{"id":26690,"date":"2024-10-03T13:59:09","date_gmt":"2024-10-03T13:59:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hfsu.is\/?p=26690"},"modified":"2024-10-03T14:13:15","modified_gmt":"2024-10-03T14:13:15","slug":"the-ecologist-and-director-of-the-research-center-of-the-university-of-iceland-in-the-south-tomas-gretar-gunnarsson-is-the-researcher-of-the-month-for-august-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hfsu.is\/en\/the-ecologist-and-director-of-the-research-center-of-the-university-of-iceland-in-the-south-tomas-gretar-gunnarsson-is-the-researcher-of-the-month-for-august-2\/","title":{"rendered":"The ecologist and director of the Research Center of the University of Iceland in the South, T\u00f3mas Gr\u00e9tar Gunnarsson is the researcher of the month for August."},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Name:<\/strong> T\u00f3mas Gr\u00e9tar Gunnarsson<\/p>\n

Age:<\/strong> 50<\/p>\n

Occupation:<\/strong> Director of the Research Center of the University of Iceland in the South and ecologist. <\/p>\n

Your favorite place in Iceland:<\/strong> Vei\u00f0iv\u00f6tn<\/p>\n

Who does the cooking in your home?<\/strong> Mostly me these years, but my wife Linda takes good sessions in the kitchen too.<\/p>\n

What did you want to be when you grew up?<\/strong> Zoologist.<\/p>\n

What book do you have on your bedside table?<\/strong> Now I’m reading Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer. A decent book. Robin is an American botanist of Native American descent, and the book discusses how traditional natural science and indigenous knowledge can be combined and how their perspective can be used to create a healthier relationship between man and nature. There is a need for that. So I’m also wading through 100 poems by \u00de\u00f3rarinn Eldj\u00e1rn. <\/p>\n

What to do this weekend?<\/strong> Clean the garage.<\/p>\n

Do you have pets?<\/strong> Tumi the dog and I are inseparable these years. <\/p>\n

Coffee or tea?<\/strong> Have reduced the daily cups of coffee to three and drink tea with it. I learned to appreciate tea when I lived in the UK, but the British drink a lot of tea. I suspect they do it to warm their hands because houses there are generally poorly insulated. <\/p>\n

What is your main form of exercise?<\/strong> I have flirted with athletics since I was a child and still try to jump and bounce as my age allows.<\/p>\n

What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever eaten\/tasted?<\/strong> I think there are various combinations of food that I have developed myself with great intuition. For example, the children think it’s strange when I eat kale on skyr. <\/p>\n

Summer, winter, spring or autumn?<\/strong> All seasons have their own charm, but I was an autumn person for a long time because I enjoy hunting. However, less has been done in recent times. <\/p>\n

Do you have a favorite spring bird?<\/strong> The whimbrel has a special place for me, but otherwise it’s always nice to see the migratory bird species come one by one in the spring. So many things have to happen for them to come to Iceland in the spring that it is an endless source of wonder and admiration to see these heavenly warriors fly over the country. I turn into a baby in the spring. <\/p>\n

What is your favorite swimming pool (or swimming pool) in the country?<\/strong> Sometimes I go swimming to actually swim, so it’s usually the traditional swimming pool I live next to. Now it is the swimming pool at Laugarvatn. I\u00b4m not found for swimming pools and other crowded places. <\/p>\n

If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?<\/strong> In Vei\u00f0iv\u00f6tn or on Arnarvatnhei\u00f0i. <\/p>\n

How do you contribute to a better visitation with the environment?<\/strong> Unfortunately, I behave like an average Icelander in most respects. But I try to fly as little as possible and enjoy the things that cannot be bought. <\/p>\n

What advice would you give to university students currently studying?<\/strong> Studying follows the same laws as other work and many other subjects in life. You have to work with determination and treat your fellow students with kindness and respect. And then there is the Holy Trinity; exercise, sleep and diet, which must be in good order on most days. Nothing will come of anything in the long run unless these foundations are in order. Persistence is also important. Study projects can be long and stressful, and you have to have faith that they will be completed and keep working hard every day, as my mother says. Then you will succed.<\/p>\n

What is the connection of your research to South Iceland?<\/strong> The most recent study we have published results of covers the journeys of Icelandic ibises in their wintering grounds from the time they first arrive there as juveniles until they become adults. F\u00e1tt er sunnlenskara en ja\u00f0rakaninn. A hundred years ago, they only laid eggs in the South, but have since spread the gospel to other parts of the country. The ibis is the only bird who sings with the hv pronunciation.<\/p>\n

Why did you choose this research topic?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Some of us have been running a multinational research project on the Icelandic ibis since just before the turn of the (last) century. This population breeds only in Iceland, but winters along the coasts of Western Europe from the British Isles to Portugal. The ibis population is suitable for studying the double life of migratory birds, but migratory bird populations are controlled by the interaction of factors that act on them throughout the year. My PhD project was about the ibis and this interaction of the seasons in his life, and we have continued to study him ever since.<\/p>\n

What did you enjoy most about the research work?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Research work is usually very diverse and now it is almost always teamwork. All kinds of people are needed for scientific research to work. Concept work is heavy, so you need to raise funds to conduct research, collect data and information, write articles and design products, calculate, hold lectures and more. In my job, I have to handle most of these aspects to some extent and I enjoy most of them. Working outside in the summer is fun, but I also enjoy writing and have a sneaky taste in statistics. It is rewarding to see new truths emerge from the numbers like a butterfly from a chrysalis. Probably the best part is the variety of the job.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Briefly tell us about the study and its results (approx. 500 words).<\/strong><\/p>\n

Our latest article was published in the British Journal of Animal Ecology and tells about how wintering migratory birds choose their territory, but the subject was the Icelandic ibis. The areas that are available for birds and other insects tend to be of different quality, and the selection of areas can therefore have diverse effects on individuals and thus on populations. Examining the territorial preferences of migratory birds at the scale of entire ranges, often spanning continents, has proven difficult. The study examined how widely the ibis wanders from the time they first arrive at their wintering grounds as young birds until they become adults. Their wintering grounds extend from Ireland and Great Britain in the north to Portugal in the south. In a concerted effort that has lasted over two decades, hundreds of marsupials were individually tagged in several countries and their readings collected in databases. Over 2000 observers reported marked ibises, and from those observations it was possible to calculate how likely it is that ibises move between areas during different life stages.<\/p>\n

It turned out that the ibises move very little, and the overwhelming majority of birds remain in the same area as adults where they took up residence in the first autumn. This happens despite the fact that their winter areas are very different. There seem to be factors that act on the fringes before and during their first flight, which have a great influence on where they land and under what conditions they live for the rest of their lives. This reminds me of the old saying that no one should ever slip.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Which researcher would you like to nominate for next month?<\/strong> \u00c1g\u00fastu Helgadottir at Landi og Sk\u00f3gi.<\/p><\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Hver er tenging ranns\u00f3knar \u00feinnar vi\u00f0 Su\u00f0urland? <\/strong><\/p>\n

M\u00ednar fyrstu ranns\u00f3knir h\u00f3fust \u00e1 \u00f6rfoka landi Geitasands \u00e1 Rang\u00e1rv\u00f6llum sem B.s. nemi \u00ed tilraunarverkefninu Landb\u00f3t. \u00dear var \u00e9g a\u00f0 rannsaka frumframvindu kr\u00e6kilyngs, bl\u00e1berjalyngs og beitilyngs \u00ed tilraunareitum me\u00f0 mismunandi uppgr\u00e6\u00f0slua\u00f0fer\u00f0um. S\u00ed\u00f0an \u00fe\u00e1 hef \u00e9g unni\u00f0 \u00ed fj\u00f6lbreyttum ranns\u00f3knarverkefnum \u00e1 svi\u00f0i vistheimtar hj\u00e1 Landgr\u00e6\u00f0slunni, lengst \u00e1 \u00e1fokssv\u00e6\u00f0um n\u00e6st eldvirka gosbeltinu fr\u00e1 h\u00e1lendi til l\u00e1glendis Su\u00f0urlands.<\/p>\n

\u00cd dag, hj\u00e1 n\u00fdrri sameina\u00f0ri stofnun, Landi og sk\u00f3gi, starfa \u00e9g vi\u00f0 ranns\u00f3knir \u00e1 votlendisvistkerfum, \u00e1hrifum framr\u00e6slu og endurheimtar \u00e1 virkni \u00feeirra. St\u00e6rstu votlendissv\u00e6\u00f0i landsins eru \u00e1 Su\u00f0urlandi og fara \u00fev\u00ed ranns\u00f3knir okkar a\u00f0 miklu leiti fram \u00fear.<\/p>\n

Hvers vegna valdir \u00fe\u00fa \u00feetta ranns\u00f3knarefni? <\/strong><\/p>\n

Hef lengi haft brennandi \u00e1huga \u00e1 pl\u00f6ntum (s\u00e9rstaklega mosum), landm\u00f3tun og jar\u00f0fr\u00e6\u00f0i.<\/p>\n

Hva\u00f0 fannst \u00fe\u00e9r skemmtilegast vi\u00f0 ranns\u00f3knarvinnuna?<\/strong><\/p>\n

A\u00f0 vinna \u00fati \u00ed n\u00e1tt\u00farunni me\u00f0 \u00e1hugas\u00f6mum samstarfsf\u00e9l\u00f6gum og haga\u00f0ilum \u00ed g\u00f3\u00f0u ve\u00f0ri. Hef l\u00edka mj\u00f6g gaman a\u00f0 \u00fer\u00f3a n\u00fdjar lausnir \u00e1 verkefnum og \u00farvinnslu gagna me\u00f0 n\u00fat\u00edmanlegum t\u00e6knilausnum til a\u00f0 n\u00e1 g\u00f3\u00f0um \u00e1rangri \u00ed endurheimt vistkerfa.<\/p>\n

Seg\u00f0u okkur fr\u00e1 ranns\u00f3kninni og ni\u00f0urst\u00f6\u00f0um hennar \u00ed stuttu m\u00e1li<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00de\u00e6r ranns\u00f3knir sem \u00e9g er a\u00f0 f\u00e1st vi\u00f0 \u00ed dag er a\u00f0 greina virkni, \u00e1stand og \u00e1f\u00f6ll n\u00e1tt\u00farunnar me\u00f0 gagna\u00f6flun til a\u00f0 undirb\u00faa bataferli\u00f0 me\u00f0 endurheimt, m\u00e6la \u00e1rangurinn, virkja haga\u00f0ila og fylgja eftir bataferlinu til a\u00f0 geta gripi\u00f0 inn \u00ed me\u00f0 a\u00f0ger\u00f0um ef til \u00feess \u00fearf.<\/p>\n

N\u00fd vinna me\u00f0 landeigendum \u00ed \u00fe\u00e1ttt\u00f6kuv\u00f6ktun h\u00f3fst \u00ed sumar \u00fear sem vi\u00f0 erum a\u00f0 \u00fer\u00f3a a\u00f0fer\u00f0afr\u00e6\u00f0i vi\u00f0 a\u00f0 endurheimta votlendi \u00ed samstarfi vi\u00f0 landeigendur. Ranns\u00f3knin felst \u00ed \u00fev\u00ed a\u00f0 m\u00e6la \u00e1stand m\u00fdranna fyrir endurheimt \u00e1samt \u00fev\u00ed a\u00f0 m\u00e6la vi\u00f0mi\u00f0unarvistkerfi sem hafa ekki raskast, til a\u00f0 f\u00e1 v\u00edsbendingar um hvernig virkni m\u00fdranna var \u00e1\u00f0ur, til a\u00f0 setja sk\u00fdr og m\u00e6lanleg markmi\u00f0 me\u00f0 endurheimt.<\/p>\n

\u00dear sem mitt s\u00e9rsvi\u00f0 er gr\u00f3\u00f0ur og mosagreiningar hef \u00e9g veri\u00f0 a\u00f0 rannsaka \u00e1stand votlendisvistkerfa \u00fat fr\u00e1 tegundasamsetningu plantna, sem er li\u00f0ur \u00ed st\u00e6rri votlendisranns\u00f3knum Lands og sk\u00f3gar. Votlendisvistkerfi eru fj\u00f6lbreytt \u00e1 landsv\u00edsu og hefur framr\u00e6sla mismunandi \u00e1hrif eftir ger\u00f0 \u00feeirra. Eftir fyrstu \u00fattekt var \u00e1hugavert a\u00f0 sj\u00e1 hva\u00f0 votlendismosar vir\u00f0ast n\u00e6mir fyrir raski og tegundasamsetning \u00feeirra g\u00f3\u00f0 v\u00edsbending um hnignunarstig m\u00fdra.<\/p>\n

Hva\u00f0a rannsakanda viltu tilnefna fyrir n\u00e6sta m\u00e1nu\u00f0?<\/strong> Sk\u00f3laf\u00e9laga minn \u00far \u00d6skju hann J\u00f3nas Gu\u00f0nason, jar\u00f0fr\u00e6\u00f0ingur hj\u00e1 Landsvirkjun.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Myndir eru \u00far einkasafni \u00c1g\u00fastu, h\u00e9r s\u00fdnir h\u00fan<\/b>\u00a0lurkalag fr\u00e1 s\u00ed\u00f0asta hl\u00fdskei\u00f0 sem fannst \u00ed m\u00fdrinni<\/b>.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Name: T\u00f3mas Gr\u00e9tar Gunnarsson Age: 50 Occupation: Director of the Research Center of the University…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":26693,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[269],"tags":[280,378,376,377,338,336,288,340,278,276],"class_list":["post-26690","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-center-of-knowledge","tag-doctor","tag-ecology","tag-nature-center","tag-researcher","tag-researcher-of-the-month","tag-researches","tag-social-issues-en","tag-southland","tag-university-association-of-southland"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hfsu.is\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26690","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hfsu.is\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hfsu.is\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hfsu.is\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hfsu.is\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=26690"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/hfsu.is\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26690\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":26697,"href":"https:\/\/hfsu.is\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26690\/revisions\/26697"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hfsu.is\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/26693"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hfsu.is\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26690"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hfsu.is\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=26690"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hfsu.is\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=26690"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}