The 17th Arctic Ungulate Conference

Hosted by the University of Lapland and Lapland University of Applied Sciences, in collaboration with the Natural Resources Institute Finland, Reindeer Herders Association of Finland, and LIFEline4Fennicus-project, the conference will take place in the heart of Finnish Lapland. University consortium facilities in Rovaniemi provide the perfect setting for this important knowledge exchange.

• University of Lapland
• Lapland University of Applied Sciences
• Reindeer Herders Association of Finland
• Natural Resources Institute Finland
• LIFEline4Fennicus

AUC 2027: Call for abstracts is now open!

The 17th Arctic Ungulate Conference (AUC) will take place in Rovaniemi, Finland, on 10–14 May 2027.

The organizers are calling for your abstracts max 300 words. You can submit an abstract for oral presentation or poster. All abstracts should be written in English and include text only (no pictures, tables, graphics, keywords or references). Please use the online form for your submission. Abstracts sent by email will not be included.

The 2027 theme, Arctic ungulates in modern environments, sets the stage for timely discussions and invites participants to explore how research, management, local knowledge, and policy can help address the challenges Arctic ungulates are facing today.

Categories

1. Modern Challenges & Solutions I: Technological Advances and Best Practices
2. Modern Challenges & Solutions II: Land Use and Cumulative impacts
3. Modern Challenges & Solutions III: Ungulates in a Changing Climate
4. Modern Tools: Ungulate Genetics and Genomics
5. People & Animals I: Human–Ungulate Relations in the Arctic
6. People & Animals II: Traditional and Indigenous Knowledge
7. People & Animals III: From Traditional Knowledge to Decision-Making
8. Animal Health I: Reindeer welfare (Tarandus Network Session)
9. Animal Health II: Welfare of Wild Ungulates
10. Wilder Side I: Wild Ungulate Ecology and Conservation
11. Wilder Side II: Predator–Prey Relationships in Arctic Systems
12. Outside the Box

Submission form

It is possible to log in to the submission system (Oxford Abstracts) either with LinkedIn or Google account or by creating a separate account for the system. Please note that all messages from the system (confirmation of submission, notifications etc.) will be sent to the email address used when logging in. If your Google account is connected to your Gmail address, all messages will be sent to that mail.

Deadline for abstracts is 30 September 2026. Abstracts will be reviewed by the review board and notifications of acceptance will be sent to the corresponding author by 30 November 2026. Accepted authors must register for the event and thus confirm their presentation by 28 February 2027 (early-bird deadline).

Important Dates

• Abstract submission deadline: 30 September 2026
• Notification of abstract acceptance: 30 November 2026

Practical arrangements:

AUC- Conference Coordinator Kristiane Width
kwidth@ulapland.fi

University Researcher Sirpa Rasmus
Arctic Centre, University of Lapland
sirpa.rasmus@ulapland.fi

Scientific programme:

Professor Bruce C. Forbes
Arctic Centre, University of Lapland
bruce.forbes@ulapland.fi

Sponsors and exhibitors:

Senior Scientist Antti Pekkarinen
Natural Resources Institute Finland
antti-juhani.pekkarinen@luke.fi
+358295 322 529

Organising Committee

• University Researcher Sirpa Rasmus (Arctic Centre, University of Lapland)
• Research Professor Bruce C. Forbes (Arctic Centre, University of Lapland)
• Research Professor Florian Stammler (Arctic Centre, University of Lapland)
• Senior Lecturer Kirsi Muuttoranta (Lapland University of Applied Sciences)
• Research Professor Juha Kantanen (Natural Resources Institute Finland, Luke)
• Senior Scientist Antti-Juhani Pekkarinen (Natural Resources Institute Finland, Luke)
• Senior Specialist Sanna Hast (Finnish Reindeer Herders’ Association)
• Senior Specialist Milla Niemi (Metsähallitus, LIFEline4Fennicus project)

Conference abstracts will be published in the journal Rangifer as a Rangifer Report, and a printed abstract book will be distributed to conference participants.

The first day of the conference will be a pre-conference workshop targeted especially to practitioners. Following AUC tradition, one conference day will be reserved for an excursion. The excursion sites are located within a two-hour drive of Rovaniemi, and bus transport will be arranged. A small participation fee will apply to cover the direct costs of organising the excursions. After the conference, participants can also join an optional three-day field trip focusing on wild forest reindeer conservation (separate registration).
More detailed information on workshop, excursion options and the field trip will be provided closer to the conference.

Sponsors play a vital role in making the 17th Arctic Ungulate Conference both welcoming and accessible. Their support helps us keep registration fees at a reasonable level, especially for students and practitioners, and enables high-quality arrangements that benefit all participants. We also see AUC as an excellent meeting place for dialogue between participants and companies and other exhibitors—an opportunity to share innovations, practical solutions, and perspectives, and to build new connections across research, management, and livelihoods.

If you are interested in sponsoring the conference or joining as an exhibitor, please contact Antti Pekkarinen; antti-juhani.pekkarinen(at)luke.fi (+358295 322 529).

The conference is supported by the Federation of Finnish Learned Societies.

The Arctic Ungulate Society was founded in 1999 with the aim to foster studies of Arctic Ungulates, particularly reindeer/caribou and muskoxen, through the continuation of the Arctic Ungulate Conference (AUC). Arctic Ungulate Conferences are held every four years. The Arctic Ungulate Society decides on the selection of venue and aids in the organization of conferences.

www.arcticungulatesociety.org