Terrestrial Ecology
Multidisciplinary research with a long-term perspective and broad spatial extent, focusing mainly on terrestrial systems
About the research group
Life on land and the ecosystems and functions and services it underpins are undergoing pronounced changes. Our research aims to provide a knowledge base that informs the prediction and mitigation of global change impacts on terrestrial ecosystems, now and in the future. We focus our research within three main areas: i) Ecological and evolutionary processes in the past, present and future; ii) Biodiversity and ecosystem dynamics under global change; iii) Socio-ecological systems. In doing so we aim to generate fundamental scientific insights that also contribute to scientifically informed and evidence-based decision-making in society.
We collaborate in several large international ecological projects, including distributed experiments, knowledge-sharing platforms, and large research consortia. Reproducibility and open science are embedded in our approaches. We involve stakeholders in our science locally, nationally, and internationally. We are inclusive with regards to background, gender, and career stage. Further, we communicate our science across a broad spectrum of channels, from high-profile publications to the science-policy interface and popular science. This ensures that we reach the appropriate audiences and have impact within science and across society.
Master's studies in biology
A master's project in our group offers the opportunity to engage in field or laboratory experiments that identify drivers of biodiversity or evolutionary change, reconstructions of long-term ecological processes using ancient pollen grains, and mapping land-use changes and social values related to ecosystem services and sustainable development. This work can be done in different biomes (arctic, alpine, temperate, desert, tropical), but mainly in terrestrial ecosystems, and at different geographical locations (across Norway, and in many other localities around the world).
What pulls us together as a group is a focus on (the effect of) environmental and ecological change on species or ecosystems and the collaborative effort to develop good field and statistical methods to enable us to answer complicated questions using "real" field data. Most of us collect our own data in the field, but some use data collected as part of larger projects or from databases.
Research highlights
Recent publications include
Evaluating the use of Fourier Transform Raman spectroscopy for pollen chemical characterisation.
Projects
Ecological and evolutionary processes
Ecological research on the past, present and future
2020-2027 ParAnthropE: Anthropogenic Parasite Evolution. NFR Grunnforskning project 287405.
2021–2025 FUNDER: Direct and indirect climate impacts on the biodiversity and FUNctioning of the UNDERground ecosystem. NFR KLIMAFORSK project 315249.
2021–2025 QUEST-UV: Quantitative estimates of past UV-B irradiance from fossil pollen. NFR project 324670.
2019–2025 DYNAMIC: Reducing fire disaster risk through dynamic risk assessment and management. Norwegian Research Council BRANNSIKKERHET project 298993.
Global change
Biodiversity and ecosystem dynamics under global change
2025-2027 NatuRA: Sustainable use of Natural Resources in Alpine and mountain grassland ecosystems under global change. NFR & SANRF
2023–2027 DURIN: The underappreciated roles of dwarf-shrubs in responding to and influencing global climate change. NFR FRIMEDBIO project 325645.
2021–2024 ECoMAP: Modelling Ecological state and Condition Maps to support knowledge-based decision-making in Area management and spatial Planning. Norwegian Research Council KSPSAMARBEID20 project 320602.
2021–2024 RangeX: Mechanisms underlying the success and impacts on biodiversity and ecosystem functioning of range-expanding species under climate change. BiodivERsA project 578 (NFR 325645).
Socio-ecological systems
Research linked to the UNESCO Chair
2023–2027 ACTIONABLE: Adaptive co-management to enhance biocultural diversity and sustainable development in coastal communities. NFR Areas Under Pressure project.
2023–2026 BECOME: Biospheres as Effective Conservation Measures. Biodiversa project.
2021–2025 BIOSPHERE: Activating local resources; cultivating regional cooperation for sustainable land-use. NFR Areas Under Pressure project.
2021–2024 CULTIVATE: Co-creating cultural narratives for sustainable rural development. International project with funding from UK AHRC, Czech MŠMT, NFR, and Estonian ETAg
People
Group manager
Alistair Seddon Group Leader; PI Palaeochem
Group members
Anne Bjune Professor; Head of Education
Pete Manning Professor, global change
Adele Mennerat Associate Professor, animal ecology
Inger Måren Professor; UNESCO Chair of Sustainable Heritage and Environmental Management
Richard Telford Associate Professor, coding in R expert
Ørjan Totland Professor, pollination ecology
Vigdis Vandvik Professor; Leader of Between the Fjords; Director of Centre for Sustainable Area Management
Alicia Barraclough Researcher, Actionable project
Vivian Felde Researcher, quantitative analyst
Suzette Flantua Researcher, Past, present, and future of alpine biomes project
Sonya Geange Researcher, DURIN project
Aud Halbritter Researcher, NatuRA project
Katja Malmborg Researcher, social-ecological systems
Post-docs
Jarrod Cusens Post-doctor, social-ecological systems
Ragnhild Gya Post-doctor, INCLINE project
Jeanne Rezsöhazy Post-doctor, DURIN project
Tian-Yuan Wang Post-doctor, pollen chemistry
Maike Zwier Post-doctoral Technician, Eidsborg Rock project
PhD students
Nadine Arzt PhD student, RangeX project
Kristine Birkeli PhD student, DURIN project
Peter Groth Farsund PhD student, Funder project
Joseph Gaudard PhD student, Three-D project
Helene Müller Haugen PhD student, pollination and bees
Morgane Kerdoncuff PhD student, small-scale farming and biodiversity
Mika Kirkhus PhD student, DURIN project
Marte Klemetsdal PhD student, social consequences of ecological change
Mayke Nieuwkerk PhD student, palaeopollen chemistry
Christian Quintana PhD student, long-term climate change and carbon dynamics
Eline Rentier PhD student, past, present and future of alpine biomes
Laymara Sampaio PhD student, South American palaeoecology
Lotta Schultz PhD student, past, present and future of alpine biomes
Janne Thomsen PhD student, social-ecological systems
Technicians/Admin
Susanne Berthelsen Lab Technician; Fieldworker
Dagmar Engelkraut Administrator, Between the Fjords and CeSAM
Cathy Jenks Administrator; Lab Technician
Linn Cecilie Krüger Lab Technician; Purchasing; Fieldworker
Emeriti
Hilary Birks Professor Emerita, palaeoecology and plant macrofossils
John Birks Professor Emeritus, quantitative palaeoecology
Peter Emil Kaland Professor Emeritus, Heathland Centre
Larry Kirkendall Professor Emeritus, bark beetles
Aage Paus Professor Emeritus, palaeoecology
Associate Members
Kari Hjelle Dean, Museum Director
Ole Reidar Vetaas Professor, Department of Geography
Inge Althuizen Researcher
Tessa Bargmann Researcher
Arild Breistøl Senior Engineer
Joe Chipperfield Researcher
Mari Jokerud Researcher
Rob Lewis Researcher
Joachim Töpper Researcher
Gaute Velle Researcher
Contact
See under 'People' if you wish to contact researchers directly or contact admin via the email below.
- Emails
- cathy.jenks@uib.no