Pernille Bronken Eidesen

• Tjessem, Ingrid Vesterdal; Brysting, Anne Krag; Reitan, Trond; Hjelle, Simen Salomonsen & Eidesen, Pernille Bronken (2026). A shift in species niche through autopolyploidy: From sexual to vegetative reproduction in Saxifraga oppositifolia. Annals of Botany. ISSN 0305-7364. doi: 10.1093/aob/mcag116. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Background and Aims Polyploidy has been essential in the evolution of angiosperms, facilitating novel adaptations, enhancing speciation and contributing to the establishment of larger evolutionary lineages. However, newly formed polyploids require sufficient niche differentiation to survive and coexist with the diploid ancestor. Polyploids are commonly reproductively challenged, which may lead to rapid development of asexual reproduction, which may, in turn, lead to reproductive barriers or ecological niche divergence. Through this study, we investigate whether autopolyploidization has induced a shift from sexual reproduction to vegetative propagation in the arctic–alpine Saxifraga oppositifolia (Saxifragaceae) and thus facilitated the establishment of polyploids in mixed-cytotype populations. Methods We sampled data on capsule and seed production, seed germination, rooting ability, and leaf production among cytotypes through a combination of growth chamber experiments and in situ observations in a field set-up across different habitats (ridges, slopes, riverbeds) in Svalbard including >700 georeferenced S. oppositifolia plants with known cytotype (diploid, triploid or tetraploid). Through hypothesis testing and an explorative model search for relevant covariates (e.g. growth form, habitat, soil type), we tested the effect of cytotype on sexual and vegetative reproductive outcomes. Key Results Polyploids had lower sexual reproductive investment (i.e. capsule production and seed production) and higher vegetative investment (i.e. leaf production and rooting ability), showing that polyploidy has significantly affected both sexual reproduction and vegetative propagation. Conclusions Our findings confirm a shift in reproductive strategy towards less sexual investment and enhanced vegetative investment in triploid and tetraploid individuals. This shift may enhance polyploid survival in habitats with shorter growing season and limited pollinator availability, and thus explains their higher frequency in such habitats. These results support autopolyploidy as an evolutionary mechanism that may allow Arctic species to adapt to ongoing, rapid changes.

• Schuuring, Sil; Halvorsen, Rune; Eidesen, Pernille Bronken; Niittynen, Pekka; Kemppinen, Julia & Lang, Simone I. (2026). High Arctic vegetation lowers soil temperatures on sunny days despite low stature. Arctic, Antarctic and Alpine research. ISSN 1523-0430. 58(1). doi: 10.1080/15230430.2026.2649436. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The impact of vegetation on soil temperatures in low Arctic and boreal regions is well documented,where dense vegetation reduces soil temperatures. However, equivalent empirical evidence forinfluence of sparse, low-stature high Arctic vegetation and its interaction with cloud cover islimited. Improved understanding of this relationship is vital, because soil temperatures driveimportant ecosystem processes, such as nutrient cycling and carbon fluxes. We investigatedwhether effects on soil temperature are found under smaller high Arctic vegetation in Svalbard,Norway, by modeling soil temperatures in relation to vegetation cover and height across forty plots,using July temperature recordings from 2020 to 2023. We found reduced minimum temperaturesunder thicker moss layers and taller forb and shrub vegetation, whereas organic layers reducedmaximum temperatures. These effects were strongest under sunny conditions, whereas shrubcover showed weak interactions with cloud cover. This contrasts with lower latitudes, where shrubsexert strong shading effects and vegetation reduces maximum and raises minimum soil tempera-tures. This discrepancy might stem from smaller diurnal temperature fluctuations, lower vegetationheight, and lower solar radiation in the high Arctic. Our results indicate that predicted vegetationshifts resulting from climate change may lead to complex soil temperature responses in the future.

• Eidesen, Pernille Bronken; Elven, Reidar; Arnesen, Geir; Alsos, Inger Greve; Brysting, Anne Krag & Christensen, Maj Sofie [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2025). Lavarktiske planter i en høyarktisk oase – tre nye arter for Svalbard registrert i Indre Wijdefjord nasjonalpark. Blyttia : Norsk botanisk forenings tidsskrift. ISSN 0006-5269. 83(3), p. 169–175. doi: https:/nhm2.uio.no/botanisk/nbf/blyttia/blyttia_pdf/Blyttia%20202503_OMSLAG%2020250910_01%20SCREEN%204.pdf. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Indre Wijdefjorden National Park in Northern Spitsbergen is housing several regionally rare vascular plant species. In later years we have found three plant species new to Svalbard in the rich and thermic favourable scree slopes in the Ringhorndalen – Flatøyrdalen valleys: Erigeron uniflorus, Festuca ovina, and Luzula spicata. In all three cases, these sites are by far the northernmost registered locations for these species in the world, separated from their nearest known sites to the south by 800–1000 km or more. The highly isolated occurrence of these three species, and several others with similar gaps to their nearest sites in the south, most likely represent remnants from larger populations thriving during the Holocene climatic optimum.

• Dance, Maria; Saupe, Erin; Borrell, James; Eidesen, Pernille Bronken; Ackerman, Daniel & Assmann, Jakob [Show all 24 contributors for this article] (2025). Molecular Footprints of Quaternary Climate Fluctuations in the Circumpolar Tundra Shrub Dwarf Birch. Molecular Ecology. ISSN 0962-1083. 34(19). doi: 10.1111/mec.70082. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The Arctic tundra biome is undergoing rapid shrub expansion (‘shrubification’) in response to anthropogenic climate change. During the previous ~2.6 million years, glacial cycles caused substantial shifts in Arctic vegetation, leading to changes in species' distributions, abundance and connectivity, which have left lasting impacts on the genetic structure of modern populations. Examining how shrubs responded to past climate change through genetic data reveals the demographic dynamics that shaped their current diversity and distribution and sheds light on the resilience of Arctic shrubs. Here we test scenarios of Quaternary demographic history of dwarf birch species (Betula nana L. and Betula Glandulosa Michx.) using Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) markers obtained from RAD sequencing and approximate Bayesian computation. We compare the timings of modelled population events with ice sheet reconstructions and other paleoenvironmental information to untangle the impacts of alternating cold and warm periods on dwarf birch. Our best supported model suggested that the species diverged in the Mid-Pleistocene Transition as glaciations intensified. We found support for a complex history of inter- and intraspecific divergences and gene flow, and secondary contact occurred during both ice sheet expansion and retreat. Our spatiotemporal analysis suggests that the modern genetic structure of dwarf birch results from transitions in climate between glacials and interglacials, with ice sheets acting alternatively as a barrier or an enabler of population mixing. Tundra shrubs may have had more nuanced responses to past climatic changes than phylogeographic analyses have often suggested, with implications for future eco-evolutionary responses to anthropogenic climate change.

• Brochmann, Christian; Elphinstone, Cassandra; Birkeland, Siri; Ikeda, Hajime; Eidesen, Pernille Bronken & Alsos, Inger G. [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2025). Phylogeography of Arctic plants: where are we after 35 years, and where to go? Plant Ecology & Diversity. ISSN 1755-0874. 18(3-4), p. 99–123. doi: 10.1080/17550874.2025.2571098. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Background The Arctic provides an excellent system to study climate change effects on geographic ranges and genetic diversity. We re-examine the large number of phylogeographic studies of Arctic plants to assess general patterns and identify knowledge gaps. Aims To synthesise advances and address century-old controversies, e.g. is it necessary to invoke separate glacial refugia to explain Arctic disjunctions? Methods We undertook a literature survey of the phylogeography of Arctic vascular plants. Results We provide a list of 88 taxa studied, representing a striking diversity of phylogeographic histories. In many widespread species, recent trans-oceanic long-distance dispersal (LDD) is sufficient to explain disjunctions, but three rare species show clear signals of separate Scandinavian and American glacial refugia. The extreme bipolar disjunctions are apparently caused by Plio-Pleistocene LDDs. Beringia and western Siberia have served as long-standing northern refugia; in contrast, North Atlantic areas harbour much less genetic diversity and distinctiveness. The genomic era is now providing evidence for multiple refugia from modern and ancient DNA and demonstrating that selfing leads to high biological species diversity within taxonomically recognised species. Conclusions More extensive sampling, reference genomes, and population genomic studies are required for in-depth understanding of past distributions, dispersal routes, and ability to track ongoing climate change.

• Eidesen, Pernille Bronken; Brysting, Anne Krag; Hagen, Kathleen Rani; Hjelle, Simen Salomonsen; Revéret, Aloïs Nicolas & Tjessem, Ingrid Vesterdal [Show all 26 contributors for this article] (2025). Ecological and evolutionary consequences of ploidy-driven trait variation: insights from Saxifraga oppositifolia L. Arctic Science. ISSN 2368-7460. 11, p. 1–26. doi: 10.1139/as-2024-0020. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The ecological and evolutionary consequences of ploidy-driven trait variation, particularly for autopolyploids, remain poorly understood. <i>Saxifraga oppositifolia</i> L. (purple saxifrage), is a highly successful arctic-alpine plant species with significant genetic and phenotypic variation potentially related to autopolyploidy. Over the past decade, we have accumulated knowledge of <i>S. oppositifolia</i> through student projects at the University Centre in Svalbard. Building on this knowledge, we initiated the long-term “SO-field study” in 2018 including 768 permanently tagged plants screened for ploidy level, trait variation and environmental associations. Here we summarize main findings from unpublished student projects, consolidating and extending these findings with the available data from the ongoing SO-field study, containing 63% diploids, 16% triploids, and 21% tetraploids. Our results support that Svalbard is a mixed-ploidy contact zone, where ploidy is strongly associated with certain traits, including growth form, leaf mass area, flower investment, seed production and habitat. Autopolyploidy has significantly influenced both ecology and evolution of <i>S. oppositifolia </i>and needs to be accounted for when autopolyploids are used as a study species or evaluated for management purposes. Our findings suggest considerable re-interpretation of former research and pave the way for new inquiries and hypotheses to be tested within this framework.

• Roos, Ruben Erik; Kemppinen, Julia; Niittynen, Pekka; Vandvik, Vigdis; Althuizen, Inge & Eidesen, Pernille Bronken [Show all 30 contributors for this article] (2025). Marine-derived nutrients shape the functional composition of High Arctic plant communities. Functional Ecology. ISSN 0269-8463. 39(6), p. 1606–1621. doi: 10.1111/1365-2435.70056. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Low temperatures and nutrient limitation have shaped Arctic plant communities, which are now affected by biome-wise changes in both climate and nutrient cycling. Rising temperatures are favouring taller plant species with more resource-acquisitive traits across the Arctic tundra. Simultaneously, declines in seabird populations may reduce subsidies of marine-derived nutrients to terrestrial ecosystems, potentially favouring more resource-conservative plant traits. It is crucial to understand the consequences of these concurrent changes in climate and marine-derived nutrient inputs from seabirds for the functional composition and roles of Arctic plant communities. We use a 'space-for-time approach' to compare the functional composition of vascular plant communities across two elevational gradients in High Arctic Svalbard, one where climate is the major environmental driver and one influenced by nutrient input from a seabird colony. We assess changes in 13 traits related to plant size, leaf economics and nutrient cycling along the two gradients, and we also explore the relative contributions of species turnover and intraspecific variation to total trait variation across and between the gradients. Elevation per se had little impact on the plant functional composition. Instead, plants at the top of the seabird nutrient gradient, closest to the nesting sites, were taller and had resource-acquisitive trait values, such as larger and thicker leaves and higher leaf nutrient contents. Enriched soil δ15N‰ signatures at these sites correlated with resource-acquisitive values of leaf area, specific leaf area, leaf dry matter content, leaf phosphorous content and with enriched leaf δ15N‰ signatures. This variation in leaf economic traits and isotopes was largely driven by intraspecific variation at the nutrient gradient, whereas species turnover dominated at the reference gradient. Our results are consistent with marine-derived nutrient subsidies from seabirds being a major driver of functional trait variation in Arctic vegetation. Ongoing declines in seabird populations may therefore affect terrestrial primary producer communities in the Arctic and beyond, with potentially important but unknown implications for biodiversity, consumer and decomposer communities, and ecosystem processes.

• Schuuring, Sil; Halvorsen, Rune; Eidesen, Pernille Bronken; Niittynen, Pekka; Kemppinen, Julia & Lang, Simone Iris (2024). High Arctic Vegetation Communities With a Thick Moss Layer Slow Active Layer Thaw. Journal of Geophysical Research (JGR): Biogeosciences. ISSN 2169-8953. 129(8). doi: 10.1029/2023JG007880. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Svalbards permafrost is thawing as a direct consequence of climate change. In the Low Arctic, vegetation has been shown to slow down and reduce the active layer thaw, yet it is unknown whether this also applies to High Arctic regions like Svalbard where vegetation is smaller, sparser, and thus likely less able to insulate the soil. Therefore, it remains unknown which components of High Arctic vegetation impact active layer thaw and at which temporal scale this insulation could be effective. Such knowledge is necessary to predict and understand future changes in active layer in a changing Arctic. In this study we used frost tubes placed in study grids located in Svalbard with known vegetation composition, to monitor the progression of active layer thaw and analyze the relationship between vegetation composition, vegetation structure and snow conditions, and active layer thaw early in summer. We found that moss thickness, shrub and forb height, and vascular vegetation cover delayed soil thaw immediately after snow melt. These insulating effects attenuated as thaw progressed, until no effect on thaw depth was present after 8 weeks. High Arctic mosses are expected to decline due to climate change, which could lead to a loss in insulating capacity, potentially accelerating early summer active layer thaw. This may have important repercussions for a wide range of ecosystem functions such as plant phenology and decomposition processes.

• Kozlowski, Gregor; Fragnière, Yann; Clément, Benoît; Gilg, Olivier; Sittler, Benoît & Lang, Johannes [Show all 10 contributors for this article] (2024). Genome Size in the Arenaria ciliata Species Complex (Caryophyllaceae), with Special Focus on Northern Europe and the Arctic. Plants. 13(5). doi: 10.3390/plants13050635. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The main aim of the present study has been the completion of genome size data for the diverse arctic-alpine A. ciliata species complex, with special focus on the unexplored arctic taxon A. pseudofrigida, the north-European A. norvegica, and A. gothica from Gotland (Sweden). Altogether, 46 individuals of these three Nordic taxa have been sampled from seven different regions and their genome size estimated using flow cytometry. Three other alpine taxa in the A. ciliata complex (A. multicaulis, A. ciliata subsp. ciliata, and A. ciliata subsp. bernensis) were also collected and analyzed for standardization purposes, comprising 20 individuals from six regions. A mean 2c value of 1.65 pg of DNA was recorded for A. pseudofrigida, 2.80 pg for A. norvegica, and 4.14 pg for A. gothica, as against the reconfirmed 2c value of 1.63 pg DNA for the type taxon A. ciliata subsp. ciliata. Our results presenting the first estimations of genome sizes for the newly sampled taxa, corroborate ploidy levels described in the available literature, with A. pseudofrigida being tetraploid (2n = 4x = 40), A. norvegica possessing predominantly 2n = 8x = 80, and A. gothica with 2n = 10x = 100. The present study also reconfirms genome size and ploidy level estimations published previously for the alpine members of this species complex. Reflecting a likely complex recent biogeographic history, the A. ciliata species group comprises a polyploid arctic-alpine species complex characterized by reticulate evolution, polyploidizations and hybridizations, probably associated with rapid latitudinal and altitudinal migrations in the Pleistocene–Holocene period.

• Eidesen, Pernille Bronken & Hjelle, Simen Salomonsen (2024). How to make virtual field guides, and use them to bridge field- and classroom teaching. Nordic Journal of STEM Education. 8(2), p. 88–105. doi: 10.5324/njsteme.v8i2.4921. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  At the University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS), fieldwork is an important part of all courses, but the transition from theory in the classroom to the arctic reality is a challenge. Other common challenges with course-related fieldwork are insufficient preparation, no possibilities to revisit a location to repeat difficult issues or resolve misunderstandings, and lack of suitable assessment methods of field-related learning outcomes. To narrow the gap between theory and practice and improve the alignment between field-related learning outcomes, activities, and assessment, we created a set of virtual field guides (VFG) from different locations in Svalbard based on 360-Degrees photographs collected during summer 2019. The VFGs were intended for use in combination with fieldwork in terrestrial biology courses the following years. Due to COVID-19, all courses were cancelled in 2020, and UNIS had reduced activity in 2021. The VFGs were therefore tested and evaluated by former students that had visited the locations the VFGs represented, but had not used VFGs as an integrated tool to prepare their field course. Evaluation data were collected through an anonymous survey. Eight of 16 students responded. We also collected experiences from arranging a post-fieldwork learning activity (16 students) that required knowledge of “reading landscapes,” a typical field skill. The current feedback indicates that VFGs provide students with a more realistic picture of what awaits them in the field, and aid preparing, planning, and recapitulation activities of fieldwork, but cannot substitute for fieldwork. However, VFGs can be used to practice and assess certain field-related skills. The learning potential in fieldwork is huge, but rarely fully utilized. We provide a “how to” guide for making VFGs, and argue that these rather simple digital tools improve field learning and better utilization of investments in field activities.

• Brožová, Viktorie; Bolstad, Johannes; Seregin, Alexey P. & Eidesen, Pernille Bronken (2023). From everywhere all at once: Several colonization routes available to Svalbard in the early Holocene. Ecology and Evolution. 13(3). doi: 10.1002/ece3.9892. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  For many arctic species, the spatial (re-)colonization patterns after the last Pleistocene glaciation have been described. However, the temporal aspects of their colonization are largely missing. Did one route prevail early, while another was more important later? The high Arctic archipelago Svalbard represents a good model system to address timeframe of postglacial plant colonization. Svalbard was almost fully glaciated during last glacial maximum and (re-)colonization of vascular plants began in early Holocene. Early Holocene climatic optimum (HCO) supported an expanded establishment of a partly thermophilic vegetation. Today, we find remnants of this vegetation in sheltered regions referred to as “Arctic biodiversity hotspots”. The oldest record of postglacial plant colonization to Svalbard is found in Ringhorndalen-Flatøyrdalen. Even though thermophilic species could establish also later in Holocene, only HCO was favorable for vast colonization, and only hotspots offered stable conditions for thermophilic populations throughout Holocene. Thus, these relic populations may reflect colonization patterns of HCO. We investigate whether the colonization direction of thermophilic plants (Arnica angustifolia, Campanula uniflora, Pinguicula alpina, Tofieldia pusilla, and Vaccinium uliginosum ssp. microphyllum) in Ringhorndalen-Flatøyrdalen was uniform and different from later colonization events in other localities and non-thermophilic plants (Arenaria humifusa, Bistorta vivipara, Juncus biglumis, Oxyria digyna, and Silene acaulis). We analyzed plastid haplotypes of the 10 taxa from Ringhorndalen-Flatøyrdalen, from later-colonized localities in Svalbard, and from putative source regions outside Svalbard. Only rare and thermophilic taxa Campanula uniflora and Vaccinium uliginosum ssp. microphyllum provided results suggesting at least two colonization events from different source regions. Tofieldia pusilla and all the non-thermophilic plants showed no clear phylogeographically differentiation within Svalbard. Two of the thermophilic species showed no sequence variation. Based on the results, a uniform colonization direction to Svalbard in early Holocene is not probable; several source areas and dispersal directions were contemporarily involved.

• Eidesen, Pernille Bronken; Førland, Oddfrid T. Kårstad; Håkansson, Lena; Christiansen, Hanne H.; Dahl, Tina & Strømseng, Elise (2023). How formal initiatives to improve teaching can lead to more significant informal conversations and increased sharing practice. Nordic Journal of STEM Education. 7(1), p. 84–97. doi: 10.5324/njsteme.v7i1.4951. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  University teachers grow professionally from conversations about learning and teaching with colleagues. Significant informal conversations can be facilitated through formal activities initiated from the institutional side. This case-study shows how a formal institutional initiative to enhance educational quality has facilitated more significant informal conversations. Such conversations power constructive feedback to the organisation, improve the formal quality development work at the institutional level, and increase the use of collegial experiences across the institution. We identify the formal initiative “Collegial sharing sessions” as particularly efficient for fuelling significant informal conversations within and across departments.

• Eidesen, Pernille Bronken; Bjune, Anne Elisabeth & Lang, Simone Iris (2023). “Show me how to use a microscope” – The development and evaluation of certification as direct assessment of practical lab skills. Ecology and Evolution. 13(10). doi: 10.1002/ece3.10592. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Practical lab skills are rarely directly assessed. To improve constructive alignment between the described learning outcomes of practical skills and assessment, we developed and tested a certification procedure for microscopy skills. The procedure was embedded into the ordinary learning activity, so no additional time was needed. Three slightly different protocols were developed within the framework of sociocultural learning theory and built like a skill ladder, including direct peer assessment and elements of gamified learning. The protocols varied slightly in the way students were prepared for the certification, the number of steps/levels of achievement, and the consequences of failing. We tested the protocols at three different academic institutions and within 11 courses of varying sizes and academic levels in biology or geology. Feedbacks were collected through online surveys (n = 207) or orally after sessions. One protocol provided instruction videos as preparation material. Instruction videos provided increased understanding of the task, but tactile training was most important for learning. Regardless of institution, type of preparation, and level of former experience, the certification procedure made students clearly more engaged in the exercise. The majority reported that the certification procedure increased their motivation to learn, increased their perceived learning outcome, and was appropriate for assessing practical skills. Students with no or little experience in microscopy before the exercise were more positive about the certification procedure compared to skilled students, and the level of engagement and preparation was higher when there were some consequences of failing. Most students felt comfortable being certified by peers, but some students expressed concern about peers making mistakes. The presented certification procedure can easily be adapted to assess other practical skills and, with some adjustments, be an efficient method for assessment-as-learning, merging formative- and summative assessment.

• Meucci, Stefano; Schulte, Luise; Zimmermann, Heike H.; Stoof-Leichsenring, Kathleen R.; Epp, Laura & Eidesen, Pernille Bronken [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2021). Holocene chloroplast genetic variation of shrubs (Alnus alnobetula, Betula nana, Salix sp.) at the siberian tundra-taiga ecotone inferred from modern chloroplast genome assembly and sedimentary ancient DNA analyses. Ecology and Evolution. 11(5), p. 2173–2193. doi: 10.1002/ece3.7183. Full text in Research Archive
• Wutkowska, Magdalena; Ehrich, Dorothee; Mundra, Sunil; Vader, Anna & Eidesen, Pernille Bronken (2021). Can root-associated fungi mediate the impact of abiotic conditions on the growth of a High Arctic herb? Soil Biology and Biochemistry. ISSN 0038-0717. 159. doi: 10.1016/j.soilbio.2021.108284. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Arctic plants are affected by many stressors. Root-associated fungi are thought to influence plant performance in stressful environmental conditions. However, the relationships are not well-known; do the number of fungal partners, their ecological functions and community composition mediate the impact of environmental conditions and/or influence host plant performance? To address these questions, we used a common arctic plant as a model system: Bistorta vivipara. Whole plants (including root system) were collected from nine locations in Spitsbergen (n=214). Morphometric features were measured as a proxy for performance and combined with metabarcoding datasets of their root-associated fungi (amplicon sequence variants, ASVs), edaphic and meteorological variables. Seven biological hypotheses regarding fungal influence on plant measures were tested using structural equation modelling. The best-fitting model revealed that local temperature affected plants both directly (negatively aboveground and positively below-ground) and indirectly - mediated by fungal richness and the ratio of symbio- and saprotrophic ASVs. The influence of temperature on host plants is therefore complex and should be examined further. Fungal community composition did not impact plant measurements and plant reproductive investment was not influenced by any fungal parameters. The lack of impact of fungal community composition on plant performance suggests that the functional importance of fungi is more essential for the plant than their identity.

• Voldstad, Linn Margrethe Høeg; Alsos, Inger Greve; Farnsworth, Wesley Randall; Heintzman, Peter D.; Håkansson, Lena & Kjellman, Sofia Elisabeth [Show all 9 contributors for this article] (2020). A complete Holocene lake sediment ancient DNA record reveals long-standing high Arctic plant diversity hotspot in northern Svalbard. Quaternary Science Reviews. ISSN 0277-3791. 234, p. 1–15. doi: 10.1016/j.quascirev.2020.106207. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Arctic hotspots, local areas of high biodiversity, are potential key sites for conservation of Arctic biodiversity. However, there is a need for improved understanding of their long-term resilience. The Arctic hotspot of Ringhorndalen has the highest registered diversity of vascular plants in the Svalbard archipelago, including several remarkable and isolated plant populations located far north of their normal distribution range. Here we analyze a lake sediment core from Ringhorndalen for sedimentary ancient DNA (sedaDNA) and geochemical proxies to detect changes in local vegetation and climate. Half of the plant taxa appeared already before 10,600 cal. yr BP, indicating rapid colonization as the ice retreated. Thermophilous species had a reoccurring presence throughout the Holocene record, but stronger signal in the early than Late Holocene period. Thus, thermophilous Arctic plant species had broader distribution ranges during the Early Holocene thermal maximum c. 10,000 cal. yr BP than today. Most of these thermophilous species are currently not recorded in the catchment area of the studied lake, but occur locally in favourable areas further into the valley. For example, Empetrum nigrum was found in >40% of the sedaDNA samples, whereas its current distribution in Ringhorndalen is highly restricted and outside the catchment area of the lake. Our findings support the hypothesis of isolated relict populations in Ringhorndalen. The findings are also consistent with main Holocene climatic shifts in Svalbard identified by previous studies and indicate an early warm and species-rich postglacial period until c. 6500 cal. yr BP, followed by fluctuating cool and warm periods throughout the later Holocene

• Botnen, Synnøve Smebye; Thoen, Ella; Eidesen, Pernille Bronken; Krabberød, Anders Kristian & Kauserud, Håvard (2020). Community composition of arctic root-associated fungi mirrors host plant phylogeny. FEMS Microbiology Ecology. ISSN 0168-6496. 96. doi: 10.1093/femsec/fiaa185. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The number of plant species regarded as non-mycorrhizal increases at higher latitudes, and several plant species in the High-Arctic Archipelago Svalbard have been reported as non-mycorrhizal. We used the rRNA ITS2 and 18S gene markers to survey which fungi, as well as other micro-eukaryotes, were associated with roots of 31 arctic plant species not usually regarded as mycorrhizal in Svalbard. We assessed to what degree the root-associated fungi showed any host preference and whether the phylogeny of the plant hosts may mirror the composition of root-associated fungi. Fungal communities were largely structured according to host plant identity and to a less extent by environmental factors. We observed a positive relationship between the phylogenetic distance of host plants and the distance of fungal community composition between samples, indicating that the evolutionary history of the host plants plays a major role for which fungi colonize the plant roots. In contrast to the ITS2 marker, the 18S rRNA gene marker showed that chytrid fungi were prevalently associated with plant roots, together with a wide spectrum of amoeba-like protists and nematodes. Our study confirms that arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi are present also in arctic environments in low abundance.

• Botnen, Synnøve Smebye; Mundra, Sunil; Kauserud, Håvard & Eidesen, Pernille Bronken (2020). Glacier retreat in the High Arctic: Opportunity or threat for ectomycorrhizal diversity? FEMS Microbiology Ecology. ISSN 0168-6496. 96(12). doi: 10.1093/femsec/fiaa171. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Climate change causes Arctic glaciers to retreat faster, exposing new areas for colonization. Several pioneer plants likely to colonize recent deglaciated, nutrient-poor areas depend on fungal partners for successful establishment. Little is known about general patterns or characteristics of facilitating fungal pioneers and how they vary with regional climate in the Arctic. The High Arctic Archipelago Svalbard represents an excellent study system to address these question, as glaciers cover about 60% of the land surface and recent estimations suggest at least 7% reduction of glacier area since 1960s. Roots of two ectomycorrhizal (ECM) plants (Salix polaris and Bistorta vivipara) were sampled in eight glacier forelands. Associated ECM fungi were assessed using DNA metabarcoding. About 25% of the diversity was unknown at family level, indicating presence of undescribed species. Seven genera dominated based on richness and abundance, but their relative importance varied with local factors. The genus Geopora showed surprisingly high richness and abundance, particularly in dry, nutrient-poor forelands. Such forelands will diminish along with increasing temperature and precipitation, and faster succession. Our results support a taxonomical shift in pioneer ECM diversity with climate change, and we are likely to lose unknown fungal diversity, without knowing their identity or ecological importance.

• Raynolds, Martha K.; Walker, Donald A.; Balser, Andrew; Bay, Christian; Campbell, Mitch & Cherosov, Mikhail M. [Show all 29 contributors for this article] (2019). A raster version of the Circumpolar Arctic Vegetation Map (CAVM). Remote Sensing of Environment. ISSN 0034-4257. 232. doi: 10.1016/j.rse.2019.111297. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Land cover maps are the basic data layer required for understanding and modeling ecological patterns and processes. The Circumpolar Arctic Vegetation Map (CAVM), produced in 2003, has been widely used as a base map for studies in the arctic tundra biome. However, the relatively coarse resolution and vector format of the map were not compatible with many other data sets. We present a new version of the CAVM, building on the strengths of the original map, while providing a finer spatial resolution, raster format, and improved mapping. The Raster CAVM uses the legend, extent and projection of the original CAVM. The legend has 16 vegetation types, glacier, saline water, freshwater, and non-arctic land. The Raster CAVM divides the original rock-water-vegetation complex map unit that mapped the Canadian Shield into two map units, distinguishing between areas with lichen- and shrub-dominated vegetation. In contrast to the original hand-drawn CAVM, the new map is based on unsupervised classifications of seventeen geographic/floristic sub-sections of the Arctic, using AVHRR and MODIS data (reflectance and NDVI) and elevation data. The units resulting from the classification were modeled to the CAVM types using a wide variety of ancillary data. The map was reviewed by experts familiar with their particular region, including many of the original authors of the CAVM from Canada, Greenland (Denmark), Iceland, Norway (including Svalbard), Russia, and the U.S. The analysis presented here summarizes the area, geographical distribution, elevation, summer temperatures, and NDVI of the map units. The greater spatial resolution of the Raster CAVM allowed more detailed mapping of water-bodies and mountainous areas. It portrays coastal-inland gradients, and better reflects the heterogeneity of vegetation type distribution than the original CAVM. Accuracy assessment of random 1-km pixels interpreted from 6 Landsat scenes showed an average of 70% accuracy, up from 39% for the original CAVM. The distribution of shrub-dominated types changed the most, with more prostrate shrub tundra mapped in mountainous areas, and less low shrub tundra in lowland areas. This improved mapping is important for quantifying existing and potential changes to land cover, a key environmental indicator for modeling and monitoring ecosystems. The final product is publicly available at www.geobotany.uaf.edu and at Mendeley Data, DOI: 10.17632/c4xj5rv6kv.1.

• Svoen, Mildrid Elvik; Müller, Eike; Brysting, Anne Krag; Kålås, Ingvil Henden & Eidesen, Pernille Bronken (2019). Female advantage? Investigating female frequency and establishment performance in high-arctic Silene acaulis. Botany. ISSN 1916-2790. 97(4), p. 245–261. doi: 10.1139/cjb-2018-0150. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Many Arctic plants overcome limited time budgets and energy budgets by selfing, increasing the risk of inbreeding. Gynodioecious breeding systems allows for selfing by hermaphrodites, whereas enforced outcrossing through females lowers risk of inbreeding. Females persist due to female advantage in the system. Using the gynodioecious species Silene acaulis (L.) Jacq., we compared establishment performance and female frequency in 17 populations in open, sparsely vegetated habitats versus closed, denser vegetated habitats, across a regional climate gradient in high-Arctic Svalbard. For two populations, genetics were performed using microsatellites to compare inbreeding levels between habitats. As S. acaulis is a pioneer species, we expected denser vegetation to represent more competitive environments, reducing establishment performance and increasing female frequency due to female advantage. We expected similar responses to harsher regional climate. Establishment performance was reduced in closed habitats and harsher climate, but female frequency was slightly lower in closed habitats and did not differ between regional climates. High inbreeding levels may indicate that female advantage is counteracted by pollen limitation. However, female frequency increased with latitude. Lower sun angle at higher latitudes reduce the heat-trap effect of the cushion growth form, and female advantage might be expressed as response to reduced microclimate amelioration.

• Wutkowska, Magdalena; Vader, Anna; Mundra, Sunil; Cooper, Elisabeth J. & Eidesen, Pernille Bronken (2019). Dead or alive; or does it really matter? Level of congruency between trophic modes in total and active fungal communities in High Arctic soil. Frontiers in Microbiology. 9. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.03243. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Describing dynamics of belowground organisms, such as fungi, can be challenging. Results of studies based on environmental DNA (eDNA) may be biased as the template does not discriminate between metabolically active cells and dead biomass. We analyzed ribosomal DNA (rDNA) and ribosomal RNA (rRNA) coextracted from 48 soil samples collected from a manipulated snow depth experiment in two distinct vegetation types in Svalbard, in the High Arctic. Our main goal was to compare if the rDNA and rRNA metabarcoding templates produced congruent results that would lead to consistent ecological interpretation. Data derived from both rDNA and rRNA clustered according to vegetation types. Different sets of environmental variables explained the community composition based on the metabarcoding template. rDNA and rRNA-derived community composition of symbiotrophs and saprotrophs, unlike pathotrophs, clustered together in a similar way as when the community composition was analyzed using all OTUs in the study. Mean OTU richness was higher for rRNA, especially in symbiotrophs. The metabarcoding template was more important than vegetation type in explaining differences in richness. The proportion of symbiotrophic, saprotrophic and functionally unassigned reads differed between rDNA and rRNA, but showed similar trends. There was no evidence for increased snow depth influence on fungal community composition or richness. Our findings suggest that template choice may be especially important for estimating biodiversity, such as richness and relative abundances, especially in Helotiales and Agaricales, but not for inferring community composition. Differences in study results originating from rDNA or rRNA may directly impact the ecological conclusions of one’s study, which could potentially lead to false conclusions on the dynamics of microbial communities in a rapidly changing Arctic.

• Pedersen, Åshild Ønvik; Stien, Jenny; Eidesen, Pernille Bronken; Ims, Rolf Anker; Jepsen, Jane Uhd & Stien, Audun [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2018). High goose abundance reduces nest predation risk in a simple rodent-free high-Arctic ecosystem. Polar Biology. ISSN 0722-4060. 41(4), p. 619–627. doi: 10.1007/s00300-017-2223-z. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Breeding geese are the preferred prey of the Arctic fox Vulpes lagopus in the high-Arctic Svalbard archipelago. According to the apparent competition hypothesis (ACH), less-abundant prey species (e.g. ptarmigan, waders and small passerines) will experience higher predation rates when breeding in association with the more common prey (geese), due to spill-over predation by the shared predator. As many of these less-abundant species are endemic and/or red-listed, increased predation can have negative repercussions on their populations. We used a one-year baited artificial nest study to assess relative nest predation risk on Svalbard Rock Ptarmigan Lagopus muta hyperborea, small waders (Purple Sandpiper Calidris maritima, Dunlin Calidris alpina, plovers Charadrius spp., and phalaropes Phalaropus spp.) and Snow bunting Plectrophenax nivalis in two study locations contrasted by nesting density of Arctic breeding geese (Pink-footed Goose Anser brachyrhynchus and Barnacle Goose Branta leucopsis). We predicted higher predation risk for the less-abundant species in the study location with higher goose abundance. However, we found that relative nest predation risk was lower in the study location with higher goose abundance, thus being compatible with apparent mutualism and/or prey swamping mechanisms. Our results contrast with those from more structurally complex Arctic ecosystems and suggest that allochtonous subsidies from temperate ecosystems structure the predation pattern in this high-Arctic tundra ecosystem. Keywords Apparent competition · Arctic fox V. lagopus · Artificial nest · Predator · Pink-footed Goose · Svalbard

• Newsham, Kevin K.; Eidesen, Pernille Bronken; Davey, Marie Louise; Axelsen, Josepha Harms; Courtecuisse, Emilie & Flintrop, Clara Maria [Show all 16 contributors for this article] (2017). Arbuscular mycorrhizas are present on Spitsbergen. Mycorrhiza. ISSN 0940-6360. 27(7), p. 725–731. doi: 10.1007/s00572-017-0785-9. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  A previous study of 76 plant species on Spitsbergen in the High Arctic concluded that structures resembling arbuscular mycorrhizas were absent from roots. Here, we report a survey examining the roots of 13 grass and forb species collected from 12 sites on the island for arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) colonisation. Of the 102 individuals collected, we recorded AM endophytes in the roots of 41 plants of 11 species (Alopecurus ovatus, Deschampsia alpina, Festuca rubra ssp. richardsonii, putative viviparous hybrids of Poa arctica and Poa pratensis, Poa arctica ssp. arctica, Trisetum spicatum, Coptidium spitsbergense, Ranunculus nivalis, Ranunculuspygmaeus, Ranunculus sulphureus and Taraxacum arcticum) sampled from 10 sites. Both coarse AM endophyte, with hyphae of 5–10 μm width, vesicles and occasional arbuscules, and fine endophyte, consisting of hyphae of 1–3 μm width and sparse arbuscules, were recorded in roots. Coarse AM hyphae, vesicles, arbuscules and fine endophyte hyphae occupied 1.0–30.7, 0.8–18.3, 0.7–11.9 and 0.7–12.8% of the root lengths of colonised plants, respectively. Principal component analysis indicated no associations between the abundances of AM structures in roots and edaphic factors. We conclude that the AM symbiosis is present in grass and forb roots on Spitsbergen.

• Ikeda, Hajime; Eidesen, Pernille Bronken; Yakubov, Valentin; Barkalov, Vyacheslav; Brochmann, Christian & Setoguchi, Hiroaki (2017). Late Pleistocene origin of the entire circumarctic range of the arctic-alpine plant Kalmia procumbens. Molecular Ecology. ISSN 0962-1083. 26(20), p. 5773–5783. doi: 10.1111/mec.14325. Full text in Research Archive
• Eidesen, Pernille Bronken; Little, Lorna; Müller, Eike; Dickinson, Katharine J.M. & Lord, Janice M. (2017). Plant-pollinator interactions affect colonisation efficiency: abundance of blue-purple flowers is correlated with species richness of bumblebees in the Arctic. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society. ISSN 0024-4066. 121(1), p. 150–162. doi: 10.1093/biolinnean/blw006. Full text in Research Archive
• Lorberau, Kelsey; Botnen, Synnøve Smebye; Mundra, Sunil; Aas, Anders Bjørnsgard; Rozema, Jelte & Eidesen, Pernille Bronken [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2017). Does warming by open-top chambers induce change in the root-associated fungal community of the arctic dwarf shrub Cassiope tetragona (Ericaceae)? Mycorrhiza. ISSN 0940-6360. 27(5), p. 513–524. doi: 10.1007/s00572-017-0767-y. Full text in Research Archive

View all works in NVA

• Pienkowski, Anna; Schalamon, Florina Roana; Dahl, Tina; Eidesen, Pernille Bronken; Furze, Mark F.A. & Hartkop, Matthew [Show all 11 contributors for this article] (2026). Teaching Manual for Field Assistants. Universitetssenteret på Svalbard. 41 p. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Conducting educational fieldwork in the natural sciences is often a demanding task, particularly in the Arctic; for many students it is also a new experience. However, fieldwork has a high potential to add great value to conventional classroom lectures and lab work. Alongside the course responsible and students in the field, typically one or several teaching assistants (TAs) are involved in a given course. An important task for these assistants is to contribute towards the best possible learning environment for the students through a range of practical and theoretical tasks. However, they seldom receive formal training in their tasks, and much is learned simply by doing and or by informal knowledge transfer from, for example, more senior students and the course responsible. This shortcoming was addressed by a 3-day course held for the first time at UNIS (University Centre in Svalbard) during spring 2021 and subsequently in 2022. In 2024 and 2025 the course was extended to 5 days. The course, titled ‘The UNIS Field TA Academy’, covers the following topics: introduction to pedagogical theory and teaching; feedback and feedback culture; group work; conflict resolution; diversity, equity, and inclusion; and field learning. This manual is a summary of the course topics and is expanded based on feedback from former field TAs, students, and course responsibles.

View all works in NVA

• Sjøberg, Mari Heum; Bjerknes, Anne-Line; Burner, Tony; Enqvist-Jensen, Cecilie; Lange, Thomas de & Sandberg, Magnus Henrik [Show all 12 contributors for this article] (2026). Forskning og følelser - NRK. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Det er flott at kjendiser engasjerer seg. Men de kan ikke erstatte fagkunnskap.

• Bjerknes, Anne-Line; Burner, Tony; Sjøberg, Mari Heum; Enqvist-Jensen, Cecilie; Lange, Thomas de & Sandberg, Magnus Henrik [Show all 12 contributors for this article] (2026). Skal følelser eller fagkunnskap styre norsk skole? Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Akademikere mener kjendiser får for mye plass i debatten. Hvordan ville det gått med helsesektoren dersom vi lot de samme folkene definere medisinsk praksis? spør de.

• Eidesen, Pernille Bronken; Langset, Hanna Kristine; Morønning, Marthe; Haug, Berit S & Tsigaridas, Kristin Glørstad (2025). Spre det glade budskap - teambasert læring funker for både studenter, lærere og elever i naturfag. Full text in Research Archive
• Vandvik, Vigdis; Eidesen, Pernille Bronken; Coulson, Stephen James & Cotner, Sehoya Harris (2024). How it started, how it happened, where it’s going—10 years of cultural transformation and the way forward. Full text in Research Archive
• Lang, Simone; Dahl, Tina & Eidesen, Pernille Bronken (2023). Certification of practical skills engages students and promotes learning. Full text in Research Archive
• Schuuring, Sil; Halvorsen, Rune; Eidesen, Pernille Bronken; Nyttinen, Pekka; Kemppinen, Julia & Lang, Simone (2023). No need to be bushy: Low-statured high arctic vegetation slows early season active layer thaw. Full text in Research Archive
• Lang, Simone; Hjelle, Simen Salomonsen; Dahl, Tina & Eidesen, Pernille Bronken (2023). Creating 360° Virtual Field Guides to improve field learning. Full text in Research Archive
• Eidesen, Pernille Bronken; Rossi, Maria Philippa & Hjelle, Simen Salomonsen (2023). The ColdCast: Pernille B.Eidesen - FieldPass. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  In this episode we are joined by Pernille Bronken Eidesen, senior lecturer at the Laboratory School in Biology at University of Oslo and adjunct professor at UNIS. Pernille has been involved in FieldPass, a project testing and developing alternative assessment methods for practical skills and generic competences. Field work is an important part of the teaching at UNIS, and students gain valuable skills, but these skills are not always easy to assess. In this episode Pernille explains more about the project and her work.

• Eidesen, Pernille Bronken & Hjelle, Simen Salomonsen (2022). Pedagogisk innovasjon ved bruk av digital teknologi: Virtuelle feltguider gir økt læringsutbytte i møte med virkeligheten. Full text in Research Archive
• Eidesen, Pernille Bronken; Bjune, Anne Elisabeth & Lang, Simone (2022). Vurdering for læring – fra labrapport til sertifisering av mikroskopiferdigheter. Full text in Research Archive
• Eidesen, Pernille Bronken & Hjelle, Simen Salomonsen (2022). FieldPass workshop - How to utilize virtual field guides in teaching. Full text in Research Archive
• Eidesen, Pernille Bronken; Bjune, Anne Elisabeth & Lang, Simone Iris (2022). Learning through assessment – exchange the lab report with certification of microscopy skills. Full text in Research Archive
• Hjelle, Simen Salomonsen & Eidesen, Pernille Bronken (2022). How to create virtual field guides (VFGs). Full text in Research Archive
• Coulson, Stephen James; Eidesen, Pernille Bronken; Lang, Simone Iris; Kalian, Kseniia & Hjelle, Simen Salomonsen (2022). FieldPass workshop GRID-Arendal. Full text in Research Archive
• Eidesen, Pernille Bronken; Førland, Oddfrid T. Kårstad; Håkansson, Lena; Christiansen, Hanne H; Dahl, Tina & Strømseng, Elise (2022). How to facilitate significant informal conversations about teaching and learning? Full text in Research Archive
• Lang, Simone; Eidesen, Pernille Bronken & Bjune, Anne Elisabeth (2022). How to assess practical skills in lab and field settings. Full text in Research Archive
• Eidesen, Pernille Bronken (2021). Embedding skills into education. Full text in Research Archive
• Eidesen, Pernille Bronken & Hjelle, Simen Salomonsen (2021). Virtuelle feltguider bygger bro mellom teori og praksis. Full text in Research Archive
• Eidesen, Pernille Bronken (2021). Embedding skills into education. Full text in Research Archive
• Hjelle, Simen Salomonsen & Eidesen, Pernille Bronken (2021). Creating 360° Virtual Field Guides to improve field learning. Full text in Research Archive
• Forchammer, Mads & Eidesen, Pernille Bronken (2021). Arktisk natur i endring? Kunsten å skille naturlige svingninger fra systematisk endringer i klima. Full text in Research Archive
• Schuuring, Sil; Eidesen, Pernille Bronken; Halvorsen, Rune & Lang, Simone (2021). High Arctic Bryophytes: A green Blanket? Full text in Research Archive
• Tjessem, Ingrid Vesterdal; Eidesen, Pernille Bronken & Brysting, Anne Krag (2021). Polyploidy in Saxifraga oppositifolia. A shift in reproductive parameters, a result of environmental adaptations? Full text in Research Archive
• Førland, Oddfrid T. Kårstad; Raaheim, Arild; Eidesen, Pernille Bronken & Ubøe, Jan (2021). Merittering – hva har vi lært så langt? Full text in Research Archive
• Eidesen, Pernille Bronken (2020). Arctic Winter Microbiology. Full text in Research Archive
• Eidesen, Pernille Bronken (2020). Out of sight, out of mind - – what we know (and not know) about seasonal variation in root associated fungi in the High-Arctic Archipelago Svalbard. Full text in Research Archive
• Eidesen, Pernille Bronken (2020). Educating future scientists-moving from data to action. Full text in Research Archive
• Eidesen, Pernille Bronken (2020). FieldPass: develop and test assessment methods for practical skills and general competences– a inter-departmental UNIS project. Full text in Research Archive
• Eidesen, Pernille Bronken (2020). How to apply for research funding? Full text in Research Archive
• Eidesen, Pernille Bronken & Håkansson, Lena (2020). SFUs at UNIS-similarities, differences, synergies. Full text in Research Archive
• Eidesen, Pernille Bronken (2020). Utdanning for fremtiden - en dreining fra kunnskapsorientert til handlingsorientert utdanning. Full text in Research Archive
• Eidesen, Pernille Bronken; Bruls, Angelina; Hjelle, Simen Salomonsen & Ween, Rebekka Eriksen (2020). Forskning på blomsterkjærlighet i Bjørndalen. Full text in Research Archive
• Lang, Simone & Eidesen, Pernille Bronken (2020). How to teach scientific writing. Full text in Research Archive
• Eidesen, Pernille Bronken (2020). Bridging theory and field-experience through digital tools. Full text in Research Archive
• Ahlberg, Anders; Andersson, Roy Oloph & Eidesen, Pernille Bronken (2020). How to start writing a well-structured teaching portfolio. Full text in Research Archive
• Eidesen, Pernille Bronken & Landsverk, Johanne (2020). Ny vår for undervisning. [Journal]. Forskerforum 2,52. Full text in Research Archive
• Eidesen, Pernille Bronken; Arnesen, Geir; Grytnes, Jon-Arvid & Voldstad, Linn Margrethe Høeg (2019). Artsapp for Svalbards flora. doi: https:/www.miljovernfondet.no/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Sluttrapport_Artsapp.pdf. Full text in Research Archive
• Dahl, Tina; Eidesen, Pernille Bronken; Partamies, Noora & Haugvaldstad, Jørgen (2019). Course alignment and field teaching. Full text in Research Archive
• Bon, Matteo Petit; Wutkowska, Magdalena; Forchhammer, Mads C.; Eidesen, Pernille Bronken; Lang, Simone I. & Ravolainen, Virve (2019). The Svalbard Decomposition Map project (DECOSVALMAP). Full text in Research Archive
• Eidesen, Pernille Bronken (2019). Centre of Excellence in Biology Education - bioCEED - what difference does it make? Full text in Research Archive
• Eidesen, Pernille Bronken (2019). Denne blomsten er klar for et våtere klima. [Journal]. Svalbardposten. Full text in Research Archive
• Eidesen, Pernille Bronken (2019). Assess the unassessable? FieldPass:Promote course alignment in field teaching. Full text in Research Archive
• Eidesen, Pernille Bronken (2019). Penger til feltlaboratorium. [Journal]. Svalbardposten. Full text in Research Archive
• Eidesen, Pernille Bronken (2019). News from bioCEED. Full text in Research Archive
• Eidesen, Pernille Bronken (2019). How can a field laboratory for research and teaching contribute to long-time monitoring? Full text in Research Archive
• Eidesen, Pernille Bronken (2019). Double up to succeed? Understanding mechanisms and evolutionary consequences of autopolyploidy. Full text in Research Archive
• Eidesen, Pernille Bronken (2019). Unik arktisk oase i Ringhorndalen. [Journal]. Svalbardposten. Full text in Research Archive
• Eidesen, Pernille Bronken (2019). La frontiera del clima. [TV]. TG3 (TeleGiornale 3). Full text in Research Archive
• Eidesen, Pernille Bronken (2019). The next generation of Polar scientists. Full text in Research Archive
• Eidesen, Pernille Bronken (2019). De rare dingsene i Bjørndalen – å forstå naturen fra plankton til reinsdyr. Full text in Research Archive
• Stübner, Eike Ingrid; Høiland, Klaus; Nilsen, Lennart; Lang, Simone Iris; Coulson, Stephen James & Eidesen, Pernille Bronken (2019). Learning Arctic Biology. doi: https:/www.learningarcticbiology.info/. Full text in Research Archive
• Cotner, Sehoya Harris; Dahl, Tina; Stübner, Eike Ingrid & Eidesen, Pernille Bronken (2018). Faculty and Student Perceptions of Course-Based Research Experiences at 78 Degrees North. Full text in Research Archive
• Wutkowska, Magdalena; Vader, Anna; Mundra, Sunil; Cooper, Elisabeth J. & Eidesen, Pernille Bronken (2018). Fungal trophic mode congruency based on rDNA and rRNA from snow fence experiment in High Arctic. Full text in Research Archive
• Eidesen, Pernille Bronken & Hole, Torstein Nielsen (2018). bioCEED – Status, ongoing projects at UNIS. Full text in Research Archive
• Eidesen, Pernille Bronken (2018). The Arctic Department as partner in Centre of Excellence in Biology Education - bioCEED - what difference does it make? Full text in Research Archive
• Eidesen, Pernille Bronken & Dahl, Tina (2018). Developing learning culture through field work – effect of group-work organization. Full text in Research Archive
• Hole, Torstein Nielsen; Eidesen, Pernille Bronken & Dahl, Tina (2018). Towards a new conceptualization of field excursion learning. Full text in Research Archive
• Wutkowska, Magdalena; Eidesen, Pernille Bronken; Gabrielsen, Tove M. & Ehrich, Dorothee (2018). Arctic microbial eukaryotes and their functional importance in time and space. Full text in Research Archive
• Eidesen, Pernille Bronken; Vader, Anna & Søreide, Janne (2017). Utnytter vi potensialet for læring og personlig utvikling i feltundervisning? Full text in Research Archive
• Eidesen, Pernille Bronken (2017). bioCEED - Senter for fremragende utdanning i biologi. Full text in Research Archive
• Eidesen, Pernille Bronken & Dahl, Tina (2017). Omvendte klasserom og teambasert læring (TBL) gir økt studentaktivitet og bedre læringsutbytte. Full text in Research Archive
• Eidesen, Pernille Bronken (2017). bioCEED - who, what, why and how? Full text in Research Archive
• Eidesen, Pernille Bronken; Gabrielsen, Tove M. & Vader, Anna (2017). Unveiling the hidden communities of arctic eukaryotic microorganisms. Arctic Approach - The Northern Area Program. Fagbokforlaget. ISSN 9788245021127. p. 95–108. Full text in Research Archive
• Eidesen, Pernille Bronken (2017). Science and education in Svalbard - with examples from Arctic biology. Full text in Research Archive
• Eidesen, Pernille Bronken (2017). bioCEED - Centre of Excellence in Biology Education. Full text in Research Archive
• Eidesen, Pernille Bronken (2017). Some lessons learned through various evaluation processes. Full text in Research Archive
• Eidesen, Pernille Bronken (2017). Teambasert læring. Full text in Research Archive
• Eidesen, Pernille Bronken (2017). The Arctic Department as partner in Centre of Excellence in Biology Education - bioCEED - what difference does it make? Full text in Research Archive
• Eidesen, Pernille Bronken (2017). New ways of coupling research and education. Full text in Research Archive
• Eidesen, Pernille Bronken (2017). Science and education in Svalbard - with examples from Arctic biology. Full text in Research Archive
• Dannevig, Halvor; Sveinsdóttir, Anna G.; Eidesen, Pernille Bronken & Søreide, Janne (2023). Impacts of climate- and environmental change on tourism in Svalbard. Vestlandsforsking. ISSN 9788242804624. Full text in Research Archive
• Detampel, Jan-Philip; Moullec, Mathilde Le; Eidesen, Pernille Bronken; Hansen, Brage Bremset & Tietjen, Britta (2021). Effects of warmer and rainier Arctic winters on a widespread herb: Bistorta vivipara. Freie Universität Berlin. Full text in Research Archive
• Botnen, Synnøve Smebye; Kauserud, Håvard; Davey, Marie Louise; Brysting, Anne Krag & Eidesen, Pernille Bronken (2020). Biodiversity in the dark: root-associated fungi in the Arctic. Universitetet i Oslo. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  In her PhD thesis, Synnøve Smebye Botnen investigated the diversity and community ecology of Arctic fungi, from beforehand a poorly studied group of organisms. Climate change will have major impacts on Arctic ecosystems and in this regard, we need baseline information about the existing and putatively unique arctic biodiversity. As elsewhere, arctic plants live in symbiosis with various root-associated fungi that e.g. feed the host plants with essential nutrients. To assess the diversity of these fungi in the arctic, and which environmental factors influence them, Botnen used a technique called DNA-metabarcoding, relying on modern high-throughput DNA sequencing methods. Her main study area was Svalbard. The DNA-based methods revealed an extensive diversity of root-associated fungi in the arctic, where the majority still are lacking scientific names. To illustrate, a single plant root system at Svalbard may host as many fungi as the number of plant species at entire Svalbard. Only a minor proportion of these fungi produce macroscopically aboveground fruit bodies. Botnen revealed that climate conditions have a significant effect on the distribution of arctic fungi, as well as other environmental factors. This means that the ongoing climate change will re-distribute the fungal diversity. Not only the physical environment shapes the fungal communities; Botnen revealed that some types of root-associated fungi can be highly host specific. However, when it comes to ectomycorrhizal fungi – one specific group of root-associated fungi – Botnen revealed that they typically colonize different host plants and show little host specificity. In addition to empirical studies, Botnen also conducted a method study, where specific elements of the DNA-metabarcoding approach was evaluated. These analyses revealed that the DNA-metabarcoding method provides a very robust framework to study changes in communities of fungi and microorganisms. Taken together, results from the thesis provides baseline information about the extensive diversity of arctic fungi. This baseline information is much needed to better understand the expected changes in arctic ecosystems. However, most of all, the thesis illustrates that we barely have scraped the surface of this largely unknown fungal diversity, calling for intensified research efforts on this topic.

View all works in NVA