Centre for Mountains in Transition

Mountains around the world are changing rapidly as a result of climate change and increased human activity, but until now there has been insufficient research on Scandinavian mountains. The University of Bergen therefore took the initiative to establish a center for research on mountains in transition. The center brings together researchers to understand what the changes mean for nature, climate, and society.

The Trond Mohn Research Foundation will support the new center with a total of up to NOK 20 million over the next five years.

Changes in mountain areas are well documented by, among others, the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES). Persistent global warming is causing glaciers and snowfields to melt, and snow is often replaced by rain at high altitudes. This affects biodiversity in mountain areas and in ecosystems that are crucial for local and regional environmental balance and that provide a basis for farmers and the tourism industry. New land is becoming available as snowfields and glaciers disappear, vegetation patterns change, and the tree line continues to move upward.

“Our mountain areas are among the most vulnerable and at the same time most important natural systems we have. The changes are happening rapidly. It is crucial that we understand the interaction between climate, ice and snow, and ecosystems in order to ensure sustainable management of these areas,” says the head of the new mountain center, Professor Jostein Bakke at the Department of Earth Science at the University of Bergen and the Bjerknes Center.

The new center for Mountains in Transition (SMT) brings together researchers from various academic disciplines to study the consequences of global environmental change in the Scandinavian mountain environment — including local climate, ice and snow, ecosystems, biodiversity, and the impact on national parks and nature reserves. The goal is to generate new knowledge and solutions that can benefit both national and international mountain areas. The center will combine field observations with advanced climate models to provide decision-makers and the general public with a better knowledge base for sustainable nature management.

The researchers are joined by representatives from the Norwegian Trekking Association, mountain guide associations, and power companies, among others, who will help ensure that the research results are put to use where they are most needed.“By understanding how climate change affects mountain areas, we are better equipped to take care of both natural values and the communities that depend on them. We are very grateful to the Trond Mohn Research Foundation for making it possible to carry out this large and interdisciplinary research project,” says Professor Jostein Bakke.

Key players in the center:

From the host institution, the University of Bergen, researchers from the Department of Earth Science, the Department of Biological Sciences, and the Geophysical institute are involved. The team will jointly supervise the eight PhD fellows in the center. A scientific advisory panel of international experts will advise the academic leaders. To ensure that the new knowledge is relevant and put to use, an user forum will be established with representatives from the consulting industry, The Norwegian hiking association DNT, the tourism industry, and The Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate NVE.

Researchers from the Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU) are involved. NMBU’s participants in the project have extensive experience in mountain research, particularly in various aspects of how vegetation changes with a warmer climate.

 NORCE contributes cutting-edge expertise in seasonal forecasting, climate prediction, and hydrology at both the local and regional levels. In addition, NORCE can contribute to the commercialization of research results from the center through its subsidiary, NORCE Innovation AS. 

Forsidefoto: Tori Pedersen