RESEARCH THEMES
Geodiversity–biodiversity relationships in northern environments
Our fundamental goal is to promote biodiversity monitoring by examining geodiversity and its relationship to biodiversity in boreal and subarctic landscapes. The aim is to produce answers to several scientifically important questions in geodiversity mapping and biodiversity assessment by revealing the most suitable measures of geodiversity for biodiversity assessments, and by improving the performance and robustness of biodiversity models.
Projects:
Global change: geomorphological and biogeographical perspectives
A key aim of the global change research of the Physical Geography Research Group is to improve understanding and forecast the nature of change in the geomorphological and biogeographical systems, particularly at high-latitudes. We focus on investigating the impacts of climate change on the high-latitude periglacial processes (e.g. permafrost), exploring the spatial and temporal changes in high-latitude biodiversity patterns, and evaluating the accuracy, utility and feasibility of statistically-based spatial models in examining periglacial processes and biodiversity.
Projects:
Large-scale patterns of freshwater biota and water quality
Freshwater studies conducted at large-scales enable us to better understand general species distribution patterns and characteristics affecting water quality. Our aim is to analyze large-scale patterns of freshwater biota and water quality at various spatial scales. We also test biogeographical and macroecological theories using freshwater assemblages such as aquatic plants as a model group. In addition, we explore spatial patterns in freshwater bioassessment. Macrophyte Biogeography Lab is part of this research group.
Spatial variation of ecosystem services, biodiversity and human health
In this theme, we study how biodiversity, geodiversity and ecosystem services co-vary geographically in Finland and globally. We also explore the geographical relationships between human settlements and ecosystem services at national scale. In addition, our aim is to develop methodologies to map health-related ecosystem services and predict the distribution of allergenic pollen and concentrations of air pollutants in urbanized areas across scales. Recently, we have lauched investigations on nature positivity, aiming to find out how private businesses can reach to less harmiful or even positive outcomes in their actions.
Projects:
Geodiversity–biodiversity relationships in northern environments
Our fundamental goal is to promote biodiversity monitoring by examining geodiversity and its relationship to biodiversity in boreal and subarctic landscapes. The aim is to produce answers to several scientifically important questions in geodiversity mapping and biodiversity assessment by revealing the most suitable measures of geodiversity for biodiversity assessments, and by improving the performance and robustness of biodiversity models.
Projects:
- Global taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic diversity of stream macroinvertebrate communities: unravelling spatial trends, ecological determinants and anthropogenic threats (GloBioTrends) (funding from the Academy of Finland, 2020-2024, PI Jani Heino)
- Improved geodiversity information in assessing and conserving biodiversity (iGEOBIO) (funding from the Academy of Finland, 2019-2023, PI Janne Alahuhta)
- Impacts of land use on northern biodiversity and tools for improved conservation under global change (funding from the Postdoc Pool to Dr. Tuija Maliniemi)
- Geodiversity as a surrogate of lake biodiversity and a measure of conservation value (funding from the Nessling Foundation, 2018-2022, PI Maija Toivanen)
- Geodiversity for preventing biodiversity loss: spatio-temporal perspectives in the high-latitude environments (funding from the Kvantum Institute, 2019-2023, PI Henriikka Salminen)
- Participation in Essential Geodiversity Variables project
- GIANTS: disentanGling how dInosAuriaN megaherbivores ruled their ecosysTemS (funded by the British Ecological Society, 2023, PI Jorge Garcia-Giron).
- Investigating geodiversity-biodiversity relationships under climate change (funded by the Academy of Finland, 2022-2025, and Kvantum Institute, 2023-2026, PI Julia Kemppinen)
Global change: geomorphological and biogeographical perspectives
A key aim of the global change research of the Physical Geography Research Group is to improve understanding and forecast the nature of change in the geomorphological and biogeographical systems, particularly at high-latitudes. We focus on investigating the impacts of climate change on the high-latitude periglacial processes (e.g. permafrost), exploring the spatial and temporal changes in high-latitude biodiversity patterns, and evaluating the accuracy, utility and feasibility of statistically-based spatial models in examining periglacial processes and biodiversity.
Projects:
- INFRAHAZARD - Geomorphic sensitivity of the Arctic region: geohazards and infrastructure (funding from the Academy of Finland, 2017-2020, PI Jan Hjort)
- Hybrid modelling for improved permafrost risk assessments (HYPERISK) (funding from Kvantum Institute, 2021-2024, PI Jan Hjort)
Large-scale patterns of freshwater biota and water quality
Freshwater studies conducted at large-scales enable us to better understand general species distribution patterns and characteristics affecting water quality. Our aim is to analyze large-scale patterns of freshwater biota and water quality at various spatial scales. We also test biogeographical and macroecological theories using freshwater assemblages such as aquatic plants as a model group. In addition, we explore spatial patterns in freshwater bioassessment. Macrophyte Biogeography Lab is part of this research group.
- Global taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic diversity of stream macroinvertebrate communities: unravelling spatial trends, ecological determinants and anthropogenic threats (GloBioTrends) (funding from the Academy of Finland, 2020-2024, PI Jani Heino)
- Improved geodiversity information in assessing and conserving biodiversity (iGEOBIO) (funding from the Academy of Finland, 2019-2023, PI Janne Alahuhta)
- Geodiversity as a surrogate of lake biodiversity and a measure of conservation value (funding from the Nessling Foundation, 2018-2021, PI Maija Toivanen)
- Unravelling causes and consequences of environmental change in northern drainage basins: biological diversity, environmental variation and human well-being
- Participitation in the Global freshwater biodiversity, biogeography and conservation (GLOWABIO) project
- Macrophyte Biogeography Lab
Spatial variation of ecosystem services, biodiversity and human health
In this theme, we study how biodiversity, geodiversity and ecosystem services co-vary geographically in Finland and globally. We also explore the geographical relationships between human settlements and ecosystem services at national scale. In addition, our aim is to develop methodologies to map health-related ecosystem services and predict the distribution of allergenic pollen and concentrations of air pollutants in urbanized areas across scales. Recently, we have lauched investigations on nature positivity, aiming to find out how private businesses can reach to less harmiful or even positive outcomes in their actions.
Projects:
- Improved geodiversity information in assessing and conserving biodiversity (iGEOBIO) (funding from the Academy of Finland, 2019-2023, PI Janne Alahuhta)
- Exploring geographical mismatch between supply and demand of ecosystem services using big and open source data across high latitudes (AccESS) (funding from the Kvantum Institute, 2021-2024, PI Janne Alahuhta)
- APTA – The Influence of Air Pollution, Pollen, and Ambient Temperature on Asthma and Allergies in Changing Climate (funding from the Academy of Finland, 2013-2017, PI Jouni Jaakkola)
- NPOS - Nature Positive Northern Ostrobothnia (funding from EU's Regional Development Fund, 2023-2025, PI Jussi Paakkari)
- Associations between Residential Ecodiversity, Built Environment, Physical Activity and sedentary behavior patterns and health – population-based Northern Finland Birth Cohort studies 1966 and 1986 (RESPACT) (Sport science funding for research projects from the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture, 2023-2027, PI Raija Korpelainen)