At CEC, we study key processes in ecosystems from microscopic to global scales. This includes biogeochemical processes in aquatic and terrestrial environments, interactions between vegetation and the atmosphere, carbon and nutrient cycles, and the connections between biodiversity and the functions of ecosystems. Central to our research is understanding how ecosystems respond to disturbances, such as forest fires and deforestation, intensified land use or land abandonment, and the implications this has for ecosystem management.

To quantify small-scale processes in soil and water, we use various methods including molecular and physicochemical techniques, such as synchrotron-based microscopy. At larger scales, we employ remote sensing, field measurements, and monitoring (including the use of ICOS) to assess the effects of climate change and land use changes on vegetation and ecosystems, such as changes in greenhouse gas uptake and emissions. Local, regional, and global processes and their interactions are studied using climate models and vegetation models. We also utilize quantitative and qualitative methods to investigate and model the consequences of implementing policy decisions on broader bioeconomic systems linked to land use and ecosystems, such as the forestry industry and food systems.

Our research encompasses ecosystems worldwide, including studies in boreal ecosystems as well as in Arctic and tropical environments.

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