John Anderson (PhD
H. M. King Carl XVI Gustaf Professor of Environmental Science)
Email: N.J.Anderson@lboro.ac.uk
Research Summary
I am interested in how terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems develop over a range of timescales, in particular how the contrasting ontogenetic pathways (for example, terrestrial vegetation succession and changing aquatic trophic interactions) intersect to influence both biodiversity patterns and biogeochemical cycling. I have worked in SW Greenland for more than 20 years, an area that did not show the mid-20th century warming that has been widely observed elsewhere in the Arctic. The absence of regional warming (until very recently) allowed the role of other environmental stressors (for example, reactive nitrogen) to be assessed critically. More generally, I am interested in linking multi-proxy palaeoecological records, long-term monitoring and contemporary experimental approaches to understand ecological change in the Arctic. Ignoring long-term, natural trajectories and terrestrial-aquatic interactions in arctic ecosystems can result in misunderstandings when attempting to assess the role of climate warming in the Arctic. Taking a more holistic, integrated approach to aquatic ecosystem changes in SW Greenland, the aim of my research is to provide a better understanding of the drivers of ecological change in the these lakes during the Anthropocene.
Current Projects
My Research in the News
Photos From the Field
