Physical geography and ecosystem science – maintaining ecological balance
Our physical geographers and ecosystem scientists use interdisciplinary approaches to investigate how climate and environmental change affect nature. These initiatives range from Sweden’s primeval forests and the Baltic estuaries to permafrost in the Arctic and community planning in developing countries.
Forests and soil, extreme weather and biodiversity
The aim of the research is to contribute to more sustainable societal development. In the field of biogeophysics and climatology, our researchers investigate how plants, soil and atmosphere interact. The link to climate and climate change plays a crucial role. Storms, extreme precipitation and temperature changes affect forests, forestry and agriculture. A couple of the research projects deal with bark beetle damage to trees and the sensitivity of trees to frost.
Another area is ecosystem ecology. Here, our researchers carry out mathematical modelling of vegetation and ecosystems and study biodiversity. The aim is to understand how terrestrial ecosystems function and interact with the climate.
For example, we study changes in the distribution of forest species and how climate change affects the productivity of different ecosystems. Research includes individual ecosystems as well as the impact at regional and global level. Our researchers investigate everything from the microclimate around a single leaf to the ecosystem exchange of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. We are also in the process of mapping Swedish primeval forests.
From permafrost in the Arctic to oxygen depletion in the Baltic Sea
Another part of our research concerns ecosystems in the Arctic region, where climate change is affecting permafrost. As permafrost melts, ecosystem properties change, which our researchers are studying from a biogeochemical perspective. All aspects of the carbon cycle are looked at here: small-scale studies of the factors governing methane emissions, large-scale field surveys, landscape-level flux measurements and exchange of trace gases monitoring (which are present in small but significant quantities in the atmosphere).
We also research aquatic ecosystems, again from a biogeochemical perspective. More specifically, we investigate the discharge of organic matter, inorganic nutrients and trace elements from human activities into freshwater systems and coastal waters. The focus is on the cycle of carbon and other elements in streams, rivers, lakes, reservoirs, estuaries and marine ecosystems. Through our studies of decomposition processes, we are gaining an understanding of aquatic greenhouse gas emissions, as well as the problems related to oxygen depletion in, for example, the coastal seabeds of the Baltic Sea.
Optical satellite data and digital maps
We have been conducting research on remote sensing since the early 1980s, particularly linked to land cover and vegetation. Our researchers focus mainly on optical satellite data that can be used to understand ecosystems from a wider spatial and temporal perspective. For example, we are working on estimating carbon dioxide uptake by terrestrial vegetation, monitoring vegetation in African drylands, developing methods to assess the consequences of insect infestations on forest vegetation, and observing biodiversity in Swedish natural pastures.
The department is also extensively involved in geographical information systems (GIS), where we collect, analyse and present geographical data in the form of, for example, digital maps. Our research endeavours both to develop methods and to apply GIS in interdisciplinary projects, mainly in the areas of climate, the environment and spatial planning.
Current research areas include GIS and hydrological modelling linked to flood modelling, applications of artificial intelligence in geographical analyses (GeoAI) and the use of 3D city models (digital twins) in spatial planning.
Increased knowledge of trace gases
Another of our research areas includes reactive trace gases. For a better understanding of the climate system, we need to broaden our knowledge of a number of non-CO2 trace gases, such as biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOC), nitrogen oxides, carbonaceous particles, ozone and methane. The aim is to estimate the regional sources and sinks of trace gases, their links to the terrestrial carbon cycle and their response to climate and land use change.