In June Unesco decided to approve the application for Vindeln River to become a biosphere reserve. For SLU this means that two of the research stations, Svartberget in Vindeln and Röbäcksdalen in Umeå, will be part of the new biosphere reserve.
On Saturday August 17 the grand opening of the new biosphere reserve for the Vindeln River took place and SLU were there. The decision to grant the new biosphere reserve was taken by Unesco already in mid-June and the opening ceremony was planned for the national river day on August 17. SLU has two stations within the biosphere area; Svartberget in Vindeln and Röbäcksdalen in Umeå. Charlotta Erefur, head of Svartberget field station and Johanna Wallsten, SITES manager at Röbäcksdalen research station were present during the day to show some activities they have within the biosphere area, with emphasis on the participation in SITES - Swedish infrasturfture for ecosystem sciences. They also had an oral presentation where they presented SITES and what the infrastructure can offer researchers and others interested.
The Vindeln River is one of only four rivers in Sweden not altered for hydropower production.
Read more about the Vindeln River biosphere reserve
Read more about biosphere reserve at Unesco’s website
Read more about SITES - Swedish infrastructure for ecosystem science
Johanna Wallsten, Researcher/SITES manager Röbäcksdalen
Department of Crop Production Ecology
johanna.wallsten@slu.se, +46(0)90-786 8716