Herbivorous animals are in focus. Scientists from different countries came to Labytnangi

The international group for study of arctic herbivorous animals is working in Labytnangi. During six days scientists from Russia, Norway, France, the USA, Great Britain, Estonia and Iceland will hold meetings and lectures. The guests will also get acquainted with work of the scientific and research center in Labytnangi.

“You have successful and interesting work full of bright impressions ahead. Let your cooperation for the benefit of the entire world community opens new horizons in the sphere of research of the Arctic, its amazing rich and beautiful but very fragile nature”, the acting head of the town administration Marina Treskova said, welcoming the scientists.  

In the children’s school of arts a representative of the Arctic University of Norway Eeva Soininen read the lecture on how herbivore animals can change the Arctic, as the town administration reports. Her speech attracted attention of schoolchildren, volunteers, representatives of public ecological organizations and citizens, who are not indifferent to preservation of nature in the Arctic.  

According to a participant of the working group Dorothee Ehrich from the Arctic University in Tromso (Norway), the scientists will discuss a number of working issues. They plan to devote one day to summing up the intermediate results of experiments with fences in Yamal and in other regions of the Arctic. New knowledge about influence of different species of animals — from rodents to reindeer — on tundra vegetation will be the result of these studies. The participants of the working group will discuss creation of the unified map with complete information on all biological researches being conducted in the circumpolar region, methods of remote sensing and others. The three-day visit to the scientific and research station “Yerkuta” will take place. There the scientists will continue the exchange of experience. The foreign scientists will get acquainted with representatives of indigenous peoples of the North living on the area near the station. In Labytnangi Eeva Soininen from the Arctic University of Norway, will speak on the popular scientific lecture on how herbivore animals change the Arctic.

“Within our work we intensively conduct field research, analyze the collected material, present our results in publications. Organizing of special scientific conferences and working meetings is one of the most necessary forms of scientific activity. The experienced field researchers, who work in the Arctic and give lectures around the world, arrived in Labytnangi”, said Alexander Sokolov, the deputy director of the Arctic scientific and research station under the Institute of plant and animal ecology, the Ural branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences.