Post Doc Leena Hamberg

leena.hamberg(at)metla.fi
Tel: +358 102112633
Fax: +358 102112202

Finnish Forest Research Institute,
P.O. Box 18, 01301 Vantaa, Finland

My research | Selected publications | My all publications

I studied the effects of humans on urban forests, which are forests with natural undertorey vegetation within or around urbanized areas. In particular, my research interests include the effects of forest edges (fragmentation) and human trampling on understorey vegetation and tree saplings. My PhD-studies revealed that the effects of forest edges can be seen in vegetation 50-100 m into the forest interiors. However, thick forest edges with conifers can alleviate these effects. Understorey vegetation in urban forests is highly sensitive to the effects of trampling: even light trampling can diminish the cover of vegetation considerably. Forest paths also have an ‘edge effect’, which can extend up to 8 m form path edges into the untrampled vegetation.

Rowan – which is especially abundant in urban forests nowadays – benefits from the effects of urbanization, e.g. increased nutrient levels at urban forest edges. As an abundant species it has restricted recreational use of urban forests and regeneration of other tree species. Thus, my current research interests concerns rowan, its ecology and possible new managing methods to restrict its excessive growth in urban forests.

Selected publications

Hamberg, L., Fedrowitz, K., Lehvävirta, S. & Kotze, D.J. 2010. Vegetation changes at
sub-xeric urban forest edges in Finland – the effects of edge aspect and trampling. Urban
Ecosystems 13: 583-603. doi: 10.1007/s11252-010-0142-7

Hamberg, L., Malmivaara-Lämsä, M., Lehvävirta, S., O’Hara, R.B. & Kotze, D.J. 2010.
Quantifying the effects of trampling and habitat edges on forest understory vegetation –
a field experiment. Journal of Environmental Management 91: 1811-1820. doi:
10.1016/j.jenvman.2010.04.003

Hamberg, L., Malmivaara-Lämsä, M., Lehvävirta, S. & Kotze, D. J. 2009. The effects of soil fertility on the abundance of rowan (Sorbus aucuparia L.) in urban forests. Plant Ecology 204: 21-32. doi:10.1007/s11258-008-9561-4

Hamberg, L. 2009. The effects of habitat edges and trampling intensity on vegetation in urban forests (doctoral dissertation). University of Helsinki, Faculty of Biosciences. 32 p. + 5 articles.

Hamberg, L., Lehvävirta, S. & Kotze, D. J. 2009. Forest edge structure as a shaping factor of understorey vegetation in urban forests in Finland. Forest Ecology and Management 257: 712–722. doi:10.1016/j.foreco.2008.10.003

Hamberg, L., Lehvävirta, S., Malmivaara-Lämsä, M., Rita, H. & Kotze, D. J. 2008. The effects of habitat edges and trampling on understorey vegetation in urban forests in Helsinki, Finland. Applied Vegetation Science 11: 83-98. doi:10.3170/2007-7-18428

>> My all publications