Broadening the Horizons of Grassland Science for the Anthropocene
Semi-natural Grasslands have developed into biodiverse habitats as a consequence of anthropogenic activity, such as extensive agriculture, so they are inextricably linked to the Anthropocene period. In Finland, as in much or the Palaearctic Region, the amount of seminatural grassland habitat (meadow) peaked during the early 19th century. By the late 1800s, a large-scale transition was already underway, with grasslands being converted to fields for the production of arable crops. Now, only small remnants remain of formerly extensive grasslands, and several grassland types, as well as many of their plant and insect species, are highly endangered. Today these habitats are dependent on conservation work by Parks and Wildlife Finland, regional Centres for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment (ELY Centres) and a number of NGOs.
For the historical 20th Eurasian Grassland Conference (EGC XX), we wanted to bring participants to a location that will be novel and exotic for the majority of EDGG members. To fulfil that goal, we are happy to offer you the opportunity to attend the first ever EGC conference in the Nordic region, even taking you to within a stone’s throw of the Arctic Circle. The venue for the conference will be Oulu University, where we will be hosted by the Biodiverse Anthropocenes programme, led my Marko Mutanen. The conference programme will include all of the familiar elements, such as diverse workshops in which you can learn new skills, an icebreaker event, Grassland Party, charity auction, and a diverse range of inspiring plenary presentations from internationally acknowledged experts. Finally, the traditional post-conference excursion will take us to the northeast of Finland.
Further details can be found from the First Call. If you have any queries, then please feel free to contact us at EGC2025@lists.oulu.fi.
A riparian flood meadow from the Korouoma river valley, Posio, Finland. Photo S. Venn.
Themes of the scientific programme
The main theme of the conference will be “Broadening the Horizons of Grassland Science for the Anthropocene”. This includes both biogeographical and scientific horizons. The programme will include presentations from regions and grassland systems that will hopefully be unfamiliar to many of you. We hope to receive many submissions that challenge our current perceptions and boundaries of grassland science and advances in familiar disciplines, as well as updates on grassland habitats that we have learnt about in previous EGC conferences. The topics of the conference sessions will include Boreal Grasslands, Grassland Ecology, Citizen Science and Genomics. In addition to the more scientific sessions, we will also include sessions on practical aspects of grassland management and conservation, aimed at stakeholders, conservation organizations and other relevant organizations.
Workshops
The programme will include a number of half and full-day workshops on diverse topics on Sunday 6th July.
Shanker R. Barsila, Agriculture and Forestry University, Bharatpur, Nepal
- Nepal’s Alpine Grasslands: A Legacy at Risk, and a Future to Secure
Sara Cousins, Stockholm University, Sweden
- Tracing the past to preserve biodiversity for the future: exploring past grassland extent, present-day patterns, and the role of people in conservation
Sally-Ann Spence, Oxford University Museum of Natural History
- The love of dung beetles & the inadvertent restoration of calcareous grassland
Andrea Sforzi, Maremma Natural History Museum, Grosseto, Italy
- Involving citizens in doing science: how collaborative research is changing the interface between science and society
Isabel C. Barrio, Agricultural University of Iceland
- Treeless ecosystems in the North: role of climate and land use change in shaping the past and future of the region
Majid Moradmand, Oulu University
Mid-conference Excursion
The mid-conference excursion will take us to the island of Hailuoto, which lies in the Gulf of Bothnia at a distance of 53 km from the city of Oulu. Hailuoto includes some notable wetlands, including Kirkkosalmi, which is renowned as a valuable birding sites. The soil of Hailuoto is mainly sandy and clay-sandstone. The highest point of the island, at 31m a.s.l., is situated on a 15 km long esker ridge that runs across the island, which also has some paraboloic dunes. The most diverse habitats on Hailuoto are coastal meadows and dry heath forests, some of which are dominated by lichens. Transportation to Hailuoto will be via coach and a ferry connection to the island itself. At the end of the afternoon, transportation will be provided to the venue of the Grassland Party.
Post-Conference Excursion
The Post-Conference Excursion will take us to the Oulanka National Park, which is located near the town of Kuusamo, in Kainuu, NE Finland. We will stay at Oulu University’s Oulanka Research Station and visit a diverse range of grassland habitats, as well as bog meadows, which are peat-bogs that have been managed for hay production. In the evening, there will be an opportunity to enjoy a relaxing sauna and a refreshing dip in the river. There will also be an opportunity to visit the nearby Visitors Centre of the park. The National Park is located along the Oulanka and Kitka river valleys, and it is well-known for the Bear’s Round (Karhunkierros) hiking trail, which will take us to sites along the river. There will also be a possibility of canoeing to some of the sites.
The landscape here is dramatically different from that in the Oulu region, being rugged and rocky, with dramatic hills and canyons. The river valleys are sandy, and there are a variety of wet and dry riparian flood meadows along the meandering rivers. The river valleys are typically bounded by rocky outcrops, which can rise to as much as 380 m a.s.l. There are a number of dramatic canyons and rapids along the River Oulanka in particular. In addition to wet and dry riparian flood meadows, there are also bog meadows and mineral meadows. The area is renowned for it’s orchids, including the Venus's slipper (Calypso bulbosa) and the Lady’s Slipper (Cypripedium calceolus). The meadows of this region are generally dominated by globeflower (Trollius europaeus). Other typical plant species include Dianthus superbus, Silene tatarica, Erigeron acris subsp. Decoloratus and Elymus alaskanus, as well as various species of moonwort (Ophioglossaceae). This region is also notable for insects. The green snaketail dragonfly Ophiogomphus Cecilia occurs abundantly along the river. The violet copper (Lycaena helle), which you can see in the conference logo, a butterfly of semi-natural grasslands which has declined dramatically throughout Europe, and is included in the EU Habitats Directive Annex II and Annex IV, can still be seen in Oulanka. Also a number of regionally rare beetle species occur here.
Photos M. Peregrym & S. Venn.