Author: Isabel Barrio

Last September, the Nordic Borealization Network was well represented at the joint NSO-GfÖ conference, that was celebrated in Odense, Denmark. The conference gathered around 1,000 ecologists from across Europe.

During the conference, Mariana Verdonen and Tom Vorstenbosch chaired a thematic session titled Ecological transformations at the biome edge: borealization of tundra ecosystems. The session brought together eight presentations exploring borealization as an integrative framework for understanding ecological change at the tundra–boreal interface. The contributions presented evidence from across the circumpolar North, spanning vegetation dynamics, soil processes, biodiversity and functional change, carbon balance, and the societal implications of borealization. By drawing together examples across taxa, processes, and disciplines, the session aimed at advancing a more unified understanding of borealization in terrestrial ecosystems and stimulate discussion on its ecological and societal implications.

In addition, Maaike Bader, Johanna Toivonen and Isabel C. Barrio organized a lunchtime workshop titled Treeline shifts and borealization. At the conference there was a session on treeline and treeline shifts. While this topic is strongly connected with borealization, the terminology used is remarkably different. The workshop aimed at connecting communities that are working on these closely related topics in isolation, and to allow treeline and borealization researchers attending the NSO-GfÖ conference to meet and connect. Discussions during the workshop underscored the differences, but also the many similarities between the two research communities.

Last January 29, 2026 Sarah Evans’ MSc was formally approved at the University of Helsinki. Sarah is the first NordBorN MSc student, and her thesis investigated the perspectives of Icelandic stakeholders on borealization. The title of Sarah’s thesis was: “The Borealisation of Icelandic Terrestrial Ecosystems: Mapping the Stakeholder Landscape”, and you can read a brief summary below. Congratulations Sarah!

Changes in climate and land-use are driving boreal species’ expansion upslope and poleward; this borealisation of terrestrial environments will have wide-ranging socio-ecological consequences. Continued research is needed for effective policy development that mitigates the more adverse consequences of borealisation. Yet it is equally crucial to engage with relevant stakeholders early on in research and decision-making processes.

Before engagement, stakeholders need to be first identified and prioritised. The thesis achieved this first step by (a) assessing current discourses and perspectives on borealisation through preliminary engagement (interviews), (b) identifying stakeholders’ positions toward borealisation according to their relative interest and salience, and (c) analysing the social network in which stakeholders interact.

The results of the thesis produced a refined selection of stakeholders with whom engagement should be prioritised. The identified stakeholders possess different perspectives on borealisation, and their input can ensure decisions effectively address borealisation’s localised consequences. The thesis also emphasised the importance of intermediaries able to accommodate for challenges in cross-communication and improve collaborative outcomes.