Magdalena Krasteva

I am Bulgarian, and I have been studying plant biology and ecology in the Netherlands and Sweden for a while now. I have a Masters in plant ecology and some experience in chemistry and biochemistry, and am currently a PhD candidate at the LTV faculty. For quite a long time, my main areas of interest have been urban plant ecology and ecophysiology - fascinating and quickly developing fields which could give us insights into how plants adapt in response to extreme stress and changing climate conditions. My doctoral project focuses on green roof ecosystem ecology.

I am currently working on my PhD project titled "How green should green roofs be?" which explores how green roofs Malmö are affected by fertilisation in terms of ecosystem health and functioning. My focus is on studying community composition and nutrient cycling mechanics on green roofs, especially with regards to nitrogen processing. Over two years of fieldwork, I will follow the ways these ecosystem aspects change following fertilisation. 

As part of my role, I am also continuing a long-term SLU study of a number of green roofs in Malmö city. The Malmö Green Roof project at SLU has been following these ecosystems over some decades, monitoring the changes in their ecology and the ecosystem services they provide as they age.