Funding for research into the history of forestry and the vulnerability of bryophytes
The themes of the funding included sustainability transformation and the transformation of agriculture and forestry.
Sampo Taipale's doctoral dissertation, Gaze to the ground - A.K Cajander and the forest type theory, was awarded €128,452. The study aims to illuminate the roots on which forest use has been built and create new, more diverse understanding of forestry history. The research challenges the anthropocentric thinking behind forestry that views forests as resources for human exploitation. Economic and utilitarian thinking has dominated and continues to dominate forest use, and thinkers like Cajander have enabled this mindset. The research results may lead to a transition toward more sustainable forestry that recognizes forests as homes for animals and plants, and biodiverse forests as prerequisites for humanity’s own future survival.
Némo Fontanien's doctoral thesis, Bryophyte vulnerability to global changes in tundra – consequences on ecosystem functions, was awarded €82,500. The dissertation will assess how these shifts in bryophytes affect essential ecosystem functions, such as carbon and nitrogen cycling, water retention and hydrology, and soil temperature. In the context of accelerating climate change, this work is crucial for predicting and preserving tundra biodiversity and ecosystem integrity.