Plant Ecology of Arctic and Alpine Environments

This course focuses on arctic and alpine plant ecology and is part of a project enhancing international communication and joint learning between Norway and Japan. It is run alongside Masters level course Bio-3530 and students from both levels will work together, with the PhD students having a greater role in stimulating and leading discussions.

Students will learn in an international classroom of students from Norway and Japan and lectures will be given by teachers from both countries with examples from many different arctic and alpine locations. Students will gather in a classroom at each of the participating universities and have joint lectures, give presentations and have discussions with students at the other locations in real-time through TEAMS or ZOOM. Norwegian-based students can join in-person in Tromsø or NMBU or completely online from other locations.

This course gives students the opportunity to learn in an international arena and to improve their scientific reading, writing and oral communication skills.

Learning outcome

Knowledge

Upon successful completion of this course, the student:

• Understands the similarities and differences between arctic and alpine environments.
• Understands the seasonality of arctic and alpine environments.
• Knows about vegetation zones, vegetation types and key plant species in arctic and alpine environments.
• Knows how to detect patterns of vegetation change.
• Knows about the contribution of indigenous peoples’ knowledge and information gained from agricultural experts.
• Is aware of the relevance of long-term data for ecological research.
• Is aware of the work of international scientific bodies such as the Arctic Council.

Skills

After completing the course, the student is able to:

• Outline the main challenges to plant life in arctic and alpine environments.
• Give examples of the effect of climate change on plants in the arctic and alpine.
• Give examples of plant-herbivore interactions in the arctic and alpine.
• Give examples of the importance of international scientific cooperation at several levels.

General competence

The student:

• Has increased ecological knowledge.
• Can interact with others from a different background, culture and language.
• Has improved confidence for making oral presentations and contributing to discussions.
• Can lead discussions and encourage others to contribute.
• Can communicate information in written and oral form.
• Incorporates current knowledge and new scientific information into critical thinking.

Teaching methods

Lectures, seminars and student presentations.

Some lectures will be presented as videos in Canvas and some will be real-time online lectures. Seminars will be held online in real-time and discussions will be carried out with students at several universities in Norway and Japan.

Course dates

Fall 2026

Admission deadline

PhD students at UiT apply for a seat by registering for classes in StudentWeb before 1. September.

Other applicants apply for admission through SøknadsWeb. Local admission, application code 9301 – Singular courses at PhD level (apply between 20th of July and 9th August). For applicants who are granted a seat, a study right will be created, and these applicants apply for a seat by registering for classes in StudentWeb before 1. September.

Admission requirements

The course has a maximum of 4 student places in autumn 2026. The number of student places may vary from year to year depending on funding.

The course is reserved for the following categories of students:

• PhD students enrolled at UiT.
• PhD students at other Norwegian Universities who are members of the research school Photosyntech.

Students who take Bio-8540 Field Course in Arctic and Alpine Plant Ecology in Autumn 2026 will be prioritized for BIO-8530 Plant Ecology of Arctic and Alpine Environments.

To apply for this course: for Tromsø-based students: contact course leader. For those elsewhere apply to a singular PhD-level course at UiT.

Language

English.

Coursework requirements

To take an examination, the student must have passed the following coursework requirements:

Attendance to real-time online sessions		Approved – not approved
Lead at least one seminar		Approved – not approved
Make at least one presentation and contribute actively to the seminar discussions		Approved – not approved

Examination

Examination:	Duration:	Grade scale:
Oral exam	20 Minutes	Passed / Not Passed