Remote sensing, hyperspectral imaging, drones, carbon exchange, photosynthesis
We use remote sensing to understand plant, tree and ecosystem functionality. Research interests include hyperspectral imaging, drones, carbon exchange, carbon farming, boreal forest, machine learning, sun-induced fluorescence, photosynthesis, vertical farming.
Stable isotopes, tree ecophysiology, dendrochronology, plant functional traits, plant community diversity, aquatic sciences
I am currently working on a project to better understand tree resilience to drought. That means, investigating how trees are able to recover after drought. This research project aligns with my core interest to better understand how plants interact with their environment. My approach is interdisciplinary, owing to a research background that originated in aquatic research and led to tree research. My strongest research tools are stable isotopes, and I have a specialty in interpreting hydrogen isotopes. My long-term research aspiration is to better integrate terrestrial and aquatic research disciplines to help understand plant response to environmental change. I am also active at science outreach and have experience in different kinds of science communication (e.g., politics, podcasts & pitch competitions).
Climate change, Ecosystem services, Ecosystem water-balance, Plant-water relations, and Operations of Research Infrastructures
I am currently working for two environmental Research Infrastructures (RI). At eLTER RI (University of Helsinki, Finland), I am working as ‘Research Coordinator’, while at ICOS ERIC Head Office in Helsinki; I am holding ‘Operations & Networking Officer’ position. From January 2021 onwards, I will entirely focus on eLTER RI with its Preparatory Phase Project activities of preparing Cost Book, Cost Benefit Analysis and Socio-Economic Impact Analysis.
During recent post-doc work, with the auspices of University of Helsinki and Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) prestigious President’s International Fellowship Initiative (PIFI), I spent couple of years at CAS’ South China Botanical Garden and focused on tree growth and plant-water relations of boreal and sub-tropical ecosystems. My MSc and PhD theses were related to carbon stocks, greenhouse gas emission and water balance of dryland ecosystem.
Tree functioning, water and carbon exchange exchange between individual trees and the entire ecosystem
My research focus is especially on recognizing the response of trees to stressful conditions (prolonging lack or excess of water). Currently, I am working with the role of bark in tree stress responses, the functioning of trees in wetland ecosystems, and the ability of Scots pine and Silver birch to transport oxygen through the stem during periods of oxygen deficiency for roots. In my work, I combine various scientific methods and instruments that provide insight into a wide range of plant functioning. My expertise particularly concerns the measurement of sap flow, stem efflux, stem water potential and the processing and analysis of data from the Eddy covariance system regarding the exchange of main trace gases with the atmosphere.
Acclimation and regulation of photosynthesis, boreal conifers, thylakoid, photosystem, light harvesting, molecular plant physiology
I am interested in understanding the photosynthetic acclimation and regulation processes of boreal conifers. My research focuses on the development of new methods and protocols bridging the gap between the thylakoid- to the leaf-level.
Data management, greenhouse gas fluxes
Whole tree ecology, GHG chamber measurement development, societal interaction
My research interest is in the interactions between forest plants, forest soil and the atmosphere. Currently I am designing and building a greenhouse-gas chamber flux measurement system. I also like to work on science communication and in the intersection between the Arts and Science.
Methane exchange processes, peatlands, soil gas exchange
My background is in forest ecology, more specifically in topics related to forest soil carbon and nitrogen cycling, disturbances, silviculture and entomology. Currently, my main research is concentrated on the effects of natural forest disturbances and salvage loggings on soil carbon sequestration and microbial residues in soil. In my doctoral dissertation, I examined site features that predispose forests to insect outbreaks as well as on the impacts of insect and storm disturbance on forest ecosystems.
Carbon cycle in northern ecosystems
My passion is to understand biological, biochemical and physical interactions in nature. My long-term focus has been in the uptake and release of greenhouse gases, mainly carbon dioxide, and the overall carbon cycle. Most of my studies has concerned forested ecosystems but nowadays, I study urban and agricultural ecosystems as well.
Effect of freezing and thawing on tree ecophysiology
Xylem, nutrition, tree growth modelling
Focused on the height growth decline of old-growth trees, my research centralizes on the hydraulic dynamics and nutrition conditions of the predominant tree species of Finland. Both field measurements and laboratory means are employed in my studies, yet in mathematics I the most trust.
My research focus is the analysis of amino sugars from soil samples using High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)-analysis combined with ortho-phthalaldehyde(OPA)-derivatization. My interest is to try to discover the differences between the precision and accuracy of amino acid measurement with the HPLC method and previous gas chromatography (GC)-based measurements. I also search for new biomarker molecules to further increase the amount of information gained from these analyses.
My research focuses on the general areas of forest ecosystem ecology and the impacts of climate change on forests. My area of expertize is process-based modelling of forest ecosystems. I'm currently focusing on the implementation of modern computational methods for the calibration and comparison of process-based models rich in parameters. I'm striving to apply Bayesian statistics to process based models, as a method for uncertainty analysis and model comparison. In the last years I also focused my research on the topic of water stress and water stress induced tree mortality.
My research focuses on multi-scale measurements of plant physiological processes, such as photosynthesis. Additionally, I am keen on exploring novel and innovative optical remote sensing technologies based on chlorophyll fluorescence and plant reflectance. Consequently, I have been part of a team that tests and builds a new low-cost fluorescence sensor. I am currently working on the Horizon Europe-funded ENVRINNOV-project, which aims to develop new strategies for the future development of Research Infrastructure (RI) technologies and services.
Vegetation optical cues, Urban greenspace biodiversity, Urban greenspace carbon sink–source interactions, Environmental research infrastructures
My research interests are related to vegetation optical cues and their relationship with photosynthetic dynamics. I also conduct research on vegetation biodiversity as well as greenhouse gas and carbon sink-source interactions in the urban greenspace. Additionally, I am involved in the integration of research infrastructure services for climate change risks (https://www.iriscc.eu/).
Tree ecophysiology and biotic stress
I'm currently working in post doc research on conifer physiological responses to bark beetle and blue stain fungi invasions. My past and current focus is in tree water and carbon relations, including studies on tree gas exchange, water use and phloem translocation in the field and greenhouse conditions.
Microbial CH4 turnover in boreal forests and peatlands
Project coordinator / Postdoctoral researcher
As a research coordinator, I am involved in two projects. In CREDIBLE project (EU-funded initiative aimed at building consensus on the methodologies that could maximize the capacity of soils to act as carbon sinks), I act as a co-leader of a Focus Group working on proximal sensing, digitalization, technology acceptance and transformative resistance in carbon farming. In eLTER (Integrated European Long-Term Ecosystem, critical zone and socio-ecological Research), I coordinate Site and Platforms Forum (my role is to facilitate networking and communication among research sites’ representatives) and I am a practical lead in organizing the eLTER Science Conference. My main interest as a researcher at Optics of Photosynthesis Lab include leaf optical properties, especially chlorophyll-a fluorescence and its variation among species, leaf types and light environments.
Carbon cycling, interactions between ecosystems
Environmental research infrastructures
My research interests are in carbon cycling in different ecosystem and especially between them. After finishing a postdoc related to CO2 and CH4 emissions from lakes and small rivers in Canada, I'm back at the department of Forest Sciences. Now I'm working more to create conditions for research than with research itself. I am involved in the long-term ecosystem research infrastructures both at national (LTER Finland, INAR RI Ecosystems) and at international (eLTER) level.
Urban tree physiology
Tree functioning and ecosystem services in the urban mosaic of growth environments.
Tree water relations, ecohydrology
My research interest is in tree water relations especially related to the stem water content changes, growth and xylem sap flow measurements. I am also interested in the development of environmental sensors and measurement techniques.
Tree and soil carbon dynamics in boreal forests
My research interests are tree and soil carbon dynamics in boreal forest ecosystems. At the moment I work at SMEAR II in Hyytiälä for maintaining and developing the tree and soil measurements, and other tasks related to, for example, eLTER and ICOS.
Water and carbon relations in tree, tree ecophysiology and ecology
My research focus on water and carbon fluxes in trees and between trees and the atmosphere, what are the processes regulating those fluxes, how they are influenced by the environment and how this response affect the trees. In particular, I am interested in the effect of drought. Beyond the individual level, I study how tree ecophysiology and fluxes: 1) impact biogeochemical cycles in forest ecosystems, and 2) how they respond to and shape tree ecology.
Tree growth, carbon balance, carbon sink – source interactions
I work as station manager of SMEAR II at Hyytiälä forest station working together with our group to maintain and develop measurement and other activities done at the station. The overarching idea of SMEAR stations is comprehensive understanding of earth surface-atmosphere interactions. My own scientific background is related to tree growth, carbon balance and process modelling.
Viikki campus, B-building, room 440
Postdoctoral researcher / Data scientist / Data steward
Allan T. Souza is a postdoctoral researcher at the Institute for Atmospheric and Earth System Research (INAR), University of Helsinki. His research interests include the climate drivers on species distribution and population dynamics, the impacts of biological invasions on ecosystems and wildlife management.
Forest productivity and growth modelling, model calibration
My research focuses on forest productivity and growth modelling using process-based models. I am working on model-data fusion techniques to estimate uncertainties in model parameters and predictions.
Carbon cycles of forest and peatland ecosystems
My research interests lie in the flow of material through the various parts of forest and peatland ecosystems. I specialize in gas flux measurements from ecosystem surfaces, such as soil and different compartments of trees, and wish to gain better understanding of the processes involved in the cycling of carbon and nitrogen between the soil, vegetation and the atmosphere. I am currently studying the link between the physical properties and degradation of peat of drained peatland forests, and have also recently taken a peek into tropical wetland research as well.
Remote sensing in forestry, Forest carbon dynamics, Climate change, Land use/cover change, Response of forests to climate change
My research focuses on forest carbon dynamics (both sinks and sources). Currently, I am working on modeling remote sensing estimation of forest biomass from multi-source remote sensing data using machine learning and deep learning, as well as building relationships between forest NPP and age, and further predicting forest carbon dynamics under different future climate change scenarios. In addition, land use/cover change is one of my research areas, especially the impact of conversion between forest land and other land types on carbon storage.
Remote sensing, photosynthesis, terrestrial vegetation, climate change
I am interested in investigating terrestrial vegetation photosynthesis using remote sensing optical signals to understand how plants respond to environmental stresses and climate change.