Snowy Day Today

Hey people!!

Just want to say hi to everyone and wish you all a good afternoon. Today we went on an excursion to a forest nature reserve just a few Km south of SLU's campus to look at various conservation measures in boreal and hemi-boreal forests of Sweden. Among the conservation methods we saw, there was a large nature reserve which was managed by the regional Uppsala Kommun, and several areas that had been logged. In these clearcut areas patches of forest were protected as biodiversity hotspots, and single trees and high stumps were left. In order to determine which area should be conserved as biodiversity hotspots, indicator species are used. These include oaks, lichens and other plants which imply a great deal of biodiversity or rare (red-listed) species present in the area. Swedish forest owners are encouraged to leave protected forest patches, single trees and high stumps as habitats for flora and fauna.

Overall, I think today was pretty interesting. What I really like about many courses at SLU is that classroom information is presented, but then we go on excursions to actually see the practical side of the theories we learned in class. Really cool and it makes classes so much less boring and more interesting. Some of you may prefer theories, but I'm a person that likes to learn the theories and also the practical side of things.

Finally, I would like to add that it was a rather snowy day in the forest today. If you're considering studying abroad in Sweden, just remember that you are coming to the far north. This means that the weather is cold and snowy. Bundle up and bring warm clothes with you! Great for snowball fights and sleigh riding. Or just grab a plastic bag and slide down hills!

That's all for today! Take care people!

Julian