Maria Myrstener

The main focus of my research is about drivers of aquatic primary productivity and biogeochemical interactions between primary producers and their environment in running waters in the Boreal and Arctic.

In my current project I work on wetland restoration effects on downstream water quality, primary production and algal communities (https://www.slu.se/forskning/forskningskatalog/projekt/m/minimera-paverkan-av-atervatning-av-torvmarker-pa-nedstroms-primarproduktion-och-algsammansattning/). 

Previous projects include forestry effects on freshwaters and the downstream propagation of clear-cut effects in particular, but also fundamental aquatic ecological processes such as drivers of productivity and use of resources, in a landscape under rapid change due to climate warming. More specifically, I studied how nutrients and carbon are utilized and cycled within arctic and boreal freshwaters and how it effects productivity over different spatial and temporal scales.

I am also currently working on evaluating the environmental effects of open cage fish farming on lake ecosystem where we study both food-web effects, water quality effects and primary production changes.

Co-Course leader, MSc course Forest Ecosystem Ecology (SLU)

Course leader, Biology 1 and 2 in Preparatory year in natural science (SLU)
Bakgrund

PhD Physical Geography. 2021. EMG, Umeå, Sweden
MSc Geoecology. 2015. EMG, Umeå, Sweden
BSc Biology and Earth Science. 2012. EMG, Umeå, Sweden

      M Myrstener, R Baan Hof, and L Kuglerová. Interactive effects of drought and shading on boreal stream metabolism and algal biomass in experimental mesocosms. Freshwater Biology 2026.

      M Myrstener, C Greiser, and L Kuglerová. Downstream temperature effects of boreal forest clearcutting vary with riparian buffer width. Water Resources Research 2025. 
      M Myrstener, L A. Greenberg, W Lidberg and L Kuglerová. Clear-cut effects on instream metabolic rates propagate downstream. Journal of Environmental management 2025.
      M Myrstener, L A Greenberg, L Kuglerová. Experimental riparian forest gaps and increased sediment loads modify stream metabolic patterns and biofilm composition. Ecosphere 2023. 
      D Hauptmann and M Myrstener. Spatial and temporal patterns of stream nutrient limitation in an Arctic catchment. Hydrobiologia, 2023. 
      I C Puts, J Ask, M Myrstener, A-K Bergström. Contrasting impacts of warming and browning on periphyton. Limnology and Oceanography letters, 2023.
      M Myrstener, M L Fork, R A Sponseller. Resolving the Drivers of Algal Nutrient Limitation from Boreal to Arctic Lakes and Streams Ecosystems, 2022. 
      M Myrstener, S A Thomas, R Giesler, R Sponseller. Nitrogen supply and physical disturbance shapes Arctic stream nitrogen uptake through effects on metabolic activity. Freshwater Biology. 2021
      M Myrstener, L Gomez Gener, G Rocher-Ros, R Giesler, R A Sponseller. Nutrients influence seasonal metabolic patterns and total productivity of Arctic streams. Limnology and Oceanography, 2021.
      G Rocher‐Ros, R A Sponseller, A‐K Bergström, M Myrstener, R Giesler. Stream metabolism controls diel patterns and evasion of CO2 in Arctic streams. Global Change Biology, 2020.
      M Myrstener, G Rocher‐Ros, R M Burrows, A‐K Bergström, R Giesler, R A Sponseller. Persistent nitrogen limitation of stream biofilm communities along climate gradients in the arctic. Global Change Biology, 2018.
      M Myrstener, A Jonsson, A-K Bergström. The effects of temperature and resource availability on denitrification and relative N2O production in boreal lake sediments. Journal of Environmental Sciences, 2016.