Section for Ecology and Biodiversity

We are specialized in developing biological indicators for measuring ecosystem health, for example, to meet the requirements of the Water Framework Directive (WFD, Directive 2000/60/EC). Important human-induced environmental changes we are currently focussing on are: eutrophication, acidification, climate change, metal contamination, pesticides, invasive species and the combined effect of multiple stressors.

Head of section

• Stina Drakare

Faculty professors

• Richard Johnson
• Stefan Bertilsson

Staff

• All staff at the Section for Ecology and Biodiversity

Examples of research projects

• Arctic expeditions: MOSAiC and the Synoptic Arctic Survey
• ARCTIC-BIODIVER – filling gaps in Arctic freshwater biodiversity knowledge
• CENTURION - Cumulative effects of climate change and eutrophication on Swedish lakes
• COVID-19 in wastewater
• CROSSLINK – Cross-habitat linkages between stream and riparian habitats
• Effects of large-scale, climate-mediated oligotrophication on the food webs of Arctic and alpine lakes
• FRESHBAR – Barcoding of freshwater organisms for improved assessment of biodiversity
• Microbial mercury methylation in the Baltic Sea
• PEACE - Plasmid evolutionary arms race

Environmental assessment

We are also responsible for implementing the national monitoring programmes of phytoplankton, zooplankton, benthic diatoms, aquatic plants and benthic invertebrates in lakes and streams on behalf of the Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management.