The aim of this course is to provide the students with current knowledge about ongoing changes in the northern and Arctic ecosystems, related biogeochemical changes, and impacts on human and animal health.The students will get basic understanding about the vulnerability of the northern ecosystems, and the challenges in the climate change mitigation. Novel methodologies and approaches to monitoring the climate change in the field will be introduced.

The course includes three parts: (I) Pre-course assignments (studying online materials, preparing presentations for group work); (II) The field course in Oulanka research station on 3-7 September 2018; (III) Home work (the learning diary).


Main topic:

  • Importance of the field research stations and field research in the monitoring of climate change
  • Climate change and human health (northern environment)
  • Diseases of the wild animals (northern environment)
  • Changes in the terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems in the North
  • The importance of the plants, fungi, animals (insects in particular) in the function of the ecosystems
  • Biogeochemical processes in a changing climate; carbon and nitrogen fluxes in the ecosystems

More information about the course in UArctic Course Cataloque.