SnoEco: Snow, Climate & Ecosystem Seasonality

Climate and snow cover impacts on soil dynamics, plant growth traits and seasonality in Svalbard.

Long time series and experimental work.

This project is active in the International Tundra Experiment (ITEX) network.

We use fences to manipulate snowdepth and plexiglass Open Top Chambers to experimentally enhance plant and soil temperature, to understand the responses of plant-soil ecosystem to changing climate. Adventdalen, Svalbard.

Using plexiglass Open Top Chambers in the field to experimentally enhance temperature at the plant and soil level. Adventdalen, Svalbard.

Members:

UiT: Elisabeth Cooper, Lennart Nilsen, Mikel Moriana Armendariz

University Vienna: Philipp Semenchuk

NORCE: Stein Rune Karlsen

NINA: Hans Tømmervik

UNIS: Steve Coulson

University of Freiburg: Martin Mörsdorf

KOPRI: Yoo Kyung Lee

Current masters students:

Andreas Jørgensen

Agnes K.B. Nilsen

Aksana Isaelva

Watering the tundra to simulate enhanced summer rainfall. Sensors and cameras on 2m high racks record the plants’ response.

Developing near-remote sensing methods for assessing vegetation status and recording plant phenology. Experimental snow fences seen in background. Adventdalen Svalbard.

Members:

Elisabeth Cooper (Principal investigator)