walker, UAF; and versity of Oulu, Finnish Forest Research cesses in more traditional analyses to be • Reindeer Herders’ Vulnerability Net- Institute, and several international partners, extracted from time series of observed cli- work Study: Reindeer Pastoralism in Ecological and Socioeconomical Responses mate. Sophisticated treatment of chemistry a Changing Climate, funded by the of Global Change on Reindeer Pastures data also allows climate information to be Norwegian Research Council and led by (ECOREIN) uses responses of reindeer continued on page 3

2 extracted from ice cores taken from non- Jukka Jokimäki (Ecology and Envi- whose populations have declined in recent optimum environments, greatly expanding ronmental Management) leads a project decades, likely due to changes in forest the geographical coverage of this important entitled Tourist Destinations as Landscape structure. Fragmentation of breeding habi- climate archive. The group’s approaches Laboratories: Tools for Sustainable Tourism tat reduces both overall population size and complement traditional general circulation (LANDSCAPE-LAB), funded largely by gene flow between different parts of the modeling (GCM) but are based on real the EU LIFE Environment Programme. population. The results of Rätti’s work on observables and allow simple descriptions The team of 49 investigators is working to population genetics of grouse in study areas of climate dynamics that can reveal the ele- understand impacts of tourism on nature, with different degrees of fragmentation will ments of the system most likely to display culture, and local communities in Finland be applied to the management of grouse hysteresis and other non-linear behavior. and to develop a system for monitoring and their breeding habitats with the goal of In 2005, several members of the team environmental impacts of tourism that can preserving genetic diversity. The informa- participated in an international effort that be adapted for use elsewhere in Europe. tion is valuable for agencies responsible for recovered a high-resolution ice core from The project focuses on the Ounasselkä fell forest planning and management and con- Svalbard, Norway, containing the climatic area in northwestern Finnish Lapland. The servation of fauna. history of the past 400 years. This adds to tourist destinations of this area—Levi, Pal- Anna-Liisa Sippola (Conservation the team’s existing archive of the past 800 las and Ylläs—draw the highest volume of Biology) investigates the effects of forest years in Svalbard recovered in 1997 and the nature-based tourism in the country, with management methods on species diversity past 15,000 years in Antarctica recovered more than 2 million visitor-days estimated and key habitats and cost-effective forest in 2003 and January 2007. They are using in 2003. Maintaining tourism while sus- conservation in several projects funded by these records to better understand how taining the environment in these areas is the Ministry of Environment, the Finn- large events, such as volcanic eruptions and challenging due to the fragile ecosystem ish Forest Research Institute, and the EU industrialization, have impacted natural and vicinity of Pallas-Yllästunturi National Interreg Tacis Programme. She leads Devel- climate patterns, such as the Little Ice Age Park. Project activities include analyzing opment of Polypore Indicators in Assessing and termination of the last glacial period. the geology, landscape structure, history the Conservation Value of Boreal Forests, Notable findings include: of land use, tourist experiences, and envi- a project funded by the Finnish Ministry • a sulphate inventory for the 20th century ronmental attitudes of interest groups. The of Environment to develop practical tools in Svalbard shows that western Europe team is also conducting inventories of bird for biodiversity assessment in boreal forests. is, surprisingly, the dominant anthropo- life and examining plant species suitable for Polypores are fungi that live on decaying genic source of sulphate at 1250 m eleva- restoration. More information is available wood, and their species diversity reflects tion on Svalbard, and at: www.arcticcentre.org/landscapelab. that of the host forest. A comprehensive • new proxy measures indicate that sum- With funding from several sources, dataset has been collected from Finnish mer temperatures since 2002 on Svalbard Osmo Rätti (Population Ecology) investi- polypore researchers that will be used by are similar to those seen during the gates how habitat fragmentation influences the National Board of Forestry and other Medieval Warm Period (circa AD 1100). genetic diversity in forest dwelling grouse, forestry organizations.

Sustainable Development Research Group he sustainable development research tutionally effective but had only modest study the adaptation Tgroup investigates the rapid environ- environmental effects. A project on indig- strategies of arctic mental and societal changes being faced by enous peoples as international political international institu- people in the Arctic and how these changes actors (INDIPO) examines how relations tions and countries. influence their institutions and livelihoods. between states, international organiza- Tennberg also leads Monica Tennberg (International Relations, tions, and indigenous peoples have been the Finnish contri- Political Science) leads the research group and are currently constructed as legal and bution to the pan- and, with funding from the Academy of political practices; Tennberg is developing arctic Community Finland, is investigating: a research approach based on pragmatist Adaptation and Vul- • international environmental cooperation, ideas to study the diversity of indigenous nerability in Arctic mainly by EU and Nordic countries, in peoples’ international political agencies and Regions (CAVIAR) northwest Russia, and their experiences in attempting to further consortium, which • arctic climate politics. their political interests. Initial results from will compare local In the Russian project, she studies gov- INDIPO were published in Polar Record communities expe- ernance structures and environmental in 2006. In a new arctic climate politics riencing rapid social policies of the countries involved; results project, she collaborates with researchers in and environmental thus far suggest that international envi- the Northern Institute for Environmental ronmental cooperation has been insti- and Minority Law (NIEM; see page XX) to continued on page 4 3 Arctic Centre at the University of Lapland: ARCUS Member Institution changes; the CAVIAR consortium is part of Centre focus on community the science program for IPY 2007-2008. dynamics and collectivity Arctic Indigenous and Sami The Arctic Centre emphasizes the among inhabitants of remote importance of anthropological research, villages and on the ways these Peoples Research Office particularly in northern Russia. Florian community attitudes are trans- stablished in 2005, the Arctic Indigenous and Stammler (Social Anthropology) is con- lated into institutions. As a ESami Peoples Research Office contributes to the ducting comparative anthropological contribution to Global Change sustainable development research group by promot- research on relations between reindeer Vulnerabilities in the Barents ing research, education, and cooperation with repre- herders and industrial companies and Region: Linking Arctic Natural sentatives of indigenous groups at the national and workers in this region. Part of this work Resources, Climate Change international level. Led by Elina Helander-Renvall is funded by ENSINOR (see page XX). and Economies (BALANCE), (Cultural Studies), researchers in the office study: Stammler is working with Emma Wilson an EU-funded integrated • indigenous knowledge and its utilization, of Scott Polar Research Institute (SPRI) regional impact study of the • knowledge related to biodiversity, at the University of Cambridge to explore Barents Sea region, Stammler • natural resources and related conflicts, impact mitigation and the relationship and Piers Vitebsky of SPRI • international indigenous politics, and between stakeholders active in and affected are examining implications of • minority law. by industrialization. With funding from institutional transformation on With researchers in the information service the U.K. Economic and Social Science land use practices in the arctic department at the Arctic Centre, the office recently Research Council, the team contributed tundra. Along similar lines, developed a database of research projects dealing to a seminar series designed to provide Anna Stammler-Gossmann with Sami people or in Sami areas. The database, a forum for dialogue between academia, (Social Anthropology) is which is in English, contains more than 200 entries industry, government and civil society investigating impacts and vul- describing Sami-related research projects on topics examining approaches to sustainable devel- nerability of human activities such as culture, education, environment, land man- opment and corporate governance in Rus- such as fishing, shipping, and agement, politics, and reindeer husbandry. The data- sia (www.spri.cam.ac.uk/events/russianoil). offshore oil and gas extraction, base is appropriately named Rádju, which in Sami Results of this work were recently pub- in the context of changing means “to preserve something by collecting,” and lished in a special issue of Sibirica (www. climate and sea ice conditions. is available at: http://arcticcentre.ulapland.fi/radju/ berghahnbooksonline.com/journals/sib/ This research contributes to radju_eng.aspx. index.php?pg=toc5-2). the EU-funded Developing The office also recently produced a report on the The Arctic has experienced considerable Arctic Modeling and Observ- status and trends of indigenous arctic peoples’ tra- new institution building in the past few ing Capabilities for Long- ditional knowledge as it relates to Article 8(j) in the decades, including new types of indigenous term Environmental Studies Convention on Biological Diversity, which operates economic enterprises; our understanding of (DAMOCLES) project (see under the United Nations Environment Programme. these institutional development processes, page XX). In another project, Based on studies conducted in seven arctic nations however, is still limited, particularly in she analyzes globalization and and developed in cooperation with the Finnish Min- remote regions of northern Russia. Sev- adaptation to rapid socio-po- istry of Environment, the report: eral anthropological projects at the Arctic litical change in communities • examines retention of traditional biodiversity in northern Russia. She focuses knowledge in the Arctic, on forms of regional and global • describes measures to protect and promote the use interaction, such as trade, tour- of this knowledge, and ism, and northern identity, to • identifies processes that may threaten the mainte- better understand how sustain- nance, preservation, and application of traditional able development can be real- knowledge, innovations, and practices. ized in meaningful ways. In a new project funded by the Finnish Academy, Assessing Senses A contribution to the European Science of Place, Mobility and Viability in Indus- Foundation BOREAS program (www. trial Northern Communities (MOVE- alaska.edu/boreas/move), the MOVE-IN- INNOCOM), Stammler and his team have NOCOM project will provide an northern begun in-depth research on the impact of perspective to a general theory of viable industrial restructuring on non-indigenous communities through ethnographic analy- northern residents who originally cames ses of movement and settlement histories of to the Russian North as temporary labor. individuals and families.

Florian Stammler in the middle of a field season among reindeer herders on the Yamal Peninsula of Russia. Photo by Bruce Forbes.

4 Arctic Centre at the University of Lapland: ARCUS Member Institution

Northern Institute for Environmental and Minority Law he eighteen researchers in the North- coordinating the arctic governance cur- institutes in the Nordic Research Network Tern Institute for Environmental riculum for the University of the Arctic, for Sami and Environmental Law. Joint and Minority Law (NIEM) focus on and publishing Juridca Lappondica, a series research projects between members of the two areas of law from an arctic perspec- describing research conducted at NIEM. network primarily focus on Sami law and tive—environmental law and human Recent volumes in the series include Arctic the protection of arctic biological diver- rights. NIEM, which is led by Timo Koi- Governance and The Right to a Decent Envi- sity. Network members are coordinating vurova (International Environmental Law), ronment with Special Reference to Indigenous a conference on sustainable use of natural is the only research institute that focuses Peoples, both published in 2004. resources and conservation of biodiversity specifically on arctic and northern legal The Academy of Finland recently in the Arctic and related legal challenges issues. Main focus areas include: funded a NIEM project on the role of that was held in Svalbard, Norway, in late • environmental impact assessment in the international governance mechanisms in March 2007 (www.neln.kvl.dk). Arctic, arctic climate change pol- • environmental rights of arctic icy. The focus of the proj- indigenous people, ect is unique in climate • the role of arctic institutions and legal governance research since systems in mitigating and adapting to the regional international climate change, and level of governance is not • the effectiveness of multilateral environ- addressed in other global mental agreements in the Arctic. climate governance studies Major activities of NIEM staff include or by the arctic research participating in national and international community. legal processes, organizing seminars and NIEM also cooperates conferences on northern legal issues, with other legal research

Science Centre

he world-class research conducted by • a visual, interactive TArctic Centre staff places the institu- introduction to the tion in an ideal position to relay informa- Arctic, tion about contemporary research and • detailed information information technologies to public audi- on how humans, fauna, ences. The Science Centre was established and flora adapt and sur- in 1989 to advance this agenda by devel- vive in the harsh arctic oping and maintaining permanent and environment, temporary exhibitions of the Arctic Centre. • demonstrations of The exhibitions help make arctic research environmental changes accessible and increase public awareness observed in the Arctic and interest in science by presenting a and their global connec- friendly and interactive atmosphere to learn tions, and about people, environment, and issues • questions about the related to the changes observed in circum- future of the Arctic polar regions. Nicolas Gunslay heads the from a positive and centre, which is highly recommended by optimistic perspective. Visitors of all ages can enjoy the Arctic Centre’s interactive tour companies and guidebooks. The new exhibit also includes a cold exhibits. Photo by Timo Lindholm/Fotoplan. In 2005, there were 80,000 visitors to room, where visitors can learn about snow the Science Centre, of which approximately and ice, and a theater for viewing the 60% came from other European countries, Northern Lights. Temporary exhibitions Asia, and North America. The State Provin- highlight current research at the Arctic focused on life and research in the Arctic, cial Office of Lapland and the University of Centre or within its wider network, the including workshops for schools, a film Lapland funded a renovation of the perma- European Network of Science Centres festival, and conferences. The centre also nent exhibition. The new exhibition, which (ECSITE). works collaboratively to develop exhibi- reopened in April 2007, includes four main As part of its outreach efforts, the Sci- tions with institutions such as the Heureka sections: ence Centre also organizes public events Science Centre in Vantaa, Finland.

5 Arctic Centre at the University of Lapland: ARCUS Member Institution

Information Service and Library he Information Service of the Arctic continued from page 4 TCentre was established in 1989 to pro- vide up-to-date information about the Arc- tic to public and university users in Finland and internationally. Led by Liisa Kurppa, the staff of six locates and assesses sources of information about the region and devel- ops tools for information dissemination. Service activities also include cooperation with international, national, and regional institutions to develop, coordinate, and maintain electronic databases and portals containing information on arctic research, northern environments, and the Barents region. Approximately 40,000 people visit the Information Service and Library annu- ally. Efficient customer service is one of the priorities of the library, which holds over 16,000 volumes on the Arctic and a con- siderable number of electronic materials. One resource available through the ser- vice is the Barents Portal—a collaborative Inside the main corridor of the Arktikum building. Photo by Riku Lavia. project of Finnish, Norwegian, Russian, and Swedish institutions that contains ing need to increase expertise on Russia Culturally and historically valuable information and articles about the region. in recent years. In 2005, the service began documentary films about the Barents The portal has been organized into 28 working with the Aleksanteri Institute at region in northwest Russia are in danger of themes, which include culture, educa- the to develop RUS- being lost due to poor storing conditions, tion and research, economy and business, SIAinfo, a regularly updated web-based recycling of old film, and lack of funds. nature, society, and youth. More informa- portal providing quality online resources Arctic Archives and Films Under Restora- tion is available at: www.barentsinfo.org. on Russia. The portal can be searched by tion in Barents Region (AARRE) is led by The proximity of Russia to Finland region or topics: public administration, Armi Pekkala; the staff of four promotes makes it an important cooperative part- politics, economy, social services and health film protection, restores original films and ner of the Information Service, helping care, education and research, culture, civil archives found in and about northwest to improve the acquisition and exchange society, and environment. The portal is Russia, and works to increase access to of information in response to the grow- available online at: www.russiainfo.org. these films. An interactive exhibition based on arctic documentary films of Murmansk and television companies and collections of a Finnish television com- pany, Yle, will be on display in Rovaniemi and Inari, Finland, and Murmansk and Arkhangelsk, Russia. A previous project that ended in 2006, Arctic Documentary Films at Risk in Barents Region: Survey- ing, Protecting, and Screening (AFBARE), surveyed archives and museums to locate threatened arctic documentary films. The project staff has also created a database on approximately 35,000 documentary films from the Barents region. Detailed informa- tion, including scene-by-scene descriptions and previews, is available for more than 1,000 digitized films. More informa- tion is available at: www.arcticcentre. Northern Institute for Environmental Law researchers Leena Heinämäki and Juha Joona in an ARKTIS graduate school research seminar in Seitaranta near Rovaniemi. Photo by Riku Lavia. org/?deptid=18849. 6