Birgit Koehler, PhD

I am environmental scientist working on ecosystem analysis, often related to climate change aspects. I am currently working on varied questions concerning state, health and management of the Baltic Sea and other marine areas, including large-scale patterns of biodiversity in changing ecosystems, sustainable aquatic food systems, offshore wind energy, and ecological design of artificial structures. 

Information on some recent research and work that I am involved in can be found here:

https://www.slu.se/en/research/research-catalogue/projekt/n/nordic-biobuz--fran-biodiversitets-framjande-ekologisk-design-till-en-starkare-affarsmodell-for-havsbaserad-vindkraft/

https://internt.slu.se/en/news-originals/2025/1/slu-aqua-ar-med-och-starker-smaskaliga-aktorer-inom-fiskeri-och-vattenbruk-i-ostafrika/

https://www.slu.se/en/research/research-catalogue/projekt/v/vindkraft-i-havets-eko-system--kunskap-for-en-hallbar-utbyggnad-i-samexistens-med-naturvard-och-fiske/

https://internt.slu.se/en/news-originals/2024/6/fran-sverige-till-kanarieoarna-nya-spannande-forskarutbyten-mellan-slu-aqua-och-ulpgc/

https://www.havet.nu/havsutsikt/artikel/manga-fiskarter-gillar-det-salt

10/2024: Associate professor (docent) in biology, with focus ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
12/2017: Associate professor (docent) in biology, with focus limnology, Uppsala University
10/2005 - 02/2009: PhD-Dissertation, program Biological Diversity and Ecology, University of Göttingen, Germany
"Soil nitrogen oxide and carbon dioxide emissions from a tropical lowland and
montane forest exposed to elevated nitrogen input"
10/1999 - 07/2005: Studies of Geoecology, University of Potsdam, Germany

2024: Master thesis Oona M.O. Yletyinen - Environmental effects of sea-level rise on coastal terrestrial ecosystems: Resilience and adaptation strategies (Uppsala
University)
2023: Master thesis Sofie Michelsen: Thermal tolerance of native vs. invasive Atlantic marine species at the coast of Portugal (Uppsala University)

2021: Student project C.-E. Dunne - How does drought influence the symbiosis between plants and mycorrhizal fungi? (SLU)
2021: Student project R. Lindgren, A. Bäckman and A. Eriksen Ringström - Do honey bees affect our wild bees? (SLU)
2019: Master thesis S. Bjaelkefur-Seroka - Contaminant transport from a landfill in Sweden: Data analysis and modelling (Uppsala University)
2012-2017 Doctoral thesis A. Mostovaya: Degradation of natural organic matter: Chemo-diversity and continuum of reactivity (Uppsala University; co-supervision)
2014: Master thesis M. Groeneveld - Sunlight-induced carbon dioxide emissions from a humic lake (Uppsala University)
2012: Master thesis R. Li - Regulation of the apparent quantum yields for the photo-production of dissolved inorganic carbon in lakes (Uppsala University)
2012: Research training N. Machida - Photoproduction of dissolved inorganic carbon in aquatic systems (Uppsala University)
2005: Master thesis H. Wullaert - Immediate impact of elevated nitrogen input on
trace gas emissions in an old-growth lowland forest in Panama (University of
Göttingen, co-supervision)

Securing sustainable access to aquatic foods. Berkström C., Eriksson H., Eggertsen M., Koehler B. & Norman Haldén A. SLU Global 2023.

Potential future climate change effects on Swedish fish and fisheries. Bartolino V., Bergström L., Erlandsson M. & Koehler B. Aqua reports 2023:9.

Species richness and functional attributes of fish assemblages across a large-scale salinity gradient in shallow coastal areas. Koehler B., Erlandsson M., Karlsson M., & Bergstrom L. Biogeosciences 19(8), 2022. 

Inter‐laboratory differences in the apparent quantum yield for the photochemical production of dissolved inorganic carbon in inland waters and implications for photochemical rate modeling. Koehler B., Powers L.C., Cory R.M., Einarsdottir K., Gu Y., Tranvik L.J., Vähätalo A., Ward C.P. & Miller W. L. Limnology and Oceanography: Methods, 20(6), 320-337, 2022.

The role of photomineralization for CO2 emissions in boreal lakes along a gradient of dissolved organic matter. L Allesson, B Koehler, JE Thrane, T Andersen, DO Hessen. Limnology and Oceanography 66:1, 158-170, 2020.

Emergence of the Reactivity Continuum of Organic Matter from Kinetics of a Multitude of Individual Molecular ConstituentsA Mostovaya, JA Hawkes, B Koehler, T Dittmar, LJ Tranvik. Environmental Science & Technology 51 (20), 11571-11579 (2017)

Apparent quantum yield of photochemical dissolved organic carbon mineralization in lakes. B Koehler, E Broman, LJ Tranvik. Limnology and Oceanography 61 (6), 2207-2221 (2016)

Photochemical mineralisation in a boreal brown water lake: considerable temporal variability and minor contribution to carbon dioxide production. M Groeneveld, L Tranvik, S Natchimuthu, B Koehler. Biogeosciences 13 (13), 3931-3943 (2016)

Reactivity continuum modeling of leaf, root, and wood decomposition across biomes. B Koehler and LJ Tranvik. Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences 120 (7), 1196-1214 (2015)

Sunlight‐induced carbon dioxide emissions from inland waters. B Koehler, T Landelius, GA Weyhenmeyer, N Machida, LJ Tranvik. Global Biogeochemical Cycles 28 (7), 696-711 (2014)

Reactivity continuum of dissolved organic carbon decomposition in lake water. B Koehler, E von Wachenfeldt, D Kothawala, LJ Tranvik. Journal of Geophysical Research 117 (2012)

An in-depth look into a tropical lowland forest soil: nitrogen-addition effects on the contents of N2O, CO2 and CH4 and N2O isotopic signatures down to 2-m depth. B Koehler, MD Corre, K Steger, R Well, E Zehe, JP Sueta, E Veldkamp. Biogeochemistry, 1-19, 2012.

An inverse analysis reveals limitations of the soil-CO2 profile method to calculate CO2 production and efflux for well-structured soils. B Koehler, E Zehe, MD Corre, E Veldkamp. Biogeosciences 7 (8), 2311, 2010.

Chronic nitrogen addition causes a reduction in soil carbon dioxide efflux during the high stem-growth period in a tropical montane forest but no response from a tropical lowland forest. B Koehler, MD Corre, E Veldkamp, JP Sueta. Biogeosciences 6 (12), 2973-2983, 2009.

Immediate and long‐term nitrogen oxide emissions from tropical forest soils exposed to elevated nitrogen input. B Koehler, MD Corre, E Veldkamp, H Wullaert, SJ Wright. Global Change Biology 15 (8), 2049-2066, 2009.