Sonya is a Researcher working in Global Change Ecology at the University of Bergen, Norway. She is currently part of the DURIN research project, which focuses on the the underappreciated roles of dwarf-shrubs in responding to and influencing global climate in high latitude ecosystems. In particular, she is examining variation in dwarf-shrubs physiological and growth responses to climate, and their impacts on local microclimate conditions, and assessing how these outcomes can be used to parameterize dwarf-shrubs as a new plant functional type within a terrestrial ecosystem model. This links to her prior work as a PostDoc at UiB in the EMERALD research group, which is trying to better understand the terrestrial ecosystem-climate interactions of alpine and arctic systems. Here, her role was to improve our process based understanding of these relationships by synthesizing across observational and experimental research approaches. Sonya is also actively involved in projects relating to invasive species, plant thermal tolerance, and establishing frameworks for how we assess adaptive capacity of species. Additionally, she has a keen interest in ensuring primary research is synthesized into policy reports and decisions at both national (VKM) and international levels (IBPES Invasive Species Report).

Sonya undertook her PhD at The Australian National University, studying with Professor Adrienne Nicotra in the Division of Ecology and Evolution. Her PhD involved working as part of a collaborative project which was conducting a comparative ecological study on phenotypic plasticity in water use traits, using a multi-site, multi-species design. In addition to this, she also investigated Australian alpine plant ecology, in particular, responses to increasing temperatures, and reduced water availability across elevational gradients.

BIO341 Biodiversity (Autumn 2021) - Course Co-Convenor

 

• IPBES (Contributing Author) (2023). IPBES thematic assessment of invasive alien species and their control. Chapter 3: Indirect and direct drivers affecting the introduction, establishment and spread of invasive alien species (3.1.1.1, 3.2.2.3, 3.3.1.6., and 3.4.4).

• Jones, S.C., Geange, S.R., Hanea, A., Camac, J., Hemming, V., Doobov, B., Morgan, J., Leigh, A., and Nicotra, A.B. (2023). IDEAcology: Streamlining elicitation of expert judgement in ecology. Methods in Ecology and Evolution

• Keetz, L, Lieungh, E., Karimi-Asli, K., Geange, S.R., Gelati, E., Tang, H., Yilmaz, Y., Aas., K.S., Athuizen, I., Bryn, A., Falk, S., Fisher, R., Fouilloux, A., Horvath, P., Indrehus, S., Lee, H., Parmentier, F.J.W., Pirk, N., Vandvik, V., Vollsnes, A., Skarpaas, O., Stordal, F., Tallaksen, L. (2023) Mechanistic ecosystem modelling made easy: the NorESM Land Sites Platform. Global Change Biology

• Gya, R., Birkeli, K., Dahle, I.J., Foote, C.G., Geange, S.R., Lynn, J.S., Töpper, J.P., Vandvik, V., Zernichow, C. and Jenkins, G.B. (2023). Registered Reports: A new chapter at Ecology & Evolution. Ecology and Evolution

• Gya, R., Geange, S.R., Lynn, J.S., Spindelböck, J., Zernichow, C., Wallevik, Ø., and Vandvik, V. (2023). To germinate or not to germinate – A test of local adaptation to drought in alpine forb populations across a 2000 mm/year precipitation gradient. Ecology and Evolution

• VKM, Kausrud, K., Vandvik, V., Flø, D., Geange, S.R. et al. (2022). Klimaendringer og virkninger på hovedøkosystem skog. Et norsk sammendrag basert på VKM Report 2022:15 Impacts of climate change on the boreal forest ecosystem. Vitenskapelig uttalelse fra faggruppen for fremmede organismer og handel med truede arter (CITES) i Vitenskapskomiteen for mat og miljø.

• Nicotra, A.B. Geange, S.R., Bahar, B., Carle, H., Catling, A., Garcia, A., Harris, R., Head, M., Jin, M., Keighley, X., Whitehead, M.R., Zurcher, H. and Beckmann, E.A. (2022) An innovative approach to using an intensive field course to build scientific and professional skills. Ecology and Evolution

• VKM (Kausrud, K, Vandvik, V., Flø, D., Geange, S.R.  et al. (2022). Impacts of climate change on the forest ecosystem. Scientific Opinion of the Panel on Alien Organisms and Trade in endangered species (CITES) of the Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food and Environment. VKM Report 2021:XX, ISBN: 978-82-xxxx-xxx-x, ISSN: 2535-4019.

• Vandvik, V., Althuizen, I.J.H, Jaroszynska, F.O.H., Krüger, L.C., Lee, H., Goldberg, D.E., Klanderud, K., Olsen, S.L., Telford, R.F., Östmann, S.A.H., Busca, S., Dahle, I.J., Egelkraut, D.D., Geange, S.R., Gya, R., Lynn, J.S., Meineri, E.P., and Halbritter, A.H. (2022). The role of Functional group interactions in mediating climate change impacts on the Carbon dynamics and Biodiversity of alpine ecosystems (FunCaB). Scientific Data

• Rixen et al. Geange, S.R., et al. (2022). Winters are changing: snow effects on Arctic and alpine tundra. Arctic Science

• Yannelli, F.A., Andrade, B.O., Anibaba, Q.A., Bazzichetto, M., Bonari, G., Chelli, S., Conradi, T., Ćuk, M., Damasceno, G., Fantinato, E., Geange, S.R., Guuroh, R.T., Holle, M.J.M., Küzmič, F., Lembrechts, J.J., Mosyaftiani, A., Pattison, Z., Šikuljak, T., Teixeira, J., Tordoni, E., Pérez-Valladares, C., and Sperandi, M. (2022). Fifteen emerging challenges and opportunities for vegetation science – A horizon scan. Journal of Vegetation Science

• Falster, D.S., et al. Geange, S.R., et al. (2021). AusTraits – a curated plant trait database for the Australian flora. Scientific Data

• Hennessy, E. Acabchuk, R., Arnold, P., Dunn, A., Foo, Y., Johnson, B.T., Geange, S.R, Haddaway, N., Nakagawa, S., Mapanga, W., Mengersen, K., Page, M.J., Sanchez-Tojar, A., Welch, V., and McGuinness, L. (2021) Ensuring Prevention Science Research is Synthesis-Ready for Immediate and Lasting Scientific Impact. Prevention Science

• Camac, J. S., Umbers, K. D. L., Morgan, J. W., Geange, S. R., Hanea, A., Slatyer, R. A., McDougall, K. L., Venn, S. E., Vesk, P. A., Hoffmann, A. A., & Nicotra, A. B. (2021). Predicting species and community responses to global change using structured expert judgement: An Australian mountain ecosystems case study. Global Change Biology, 00, 1– 15.

• Geange, S.R*., Arnold, P.A*., Catling, A., Coast, O., Cook., A., Gowland, K.M., Leigh, A., Notarnicola, R., Posch, B., Venn, S.E., Zhu, L. and Nicotra, A.B. (2021).  Plant thermal tolerance: a global synthesis for future research. New Phytologist

• Geange, S. R.*, Von Oppen, J*., Strydom, T.*, Boakye, M., Gauthier, T. L. J., Gya, R., Haldbritter, A.H., Jessup, L.H., Middleton, S.L., Navarro, J., Pierfederici, M. E., Chacon-Labella, J., Cotner, S., Farfan-Rios, W., Maitner, B.S., Michaletz, S.T., Telford, R.J., Enquist, B.J., and Vandvik, V. (2021). Next-generation field courses: Integrating Open Science and online learning. Ecology and Evolution.

• Labella, J.C*., Boakye, M., Enquist, B., Farfan-Rios, W., Gya, R., Halbritter, A., Middleton, S., von Oppen, J., Pastor-Ploskonka, S., Strydom, T. Vandvik, V., and Geange, S.R.* (2020). From a crisis to an opportunity: Eight insights for doing science in the Covid-19 era and beyond. Ecology and Evolution

• Geange, S.R., Briceno, V.F., Holloway-Phillips, M.M and Nicotra, A.B (2020). Aciphylla glacialis survival, growth and frost resistance: A warming experiment. Australian Journal of Botany

• Thurman LL., Stein BA., Beever EA., Foden W., Geange S.R., Green, N., Gross JE., Lawrence DJ., LeDee O., Olden JD., Thompson LM., and B Young (2020) Persist in space or shift in place? Evaluating the adaptive capacity of species to climate change. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment

• Nakagawa, S., Dunn, A., O’Dea, R., Page, M., Welch, V., Foo, Y., Kar, F., Geange, S.R, Arnold, P., Cooper, E., Mapanga, W., Hennessey, E., Kothe, E., Sanchez-Tojar, A., White, T., McGuinness, L., Bannach-Brown, A., Barrow, S., Westgate, M., and Haddaway, N. (2020). A New Ecosystem for Evidence Synthesis? Nature Ecology and Evolution

• Geange, S.R. (2019) Does the individual matter? Quantifying the role of intraspecific variation and phenotypic plasticity in plant responses to climate change. PhD Thesis. The Australian National University.

• Geange, S.R, Briceno, V.F, Aitken, N.C, Ramirez-Valiente, J.A., Holloway-Phillips, M.M and Nicotra, A.B (2017). Phenotypic plasticity and water availability: Responses of alpine herb species along an elevation gradient. Climate Change Responses

• Geange, S.R. (2013) The Worldwide Distribution of Heteronychus arator – Why should we care? AgResearch Internal Report

Academic literature review

• Nilsen, Erlend Birkeland; Braastad, Bjarne Olai; Dale, Svein et al. (2023). Assessment of the risks posed by domestic cats (Felis catus) to biodiversity and animal welfare in Norway. Scientific Opinion of the Panel on Biodiversity of the Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food and Environment. (external link)
• Nielsen, Anders; Kirkendall, Lawrence Richard; Stenberg, Johan A. et al. (2023). Risk assessment of the predatory mite Stratiolaelaps scimitus for biological control of varroa mites in beehives. Scientific Opinion of the Panel on Plant Health of the Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food and Environment. (external link)
• Järnegren, Johanna; Gulliksen, Bjørn; Husa, Vivian et al. (2023). Assessment of risk and risk-reducing measures related to the introduction and dispersal of the invasive alien carpet tunicate Didemnum vexillum in Norway. . (external link)
• Kirkendall, Lawrence Richard; Bryn, Anders; Flø, Daniel et al. (2023). Assessment of the risk to Norwegian biodiversity from private import and keeping of Northern Cardinal. Scientific Opinion of the Panel on Biodiversity of the Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food and Environment. (external link)
• Ytrehus, Bjørnar; Bustnes, Jan Ove; Bårdsen, Bård-Jørgen et al. (2022). Assessment of risks to wildlife and animal welfare associated with Lodden, Sami traditional hunting of ducks in spring. Scientific Opinion of the Panel on Biodiversity of the Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food and Environment. (external link)
• Rixen, Christian; Høye, Toke Thomas; Macek, Petr et al. (2022). Winters are changing: snow effects on Arctic and alpine tundra ecosystems. (external link)
• Kausrud, Kyrre Linné; Vandvik, Vigdis; Flø, Daniel et al. (2022). Impacts of climate change on the boreal forest ecosystem. Scientific Opinion of the Panel on Alien Organisms and Trade in Endangered species (CITES) of the Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food and Environment. (external link)
• Geange, Sonya Rita; Arnold, Pieter A.; Catling, Alexandra A. et al. (2021). The thermal tolerance of photosynthetic tissues: a global systematic review and agenda for future research. (external link)

Editorial

• Gya, Ragnhild; Birkeli, Kristine; Dahle, Ingrid Johnsen et al. (2023). Registered Reports: A new chapter at Ecology & Evolution. (external link)

Academic article

• Gya, Ragnhild; Geange, Sonya Rita; Lynn, Joshua et al. (2023). A test of local adaptation to drought in germination and seedling traits in populations of two alpine forbs across a 2000 mm/year precipitation gradient. (external link)
• Keetz, Lasse Torben; Lieungh, Eva; Karimi-Asli, Kaveh et al. (2023). Climate–ecosystem modelling made easy: The Land Sites Platform. (external link)
• Courtney Jones, Stephanie K.; Geange, Sonya Rita; Hanea, Anca et al. (2023). IDEAcology: An interface to streamline and facilitate efficient, rigorous expert elicitation in ecology. (external link)
• Vandvik, Vigdis; Althuizen, Inge; Jaroszynska, Francesca et al. (2022). The role of plant functional groups mediating climate impacts on carbon and biodiversity of alpine grasslands. (external link)
• Rueness, Eli Knispel; Asmyhr, Maria Gulbrandsen; Basic, Dean et al. (2022). The release of common pheasants and grey partridges for pointing dog training- consequences for biodiversity, animal welfare and health. Scientific Opinion of the Panel on biodiversity of the Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food and Environment. (external link)
• Nicotra, Adrienne B.; Geange, Sonya Rita; Bahar, Nur H.A. et al. (2022). An innovative approach to using an intensive field course to build scientific and professional skills. (external link)
• Yannelli, Florencia A.; Bazzichetto, Manuele; Conradi, Timo et al. (2022). Fifteen emerging challenges and opportunities for vegetation science: a horizon scan by early-career researchers. (external link)
• Camac, James; Umbers, Kate; Morgan, John et al. (2021). Predicting species and community responses to global change using structured expert judgement: An Australian mountain ecosystems case study. (external link)
• Hennessy, Emily A.; Acabchuk, Rebecca; Arnold, Pieter A. et al. (2021). Ensuring Prevention Science Research is Synthesis-Ready for Immediate and Lasting Scientific Impact. (external link)
• Geange, Sonya Rita; von Oppen, Jonathan; Strydom, Tanya et al. (2020). Next‐generation field courses: Integrating Open Science and online learning. (external link)
• Chacón-Labella, Julia; Boakye, Mickey; Enquist, Brian J. et al. (2020). From a crisis to an opportunity: Eight insights for doing science in the COVID‐19 era and beyond. (external link)
• Nakagawa, Shinichi; Gunn, Adam; Lagisz, Malgorzata et al. (2020). A new ecosystem for evidence synthesis. (external link)
• Geange, Sonya Rita; Holloway-Phillips, Meisha-Marika; Briceno, Veronica et al. (2020). Aciphylla glacialis mortality, growth and frost resistance: a field warming experiment. (external link)
• Thurman, Lindsey; Stein, Bruce; Beever, Erik et al. (2020). Persist in place or shift in space? Evaluating the adaptive capacity of species to climate change. (external link)
• Geange, Sonya Rita; Briceno, Veronica; Aitken, Nicola et al. (2017). Phenotypic plasticity and water availability: responses of alpine herb species along an elevation gradient. (external link)

Poster

• Taule Stava, Eline; Grape, Victoria H.; Geange, Sonya Rita et al. (2023). Good neighbors: Bryophytes’ role as water regulators in alpine grasslands. . (external link)
• Aas, Kjetil Schanke; Lambert, Marius; Tang, Hui et al. (2022). Recent high-latitude vegetation developments in CLM-FATES. (external link)
• Demeaux, Morgane; Vandvik, Vigdis; Kardol, Paul et al. (2022). Direct and indirect climate impacts on the biodiversity and functioning of the underground ecosystem. (external link)
• Egelkraut, Dagmar Dorothea; Geange, Sonya Rita; Ocampo-Zuleta, Korina et al. (2022). Fire and Elevation affect Plant Communities and Functional Traits in Peruvian Puna Grasslands. (external link)
• Thorvaldsen, Pål; Velle, Liv Guri; Haugum, Siri Vatsø et al. (2020). Calluna dieback from winter drought, the role of land use and environmental variations. (external link)
• Fouilloux, Anne Claire; Tang, Hui; Lieungh, Eva et al. (2020). FATES on GALAXY facilitates ecologist and climate modeler collaboration. (external link)
• Fouilloux, Anne Claire; Tang, Hui; Lieungh, Eva et al. (2020). Climate JupyterLab as an interactive tool in Galaxy. (external link)
• Thorvaldsen, Pål; Velle, Liv Guri; Haugum, Siri Vatsø et al. (2020). Calluna die-back after winter drought and the role of land use and environmental variation. (external link)

Database

• Halbritter, Aud Helen; Vandvik, Vigdis; Santos Andrade, P.E. et al. (2023). OSF data repository for PFTC3, Puna project and PFTC5 - PFTCourses, Elevational Gradient, Puna Project and Fire Experiment, Wayquecha, Peru. (external link)
• Vandvik, Vigdis; Althuizen, Inge; Jaroszynska, Francesca Orinda Holl et al. (2022). The role of plant functional group interactions in mediating climate change impacts on the carbon dynamics and biodiversity of alpine ecosystems. (external link)

Academic lecture

• Lieungh, Eva; Yilmaz, Yeliz; Tang, Hui et al. (2023). Complementary field and modelling experiments: alpine vegetation under climate warming. (external link)
• Tang, Hui; Aas, Kjetil Schanke; Althuizen, Inge et al. (2022). Update on the implementation of moss in CTSM-FATES. (external link)
• Gya, Ragnhild; Geange, Sonya Rita; Lynn, Joshua Scott et al. (2022). A test of local adaptation to drought in germination and seedling traits in populations of two alpine forbs across a 2000 mm/year precipitation gradient. (external link)
• Gya, Ragnhild; Geange, Sonya Rita; Lynn, Joshua Scott et al. (2021). A test of local adaptation to drought in germination and seedling traits in populations of two alpine forbs across a 2000 mm/year precipitation gradient. (external link)
• Geange, Sonya Rita (2021). NorESM land sites platform: A collaborative effort to better represent high-latitude systems in earth models. (external link)
• Fouilloux, Anne Claire; Tang, Hui; Lieungh, Eva et al. (2020). Functionally Assembled Terrestrial Ecosystem Simulator (FATES) with Community Land Model in Galaxy. (external link)

Report

• Kausrud, Kyrre; Vandvik, Vigdis; Flø, Daniel et al. (2022). Klimaendringer og virkninger på hovedøkosystem skog.. (external link)

Lecture

• Geange, Sonya Rita (2022). Invasive Species: What happens when they're not all bad?. (external link)
• Tang, Hui; Aas, Kjetil Schanke; Finne, Eirik Aasmo et al. (2021). The impact of moss and lichen on hydrological cycle at surface: a study using CLM-FATES. (external link)
• Geange, Sonya Rita (2021). Bridging earth system modelling and ecological insights: a model platform for the functionally assembled terrestrial ecosystem simulator with community land model (CLM-FATES). (external link)
• Geange, Sonya Rita; Arnold, Pieter; Catling, Alexandra et al. (2020). Plant thermal tolerance: a global synthesis for future research. (external link)

Museum exhibition

• Bryn, Anders; Dalen, Thea Grobstok; Finne, Eirik Aasmo et al. (2021). Natur i endring - samspillet mellom klima og økosystemene. (external link)
• Bryn, Anders; Dalen, Thea Grobstok; Finne, Eirik Aasmo et al. (2020). Natur i endring - en vandreutstilling. (external link)

Reader opinion piece

• Geange, Sonya Rita; Strydom, T.; von Oppen, Jonathan et al. (2021). NEXT GENERATION FIELD COURSES: ENHANCING ECR DEVELOPMENT THROUGH OPEN SCIENCE AND ONLINE LEARNING. (external link)

See a complete overview of publications in Cristin.

Sonya is currently working within the following projects:

DURIN - The underappreciated roles of dwarf-shrubs in responding to and influencing global climate

EMERALD - Improving the representation of high-latitude ecosystems and their climate interactions in the Norwegian Earth System model (NorESM) by integrating data and knowledge from empirical ecosystem research in model parameterisation, development, and testing.

Other projects I am or have been involved with include: 

FUNDER - Direct and indirect climate impacts on the biodiversity and Functioning of the UNDERground ecosystem

RangeX - Mechanisms underlying the success and impacts on biodiversity and ecosystem functioning of range-expanding species under climate change

INCLINE - Indirect climate change impacts on mountain plant communities

PFTC - International Plant Functional Traits Courses offer hands-on training in different applications of plant functional traits ecology within a real-life field research project setting