MEMBERS
Our group consists of 21 full-time scientists and lecturers.
Jan Hjort (Professor)
Jan’s research interests include geodiversity, biodiversity, periglacial processes, air and water quality in urban environment as well as ecosystem services. The regional focus is on high-latitude environments (boreal, sub-Arctic and Arctic).
Janne Alahuhta (PhD, Senior research fellow)
Google Scholar Citations; personal webpage
Janne is the principal investigator of Macrophyte Biogeography Lab, operating within this research group. His main research focus is in biogeography and macroecology of freshwater organisms, and applying biogeographical approaches to geodiversity research. He is also interested in geographical variation of ecosystem services in boreal landscape.
Jorge García Girón (PhD, Assistant professor in the University of Leon, Spain)
Jorge is interested in synthesising patterns and mechanisms of freshwater organisms in the context of community biogeography. He also has passion for statistical methods and dinosaurs.
Jani Heino (PhD, Project leader)
Google Scholar Citations; personal webpage
Jani’s research focuses on the causes and consequences of environmental change at different spatial and temporal scales. Recently, along with collaborators in both Finland and abroad, he has become interested in a more comprehensive framework incorporating both biotic and abiotic features of nature. As almost all areas across the world are affected by anthropogenic impacts, he is currently thinking of devising a refined framework that incorporates biotic, abiotic and human-managed features of drainage basins. At this level, various phenomena are acting simultaneously and should be considered in monitoring, management, restoration and conservation of biodiversity and ecosystem services.
Alun Hubbard (Professor in Centre for Arctic Gas Hydrate, Environment and Climate, Tromso, Norway; Senior Research Fellow in University of Oulu)
Alun is a (paleo-)glaciologist with interests in subglacial processes, ice-ocean-gas hydrate interactions and dynamics of ice masses to questions regarding the long-term stability and geological legacy of ice sheets and their impact on the sea-level, the carbon-cycle, environment and landscape. His approach combines novel field-data with modelling across Arctic regions.
Terhi Ala-Hulkko (PhD, postdoc)
Terhi's research comprises of spatial variation and accessibility of ecosystem servcies at large-scales. She is also interested to investigate how biodiversity is connected to ecosystem services.
Olli Karjalainen (PhD, Postdoc)
Olli's thesis will focus on spatial modelling of geomorphological features in arctic environments.
Julia Kemppinen (PhD, Postdoc)
Julia studies how microclimate affects northern environments, especially terrestrial vegetation across boreal and arctic regions.
Tuija Maliniemi (PhD, Postdoc)
Tuija investigates how geodiversity explains temporal changes in the diversity patterns of terrestrial plants at local-scales. Thus, her research focus is on temporal geodiversity-biodiversity relationships.
Helena Tukiainen (PhD, Postdoc)
Helena’s research focuses on biodiversity-geodiversity dynamics, with special attention to boreal ecosystems. Spatial scale issues are also closely related to her work.
Sanna Varanka (PhD, University lecturer)
Sanna is responsible for developing Unit's education system and teaches on several cources. In addition, she researches water quality and biota in boreal water bobies.
Navid Yaraghi (PhD, Project researcher)
Navid studies nature positivity in companies; how companies can have as little as possible or even positive influence on environment.
Petteri Kiilunen (PhD researcher)
Petteri begins his thesis on species distribution modelling of high latitude organisms in relation to ecosystem services.
Oona Könönen (PhD researcher)
Oona studies changes in permafrost patterns now and in the future across the Arctic.
Eirini Makopoulou (PhD researcher)
Eirini's PhD project focusses on hybrid modelling of permafrost risks across artic landscapes.
Aino-Maija Määttänen (PhD researcher)
Aino-Maija focuses on the significance of geodiversity within protected area networks and how it influences their connectivity in the face of changing climate conditions.
Anita Poturalska (PhD researcher)
Anita investigates supply and demand of ecosystem services across Europe.
Henriikka Salminen (PhD researcher)
Henriikka has two complementing research topics. First, she investigates whether local geodiversity affects biodiversity across time and scale. Second, Henriikka studies geodiversity-biodiversity relationship at continental and global scales.
Mikko Saviranta (PhD researcher)
Mikko studies how mining impacts northern vegetation. He is also interested to know whether restoration of (old) mines affects vegetation recovery.
Henna Snåre (PhD researcher)
Henna studies how stream connectivity and environment are shaping river biodiversity in Europe.
Maija Toivanen (PhD researcher)
Maija is interested to know whether geodiversity can be used as a surrogate for macrophyte and fish diversity in boreal and temperate lakes.
FORMER MEMBERS
Xiaoming Jiang (associate professor, visiting scientist)
Xiaoming visited our group for a year in 2022-2023 from Xi'an University of Technology, China. He studies how freshwater organisms respond to different anthropogenic pressures.
Olli-Matti Kärnä (PhD student)
Olli-Matti defended his thesis on the different proxy variables of dispersal and local habitat conditions for freshwater communities in December 2019.
Marja Lindholm (PhD, postdoc)
Marja studied long-term changes in freshwater species communities.
Eulàlia Pladevall (Visiting researcher)
Eulàlia studied what environmental charatceristics affected wetland flora of Pyrenees. She stayed with us for three months in spring 2019.
Mariana Perez Rocha (PhD)
Mariana had a great thesis defence in October 2018, where she bravely discussed on different diversity measures in relation to boreal stream taxa.
Henna Sormunen (MSc)
Henna worked in different projects for several years in our research group.
Denner Vieira (Visiting researcher)
Denner visited our group for six months during the fall of 2018. He is specialised in complex network analysis and how they can used in ecological context.
Our group consists of 21 full-time scientists and lecturers.
Jan Hjort (Professor)
Jan’s research interests include geodiversity, biodiversity, periglacial processes, air and water quality in urban environment as well as ecosystem services. The regional focus is on high-latitude environments (boreal, sub-Arctic and Arctic).
Janne Alahuhta (PhD, Senior research fellow)
Google Scholar Citations; personal webpage
Janne is the principal investigator of Macrophyte Biogeography Lab, operating within this research group. His main research focus is in biogeography and macroecology of freshwater organisms, and applying biogeographical approaches to geodiversity research. He is also interested in geographical variation of ecosystem services in boreal landscape.
Jorge García Girón (PhD, Assistant professor in the University of Leon, Spain)
Jorge is interested in synthesising patterns and mechanisms of freshwater organisms in the context of community biogeography. He also has passion for statistical methods and dinosaurs.
Jani Heino (PhD, Project leader)
Google Scholar Citations; personal webpage
Jani’s research focuses on the causes and consequences of environmental change at different spatial and temporal scales. Recently, along with collaborators in both Finland and abroad, he has become interested in a more comprehensive framework incorporating both biotic and abiotic features of nature. As almost all areas across the world are affected by anthropogenic impacts, he is currently thinking of devising a refined framework that incorporates biotic, abiotic and human-managed features of drainage basins. At this level, various phenomena are acting simultaneously and should be considered in monitoring, management, restoration and conservation of biodiversity and ecosystem services.
Alun Hubbard (Professor in Centre for Arctic Gas Hydrate, Environment and Climate, Tromso, Norway; Senior Research Fellow in University of Oulu)
Alun is a (paleo-)glaciologist with interests in subglacial processes, ice-ocean-gas hydrate interactions and dynamics of ice masses to questions regarding the long-term stability and geological legacy of ice sheets and their impact on the sea-level, the carbon-cycle, environment and landscape. His approach combines novel field-data with modelling across Arctic regions.
Terhi Ala-Hulkko (PhD, postdoc)
Terhi's research comprises of spatial variation and accessibility of ecosystem servcies at large-scales. She is also interested to investigate how biodiversity is connected to ecosystem services.
Olli Karjalainen (PhD, Postdoc)
Olli's thesis will focus on spatial modelling of geomorphological features in arctic environments.
Julia Kemppinen (PhD, Postdoc)
Julia studies how microclimate affects northern environments, especially terrestrial vegetation across boreal and arctic regions.
Tuija Maliniemi (PhD, Postdoc)
Tuija investigates how geodiversity explains temporal changes in the diversity patterns of terrestrial plants at local-scales. Thus, her research focus is on temporal geodiversity-biodiversity relationships.
Helena Tukiainen (PhD, Postdoc)
Helena’s research focuses on biodiversity-geodiversity dynamics, with special attention to boreal ecosystems. Spatial scale issues are also closely related to her work.
Sanna Varanka (PhD, University lecturer)
Sanna is responsible for developing Unit's education system and teaches on several cources. In addition, she researches water quality and biota in boreal water bobies.
Navid Yaraghi (PhD, Project researcher)
Navid studies nature positivity in companies; how companies can have as little as possible or even positive influence on environment.
Petteri Kiilunen (PhD researcher)
Petteri begins his thesis on species distribution modelling of high latitude organisms in relation to ecosystem services.
Oona Könönen (PhD researcher)
Oona studies changes in permafrost patterns now and in the future across the Arctic.
Eirini Makopoulou (PhD researcher)
Eirini's PhD project focusses on hybrid modelling of permafrost risks across artic landscapes.
Aino-Maija Määttänen (PhD researcher)
Aino-Maija focuses on the significance of geodiversity within protected area networks and how it influences their connectivity in the face of changing climate conditions.
Anita Poturalska (PhD researcher)
Anita investigates supply and demand of ecosystem services across Europe.
Henriikka Salminen (PhD researcher)
Henriikka has two complementing research topics. First, she investigates whether local geodiversity affects biodiversity across time and scale. Second, Henriikka studies geodiversity-biodiversity relationship at continental and global scales.
Mikko Saviranta (PhD researcher)
Mikko studies how mining impacts northern vegetation. He is also interested to know whether restoration of (old) mines affects vegetation recovery.
Henna Snåre (PhD researcher)
Henna studies how stream connectivity and environment are shaping river biodiversity in Europe.
Maija Toivanen (PhD researcher)
Maija is interested to know whether geodiversity can be used as a surrogate for macrophyte and fish diversity in boreal and temperate lakes.
FORMER MEMBERS
Xiaoming Jiang (associate professor, visiting scientist)
Xiaoming visited our group for a year in 2022-2023 from Xi'an University of Technology, China. He studies how freshwater organisms respond to different anthropogenic pressures.
Olli-Matti Kärnä (PhD student)
Olli-Matti defended his thesis on the different proxy variables of dispersal and local habitat conditions for freshwater communities in December 2019.
Marja Lindholm (PhD, postdoc)
Marja studied long-term changes in freshwater species communities.
Eulàlia Pladevall (Visiting researcher)
Eulàlia studied what environmental charatceristics affected wetland flora of Pyrenees. She stayed with us for three months in spring 2019.
Mariana Perez Rocha (PhD)
Mariana had a great thesis defence in October 2018, where she bravely discussed on different diversity measures in relation to boreal stream taxa.
Henna Sormunen (MSc)
Henna worked in different projects for several years in our research group.
Denner Vieira (Visiting researcher)
Denner visited our group for six months during the fall of 2018. He is specialised in complex network analysis and how they can used in ecological context.