Structures providing policy-relevant advice on infrastructures

The Finnish science and technology system and Finland R&D Information Service

National science, technology and innovation policies in Finland are formulated by the Science and Technology Policy Council, which is chaired by the Prime Minister. The foremost science and technology policy organisations are the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Trade and Industry. There is not a formal advisory structure aiming specifically at research infrastructures. The advice is given on an ad-hoc basis and in different levels and of the Finnish science and technology system. The Ministry of Education and the Academy of Finland are the core players in Finland to give advice in matters regarding research infrastructures of all disciplines.

The Federation of Finnish Learned Societies (www.tsv.fi) in cooperation with the Academy of Finland (www.aka.fi) are leading the ESFRI process in Finland. A formal Steering Group has been nominated by the Ministry of Education and Culture to lead the research infrastructure policy work in Finland. This Steering Group has representatives from the funding agencies, ministries, universities and governmental institutes.

Policy development with respect to Life Watch

The Steering Group is preparing an advice for listing both national and international infrastructures assisted by a questionnaire. A national position is not established yet.

National Life Watch network

The observatories are organised in a national network, which is coordinated by SYKE (FinLTSER, www.environment.fi/syke/lter). SYKE is arranging national LIFE-WATCH coordination meetings in spring to discuss implementation of other parts of the project.

Contacts

• Ministry of Education and Culture
• Secretary of Steering Group: Eeva Ikonen, Academy of Finland
• For Life Watch: SYKE, Dr. M. Forsius

Finland-Pallas: Utilization and validation of Earth observation data

The aim of the Finnish case study is to:

1. demonstrate the use of earth observation data for site-based ecosystem research and monitoring and
2. validate selected earth observation variables using available in situ data from the Finnish LTER-sites

The Pallas LTER-site (including surrounding areas and observations) will be the primary test site for the study.

The highly instrumented and closely observed Pallas site is located in northern Finland north of the arctic circle and it is a representative example of boreal and sub-arctic Eurasian environment.

The data sets available for the Pallas region include:

• high spatial resolution land cover data and hydrological and ecological research / monitoring / modeling data from SYKE
• weather and atmospheric parameter data from the Finnish Meteorological Institute
• additional data sets are available from in situ measurements and aerial monitoring campaigns from several other Finnish research institutes and universities

The Pallas LTER site (map): Pallasjärvi Lake (top) and Pyhäjoki river (bottom), a discharge monitoring site

Monitoring hut (left),  the Lompolojänkkä sedge fen flux site (middle), Observations of CO2 and CH4 concentrations and fluxes (right)