University of Lapland

About: University of Lapland is a education organization based out in Rovaniemi, Finland. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Arctic & Context (language use). The organization has 665 authors who have published 1870 publications receiving 39129 citations. The organization is also known as: University of Rovaniemi & Lapin yliopisto.

The Quaternary glacial record of the Colombian Andes

Abstract: The onset of glaciations in the Colombian Andes as recorded by the start of glaciofluvial sedimentation in the inter-montane Bogota basin is dated near the Gauss/Matuyama polarity reversal at 2.6 Ma; episodes of increased glacial activity occurred since ca. 0.8 Ma. Moraines and till beds in the higher parts of the Andes record a series of glacier fluctuations of Late Quaternary age. Radiocarbon dates of organic-rich sediments and palaeosols found associated with glacial landforms/deposits in mountain ranges exceeding 3600 m altitude in the Eastern Cordillera, in combination with evidence provided by the radiocarbon-dated palaeosol sequence in the region, place glacial events between probably 43 ka and 38 ka, 36 to 31 ka, 23.5 to 19.5 ka, 18.0 to 15.5 ka 13.5 to 12.5 ka, and most probably 11 to 10 ka (radiocarbon years BP). Independent chronologies for the glacial and palynological records of the Eastern Cordillera suggest a close match between stadials characterised by low upper Andean forest limits and glacier advances in the surrounding high-mountain ranges. Major glacier advances during the Middle Weichselian seem to have responded to cool and humid climatic conditions. The Late Weichselian Glacial Maximum (LGM) is recorded as a two-fold glaciation maximum just before 19.5 and 15.5 ka, with glaciers advancing some 1200 to 1100 m below their present limits; during the cooling events, the forest limit was depressed by 1100 to 900 m, implying a drop in mean annual temperature of ca. 8 to 6 °C, respectively. Interstadial conditions prevailed around 18 ka, when temperatures rose considerably to values up to 4 °C higher than during the preceding and following stadial periods. Mountain ranges below 4000 m altitude were deglaciated at ca. 12.5 ka following a Late-glacial advance of cirque glaciers. Younger Dryas cooling is well-registered in the palynological record; glaciers in the highest parts of the Andes seem to have responded to the cooling by extending to elevations some 700 m lower than at present. The glacial record registers a high climatic variability in the northern Tropical Andes during the Late Quaternary period.

Land-sharing vs. land-sparing urban development modulate predator-prey interactions in Europe.

Abstract: Urban areas are expanding globally as a consequence of human population increases, with overall negative effects on biodiversity. To prevent the further loss of biodiversity, it is urgent to understand the mechanisms behind this loss to develop evidence-based sustainable solutions to preserve biodiversity in urban landscapes. The two extreme urban development types along a continuum, land-sparing (large, continuous green areas and high-density housing) and land-sharing (small, fragmented green areas and low-density housing) have been the recent focus of debates regarding the pattern of urban development. However, in this context, there is no information on the mechanisms behind the observed biodiversity changes. One of the main mechanisms proposed to explain urban biodiversity loss is the alteration of predator-prey interactions. Using ground-nesting birds as a model system and data from nine European cities, we experimentally tested the effects of these two extreme urban development types on artificial ground nest survival and whether nest survival correlates with the local abundance of ground-nesting birds and their nest predators. Nest survival (n = 554) was lower in land-sharing than in land-sparing urban areas. Nest survival decreased with increasing numbers of local predators (cats and corvids) and with nest visibility. Correspondingly, relative abundance of ground-nesting birds was greater in land-sparing than in land-sharing urban areas, though overall bird species richness was unaffected by the pattern of urban development. We provide the first evidence that predator-prey interactions differ between the two extreme urban development types. Changing interactions may explain the higher proportion of ground-nesting birds in land-sparing areas, and suggest a limitation of the land-sharing model. Nest predator control and the provision of more green-covered urban habitats may also improve conservation of sensitive birds in cities. Our findings provide information on how to further expand our cities without severe loss of urban-sensitive species and give support for land-sparing over land-sharing urban development.

Politics of hope

Abstract: Amid the clouds of unpredictable change, there always seems to be a sliver of light – of hope – on the horizon. In promising something new, something better and potential change, hope encourages an...

Teacher Education Curricula after the Bologna Process – a Comparative Analysis of Written Curricula in Finland and Estonia

Abstract: During the Bologna process, from 2003 to 2006, degree programmes, including teacher education curricula, were developed in line with the two-tier system – the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) and modularization. The purpose of the present study is to contribute to the development of teacher education profiling measures by comparing the Finnish and Estonian curricula covering initial teacher education. The aim was to analyze and compare studies in the science of education as part of the class teacher education programs through the development of a sufficiently universal meta-structure. The written curricula were subjected to discipline-based content analysis, which covered the main elements of the curricula and the contents of the theoretical substance studies in the science of education. The resulting differences and similarities between the Finnish and the Estonian curricula are reported.

Sustainable mining, local communities and environmental regulation

Abstract: Sustainable mining is an objective as well as a tool for balancing economic, social, and environmental considerations. Each of these three dimensions of mining – and sustainable development – has m ...