Climate warming is resulting from disruption of the global carbon (C) cycle. The Arctic is already warming significantly and the region governs some critical feedbacks in global change, including release of huge C stores from high-latitude soils, shift in albedo due to changes in vegetation and snow cover, and potential effects on the thermohaline circulation as a result of alterations in river discharge to the Arctic Ocean. However, the links between climate, the C cycle, energy balance, and hydrology are complex and our understanding of them – and their impact on Arctic ecosystems – is poor. ABACUS aims to provide answers to these critical questions.

The Overarching problems to be adressed by the project relates to the impact of globalization, privatization and liberalization. The Arctic regions still in most cases are characterized by economic dependence on centres in the South, which dominate trade patterns and capital movements. Hence, the main research question is related to both positive and negative impacts of the global economy

There is increasing recognition that multiple environmental changes are occurring in the northern regions of Europe. Some of these environmental changes, for example climate warming, levels of UV-B radiation, and habitat fragmentation, are projected to continue leading to impacts on the lands of the Nordic countries unprecedented since deglaciation some 10,000 year ago. Three ENVISNAR projects studying these processes are profiled below:

The present project integrates natural and socioeconomic sciences in describing past, natural variability of multi-year-ice (Storis) and its impact on present and future activities in the coastal communities in South and East Greenland. Both regions, but the south Greenland region in particular, is characterized by a complex composition of activities.