It is located in the Värriö strict nature reserve in eastern Finnish Lapland or – as the slogan of Salla municipality puts it – in the middle of nowhere. The station has collected exceptionally long data series on environmental factors, which reflect the changes in subarctic forests, fell ecosystems, air pollution and climate over decades. The studies at Värriö are multi- and interdisciplinary. The current research focuses e.g. on atmospheric chemistry and physics, the productivity of the subarctic ecosystems, as well as on monitoring the population and phonology of multiple species including moths, birds and mammals. The station hosts the SMEAR I measurement station representing internationally leading scientific research.
The research in Värriö is very multi- and interdisciplinary, and it connects experts from many different fields of science and also from many research institutes in Finland and beyond.
The majority of Värriö publications originates nowadays from the studies conducted at the SMEAR I measuring station . The manifold of biosphere–atmosphere interactions have been studied at the SMEAR I since 1991. They include studies on biogeochemical cycles, biosphere–aerosol–cloud–climate interactions, pollution dispersal and more.
An essential part of the research in Värriö is to continue the long data series on various environmental parameters. These include for example bird nesting, moth abundance, berry yield, meteorological variables, phenological observations and many more. All these reflect environmental changes over the decades and are a valuable part of the environmental monitoring in the subarctic region.
The natural forest surrounding the research station has offered optimal study sites for many projects in recent years. The forests have undergone many forest fires, whose scars are visible on the old tree trunks. Thus, the area is valuable for forest fire research. As there are reindeer free areas at the SMEAR I and close to the border, the effects of reindeer herding could be studied as well. The untouched landscape offers good opportunities for geologists to study the ground formations.
A seismograph station at the Värriö Subarctic Research Station detects and records seismic events in the Fennoscandian bedrock. It is a part of a network of 16 stations operated by the Institute of Seismology, University of Helsinki.
Read more info here.