The range of subjects is enormous – ranging from the movement patterns of small animals to what the universe is made of. In natural sciences, several millions are focused on research on the environment and climate change. The Linnaeus millions in medicine focus on knowledge that can, in the long term, diagnose and find cures for diseases that affect large numbers of the population. The millions granted to the humanities and social sciences will elucidate living conditions from the perspectives of both indivuals and society. In the field of technology, several environments will study how various systems and materials can be utilised more effectively.
Formas support to Lund …
Two Linnaeus environments are receiving grants from Formas. MSEK 75 goes to LUCID – Lund University Center of Excellence for Integration of Social and Natural Dimensions of Sustainability. At the Center, Lennart Olsson, Professor of Physical Geography and Ecosystem Analysis is coordinator of around fifty researchers in natural sciences, philosophy, economic history and other subjects.
Work will mainly focus on climate changes, water shortage, loss of biodiversity and changes in land use. The researchers are also working on both problem solving research and research that makes a critical scrutiny of the prevailing world order.
… and Göteborg
The second project supported by Formas is conducted at the Tjärnö and Kristineberg Field Stations of Göteborg University. A grant of MSEK 77 during ten years will pay for studies of evolution in marine environments and the way species can adapt to rapid environmental changes. Environments on land are also sensitive to changes.
- But, on land, production is mostly governed by the control of seed, nutrients and perhaps water. In the sea, it is the natural ecosystem that directs the whole production which humans want to utilise, and the wellbeing of the ecosystem is therefore of greater critical importance in the marine environments, says Kerstin Johannesson, Professor at the Department of Marine Ecology, Göteborg University, who is coordinator of the project.
The Baltic Sea – a Darwinian laboratory
The Baltic Sea is well suited for natural experiments. Kerstin Johannesson points out that this sea, with its isolated position and few species, is very similar to the Galapagos Islands which Darwin studied.
- The environment in the Baltic is unique, she stresses. Here, species and stocks have had to adapt to far more dramatic changes than their relatives in the Atlantic. And this defines the issues which we will study. Periwinkles were dominant at the time of the Littorina Sea that was the precursor of the Baltic, but is was a saltier sea than today. They did not survive when the salinity gradually decreased, but they remain on the west coast. Common blue mussels and bladderwrack are still to be found in the Baltic Sea, and because they can adapt, they are coping with the much lower salinity of today.
The Göteborg researchers are now studying evolutionary changes in various organisms at molecular level, with respect to appearance and behaviour. Modelling is also used as an aid in investigating how rapid evolution has been and what may be the result of the future large scale environmental changes.
- We are also making a distinction between that which depends on the environment and that which is genetically controlled. We hope that in this way we can predict their chances of coping with climate changes, sums up Kerstin Johannesson.
Linnaeus imposes an obligation
In making the assessments, gender equality was one of the criteria. This is satisfied by the Göteborg project:
- In our project group, we have a good mix of ages and genders, for instance several strong young female researcher profiles, says Kerstin Johannesson.
Linnaeus was no evolutionary biologist, but saw nature as fixed. Towards the end of his life, however, he came increasingly to doubt that species did not change at all. Receiving a grant called after him certainly places an obligation on us, says Kerstin Johannesson:
- Most of all, this opens up opportunities in research that are more innovative and and long term than in other projects.