biodiversity

Like for some other taxa and most parts of the world there is a lack of knowledge about insect diversity, and available data are instead patchy and/or cover only tiny subsets of species. This is largely due to the generally low cost-effectiveness of insect surveys. In recent years the Insect Biome Atlas project (IBA), however, worked out a state-of-the-art method using Malaise traps and species identification via DNA metabarcoding.

At SITES Svartberget Research Station, as spring returns, the traps for the European Spruce Bark Beetle (Ips typographus) have been again set around the Vindeln area. This is part of an ongoing research project that also has traps installed in other forested areas across Sweden, including SITES Asa Research Station. 

A comprehensive dataset containing information on Zooplankton collected throughout the lake water column at Erken has been compiled and is now available on the SITES Data Portal (Open access to Zooplankton from Erken dataset). 

How is climate change impacting mosquito species in Sweden? SITES stations are participating in a collaboration with researchers from a laboratory group affiliated with The University of Hong Kong to help answer this question. The project is being led by early career researcher Dr. Alexander Williams and his supervisor Prof. Tommy Lam with support from the International Network for Terrestrial Research and Monitoring in the Arctic (INTERACT).       

The national initiative network of regional honey bee health advisors, is an initiative lead by SLU RådNu, in collaboration with the Swedish beekeepers association, and the Swedish Professional