Do not touch or remove any archaeological traces that you encounter!
Emergent aquatic insects
The next time you peer into a pond or lake and see movement in the water, some of it may be caused by swimming aquatic insects. Emergent aquatic insects begin their life cycle as eggs that have been laid on or near water, waiting to hatch in good growing conditions, usually in spring. Once they hatch, they have a swimming life stage (called “larvae”) and will feed and grow in rivers, wetlands, ponds, or lakes. Some species of emergent aquatic insects only feed on algae, which are plant-like organisms found in aquatic ecosystems. Other species feed on other small insect larvae, worms, tadpoles, and even small fishes. After developing in the water, emergent aquatic insects will go through metamorphosis, a process where they turn from wingless aquatic insects to winged terrestrial insects. The male and female adult insects will mate, and the female will lay her eggs on, or near, the water to repeat the cycle. Depending on the insect species, this process can take a few weeks to a few years, for example, mosquitos can go through their entire life cycle in less than two weeks.
An ancient Sámi site
Do not touch or remove any archaeological traces that you encounter!
The future of Lapland lakes
Lapland is warming rapidly, and precipitation has increased in recent decades. Longer and warmer summers favour species range expansions, and especially spring-spawning species, such as the ruffe, perch, and roach, have recently colonized new lakes near Lake Kilpisjärvi. Warming and eutrophication (when the environment, in this case the lake, becomes enriched in nutrients) have been studied most widely in a region stretching from Kilpisjärvi to the Arctic Circle, with research data from 19 lakes. The average temperature (+3 °C) and precipitation (+30 %) increase gradually when moving southwards, and lake nutrient contents are ten-fold higher. The catchment area vegetation changes drastically, and land use changes from reindeer herding to intensive forestry.
Lake Tsahkaljärvi gárdi
Do not touch or remove any archaeological traces that you encounter!
