What we do

We are a group of researchers investigating plant-animal interactions in tundra environments. Our goal is to form collaborative partnerships and design standardized protocols for measuring herbivory across alpine and Arctic ecosystems.

Ongoing changes in the composition of plant and herbivore communities are likely to have a large impact on the dynamics of Arctic and alpine ecosystems and their ability to respond to changes. Beyond its ecological relevance, herbivory is an important topic for many northern communities, as the main Arctic herbivores are herded (e.g. reindeer), tended as livestock (e.g. sheep) or hunted (e.g. caribou, geese and ptarmigan). The knowledge gained and methods developed in the Herbivory Network will ultimately benefit land use management and conservation around the Arctic.

New publications about herbivory

Read here some recent publications related to herbivory.

Long-term grazing exclusion and nutrient addition influence floral communities

Floral communities in tundra and montane grasslands are shaped by both grazing and soil nutrients. Our study, conducted at two ...

Emerging priorities in terrestrial herbivory research in the Arctic

Research on Arctic herbivory has a long tradition, but recent literature syntheses have highlighted important knowledge gaps. Given the rapid ...

Large herbivores shift trophic interactions in the Fennoscandian tundra

Large herbivores play a crucial role in maintaining vegetation structure and composition of Arctic ecosystems in times of global change ...
photo: Eeva Soininen

The identity of the herbivore community shapes vegetation in Arctic tundra — but isolating the effects of herbivore diversity remains challenging

Arctic ecosystems are strongly influenced by herbivores, yet the role of herbivore diversity in shaping ecosystem structure and functioning has ...

You can also find older publications here.

Contact Us

If you are interested in herbivory in Arctic or alpine regions and you want to join our group, we would love to hear from you!

Please email us at: herbivory.network@gmail.com

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