On Spitsbergen, we are studying combined effects of goose grazing and global warming on an arctic tundra. The project is called FRAGILE and is financed by the European Community. Maarten Loonen is workpackage leader and keeps a personal log of the work.

	23-25 July 2005 The final fieldwork before harvesting all treatments. read more...
	8-21 June 2005 A late snow melt makes work in the wet plot impossible. read more...
	9 August 2004 Evey day to the field site. But the season is ending. The vegetation plots are grazed, the adult geese released and the final experiments with the goslings are made. read more...
	2 August 2004 Vegetation plots are grazed with a normal grazing pressure and a heavy grazing pressure. We use captive geese for that. read more...
	1 August 2004 Experiments with captive imprinted goslings are also part of the project read more...
	28 June 2004 The geese have arrived, with some pictures showing an overview of the two vegetation types at the experimental site. read more...
	12 June 2004 Compare the various treatments after the first winter, René is setting up a new grubbing experiment and Sophie and Jani are adding phosphate to some plots. read more...
	9 August 2003 See how plots are grazed by captive geese to simulate normal grazing and overgrazing. Compare the state of the vegetation after the grazing and meet the scientist during their dinner. read more...

Photo impressions of preparations for the field work on the FRAGILE project

17 June 2003 In the Netherlands, we practice the work with captive goslings, to prepare similar experiments on Spitsbergen. read more...