News

12 new PhD projects approved within the WIFORCE research school

Published: 29 October 2024
Watercourse in forest.

To strengthen research on the future of sustainable forestry, the Wallenberg Initiatives in Forest Research (WIFORCE) has been launched. A central part of the program is the research school, where 50 PhD students will be trained. Now, 12 PhD projects within SLU’s Faculty of Forest Sciences have been approved.

The call was aimed at PhD projects in fundamental natural sciences, aiming to investigate how abiotic and biotic factors influence the conditions for, and the consequences of, forest management in Sweden’s forests. A total of 31 applications were submitted by eligible applicants, of which 12 projects have been approved.

“I am impressed by the creativity shown in all the submitted projects. These PhD projects will equip future researchers to advance sustainable forest management. I wish you the best of luck!” says Göran Ericsson, Dean of SLU’s Faculty of Forest Sciences.

The approved projects are:

Anneli Ågren, Department of Forest Ecology and Management for the project Forest management on drained peatlands in Sweden: insights from novel AI-derived maps

Eliza Maher Hasselqvist, Department of Forest Ecology and Management for the project BIOCLIMR – linking BIOdiversity, microCLIMate and habitat
heterogeneity of managed Riparian forests

Erik Öckinger, Department of Ecology for the project Functional forest
landscapes for pollinating insects

Eva Lindberg, Department of Forest Resource Management for the project New
methods for biodiversity assessment and mapping using remote sensing

Henrik Persson, Department of Forest Resource Management for the project
Passive interferometric microwave imaging for forest monitoring

Jörgen Sjögren, Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies for the project New tools for assessing multi-taxon biodiversity in managed forest landscape

Maja K. Sundqvist, Department of Forest Ecology and Management for the project The role of large mammalian herbivores for regeneration and diversity over time in boreal forest landscapes

Matthias Peichl, Department of Forest Ecology and Management for the project Alternative methods for continuous cover forestry in boreal forests: consequences for timber production, carbon sequestration and biodiversity

Michael J. Gundale, Department of Forest Ecology and Management for the project Quantification and characterization of soil carbon dynamics in managed boreal forests

Petra Fransson, Department of Forest Mycology and Plant Pathology for the project Tree genotype and soil mycobiome - importance for soil processes

Rubén Valbuena, Department of Forest Resource Management for the project
Remote sensing assessments of stand structure and biodiversity in even-aged
managed forests for their integration in earth system models

Torgny Näsholm, Department of Forest Ecology and Management for the project Transition from even-aged monoculture to multi-layered mixed species forests: from ecophysiological mechanisms of resource use and acquisition to
implementation in practical forestry

Facts:

  • The research school includes both university-based and industrial/partnership PhD students, as well as opportunities for other PhD students to participate in courses and activities.
  • The first six industrial PhD students were approved on May 13, 2024.
  • In this call, 12 new PhD projects have been approved.
  • An ongoing process to identify 8 industrial/partnership PhD projects is underway. The next step is a meeting on November 25, where researchers will present their research ideas. Read more here.

    If you have any questions about WIFORCE, please contact coordinator Maria Israelsson Nordström.