Research project
There is a lack of scientific based monitoring and management strategies of Arctic lakes where climate change effects are expected to be especially pronounced. The purpose of this study is to improve knowledge and monitoring of climate impacts on Arctic lakes.
FORMAS
The project is carried out in collaboration with the county boards in Northern Sweden:
Jens Andersson, Jämtland County Administrative Board
Torleif Eriksson, Länsstyrelsen Västerbotten
Ingemar Näslund, Jämtland County Administrative Board
Sally MacIntyre, University of California Santa Barbara, USA
There is a lack of scientific based monitoring and management strategies of Arctic lakes where climate change effects are expected to be especially pronounced. The purpose of this study is to improve knowledge and monitoring of climate impacts on Arctic lakes. Specific aims include to quantify and provide threshold variables for climate change induced regime shifts in fish resource use and production, and to develop tools and guidelines to be used in monitoring programs. By experimental and comparative studies across climate gradients we test predictions of rapid changes in fish production and resource use with climate change, and by developing new analytical and statistical tools we test predictions that changes in lake function following climate change could be rapidly detected using automatized and cost efficient methods suitable for use in monitoring. Based on the results we will develop methods and guidelines together with stakeholders for use in monitoring of Arctic lake ecosystems. The outcome of the project will be of fundamental importance for society as this will provide knowledge and tools for sustainable management of a unique and attractable resource sensitive to environmental perturbations. The project is financed by FORMAS 2016-2019 and carried out in collaboration with the county boards in Northern Sweden.
