Morning view over the lake - Photo: Duncan Philpott

BIOGEOMON 2026 Plenary

Page reviewed:  29/08/2025

Meet the Plenaries of BIOGEOMON 2026

“Global leaders in biogeochemistry share insights on ecosystems, water, and climate, inspiring the next frontier of environmental science.”

David Wardle - Professor of Ecology, Umeå University, Sweden

Portrait of David Wardle

David Wardle’s research examines the links between aboveground and belowground communities and how these interactions drive the functioning of terrestrial ecosystems. His work spans forests and tundra, from the tropics to the Arctic.

  • Publications: ~400 peer-reviewed papers, including ~30 in Science and Nature; two books on aboveground–belowground linkages.

  • Mentorship: Supervised 60+ PhD students and postdocs, now in faculty, research, and policy roles across 20 countries.

  • Recognition: Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand, Academia Europaea member, Wallenberg Scholar, Highly Cited Researcher (>120,000 citations).

  • Awards: Eminent Ecologist Award (Journal of Ecology), Whittaker Distinguished Ecologist Award (ESA).


Charles T. Driscoll- Distinguished and University Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Syracuse University, NY 

Portrait of Charles T Driscoll Jr

Charles Driscoll’s research focuses on how disturbances shape forest, freshwater, and marine ecosystems, with emphasis on air pollution (mercury, sulfur, nitrogen), land use, and climate change.

  • Policy Engagement: Testified before U.S. Congress and state legislatures; briefed agencies, industry, and stakeholders.

  • Service: Extensive participation in local, national, and international committees on environmental management and policy.

  • Recognition: Member of the U.S. National Academy of Engineering, Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, 2023 Clarke Laureate in Water Science and Technology. 
     

Emma Kritzberg- Professor Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services in a Changing Climate, Lund University

Portrait of Emma Kritzberg

Emma Kritzberg investigates aquatic biogeochemistry, focusing on the links between terrestrial, freshwater, and marine ecosystems. A central theme is the “browning” of northern waters.

  • Key Findings: Demonstrated that browning reflects not only dissolved organic matter but also major increases in iron.

  • Research Focus: Drivers of iron and organic matter mobilization; land-use change effects; peatland ditching, afforestation, and fungal processes in soils.

  • Impact: Her discoveries have reshaped research on browning and the role of iron in aquatic carbon cycling.

 

James Kirchner- Professor Emeritus at the Department of Environmental Systems Science (ETH Zürich)

Portrait of James Kirchner

Trained as a physicist, James Kirchner has advanced research across hydrology, aqueous geochemistry, geomorphology, evolutionary ecology, and paleobiology. His current focus is on the flow, chemistry, and geomorphology of mountain streams.

  • Leadership: Former Director, Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow, and Landscape Research (WSL, 550 staff). Previously Goldman Distinguished Professor at UC Berkeley and Director of Berkeley’s Sierra Field Stations.

  • Recognition: EGU Bagnold Medal (geomorphology), AGU Fellow, AGU Langbein Lecturer (lifetime hydrology contributions).

  • New Role: Appointed by King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden as Royal Professor of Environmental Sciences (2025/26), studying boreal ecohydrology with SLU Umeå and the Krycklan Catchment Study.

Emily Stanley- Professor, University of Wisconsin–Madison; Lead Investigator, North Temperate Lakes LTER

Portrait of Emily Stanley

Emily Stanley is a Professor in the Department of Integrative Biology and Center for Limnology at the University of Wisconsin–Madison (USA). She investigates aquatic ecosystem ecology and biogeochemistry, with a focus on long-term change in rivers and lakes.

  • Key Findings: Demonstrated how dam removals, spatial heterogeneity in water chemistry, and greenhouse gas dynamics shape river and lake ecosystems.

  • Research Focus: Carbon cycling and biogeochemical processes in inland waters; long-term ecological change; leadership of the North Temperate Lakes Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) program since 2009.

  • Impact: Fellow of the Aldo Leopold Leadership Program, the Ecological Society of America, and the Society for Freshwater Science; Sustaining Fellow of ASLO; recipient of ASLO’s G.E. Hutchinson Award (2018) for transformative contributions to nitrogen and carbon cycling in inland waters.

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