www.arcticstation.nl

information on installations in the field

The Netherlands Arctic Station has equipment in the field for experiments and registration of animals. This page gives some information about the equipment. All installations outside Ny-Ålesund are placed with permission of the Governor of Svalbard. All installations inside Ny-Ålesund are placed with permission of KingsBay. If you have further questions email us (m.j.j.e.loonen@rug.nl)

Exclosures

With a small piece of chicken wire, grazing animals are kept away from a spot to allow the vegetation to develop without grazing. Some of the exclosures are more than 10 years old, others just stay for one summer. There is always an open control plot nearby. Please watch carefully where you walk in the vicinity of the exclosures.

annual exclosures
measuring grass growth

Cameras

Wildlife cameras take pictures when there is a movement in front of the camera. We use this equipment to register animal presence when we are not making observations.

wildlife camera
surprise

Insect traps

We are monitoring the amount of insects with simple insect traps. The present model is a simple net between two poles and a tray with a soap solution under it. Every two days, we will collect the insects from the tray.

insect traps
insect traps

  
Installations each summer
- wildlife cameras on Brandallaguna (n=6) near Gåsebu/Gluudneset (n=6) and near Solvatnet (n=6) to monitor birds as part of the environmental impact assessment for a new road and a new radio telescope (since 2013)
- wildlife cameras (n=6) near arctic tern nests in Ny-Ålesund
- annual exclosures (n=12) in Ny-Ålesund to measure goose grazing and grass production (since 1996)
- insect traps (n=5) in Ny-Ålesund to monitor insect phenology under climate change (since 2007)

Permanent installations
- exclosures (n=6) on Solvatmnet (2x2 m2, established 2022) with similar sized control area
- exclosures (n=6) on Thiisbukta (2x2 m2, established 2000) with similar sized control area in which an exclosure (1x1 m2, established 2012)
- exclosures (n=5) around Solvatnet (1x1 m2, established 1996
- exclosure (n=1) in front of London IV (1x0.5 m2, established 1991)
- exclosure (n=1) south of diesel drums (0.5x0.5 m2, established 1991)
- exclosure (n=1) Thiisbukta (1x1 m2 established 1996)
- exclosure (n=1) Thiisbukta (0.5x2 m2 established 1994)
- exclosure (n=1) in stream from diesel drum to Solvatnet (2x1 m2, established 1996)

For more information on our activities: see http://www.arcticstation.nl