Kevo Subarctic Research Institute, FI

The research station is managed by the Kevo Subarctic Research Institute which is based at the University of Turku.

The station lies next to the subarctic tree line. Plant herbivore interactions, palsa mires, environmental change and interactions between nature and humans have been studied since 1958. Â

Contribution to POLARIN key research challenges: 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

Contact: Station Manager Otso Suominen otso.suominen[at]utu.fi

WebsiteÂ

https://sites.utu.fi/kevo/en/

https://www.interact-gis.org/Home/Station/20

Location

Kevo Subarctic Research Station is located in Utsjoki at the northernmost tip of Finland only about hundred kilometres from the coast of the Arctic Ocean (69°45’ N, 27°01’ E) right next to Kevo Strict Nature Reserve (712 km2). It lies about 60 km north of the continuous pine forest line and belongs to the sub-arctic Mountain Birch Forest Zone close to both the local pine tree line and the birch tree line at the forest-tundra ecotone.

Facilities

The station, including a weather station of Finnish Meteorological Institute, consists of several buildings. It has the capacity to accommodate about 30 guests in winter and 45 guests in summertime. The station provides laboratories, a workshop, a lecture hall, and accommodation buildings.

There are communal kitchens at the guests’ disposal where meals can be prepared. Catering is available for groups only (for min 10 people) provided by our partnered caterers.

Observatories linked to the station include a meteorological observatory of the FMI and hydrological observations by the Finnish Environment Institute since 1962.

Services offeredÂ

The station gives access to field studies on subarctic tree line ecosystems. Long-term field experiments studying the effects of air pollutants, the impacts of reindeer grazing, treeline arboreta are also performed at the station. The station provides data sets on population dynamics and phenology of moths, voles, birds, plants, pollen monitoring as well as meteorological data.

What is included in the Access

Unit of access: User/day

Modalities of access offered: In-person access, remote access

The access includes accommodation, access to laboratories, field sites and manipulative experiments, guidance on the use and selection of sites, assistance in field transportation. The typical duration of work is 5-30 days at a time. The integration into the scheduling of the infrastructure depends on the type of site and activity. For the experimental environmental manipulations, the terms and schedule must be agreed in advance.

Availability for access in the 2024 call

The station is open year-round. In this call, access is offered in the time frame 1.04.2025 – 30.04.2026.

Time frame for access preparations

Kevo Research Station does not have any formal application procedure for visiting researchers. Booking for visits to the station and accommodation are made via email (reservations-kevo[at]utu.fi).

The use of laboratory facilities and special equipment, vehicles, long-term experiments etc. as well as the feasibility of the planned research and timing of it are discussed in connection with booking.

Permits, licenses and training

For the permits for research and sampling in surrounding areas, including the Kevo Strict Nature Reserve and other protected areas, the visitors are advised to contact the relevant authority or land owner.

The station can be contacted for consultation about the permits and licenses needed for the research.

Medical guidelines

No medical examinations/health checks are required from the users.