Curriculum Vitae

1974, BSc Biology/Chemistry/Ecology, Uppsala University
1985, PhD, Ecology and Environmental Research, SLU, Dept. Ecology and Environ. Res.
1988, Associate Professor (Docent), Environmental conservation/Agroecology, SLU, Dept. Soil Sciences.
1994, Professor, Soil biology/agriculture, SLU, Dept. Soil Sciences

I have a B. Sc. from Uppsala University (Chemistry, Biology, Zoology, Toxicology, Ecology, Environmental Conservation). At the same University I then participated in a pre-doctoral course in Ecological Zoology (20 weeks). I also have one year of training in ‘how to aid developing countries’ at the Swedish centre Sandöskolan. My Ph. D. education and thesis work (1976 - 1984) included 57 course weeks (Scientific writing, Tropical ecology, Winter ecology, Theoretical ecology, Ecotoxicology, Computing and programming, Environmental legislation, International environmental conservation, Statistics, Systems analysis and simulation modelling, Planning and management of research etc.). My Ph. D. thesis in Environmental Conservation/Agroecology at SLU (1984) was entitled "Soil mesofauna of arable land and its significance for decomposition of organic matter". I have some education in electronics and have spent considerable time learning computers (PC, VAX, SUN), operating systems and programming (VMS, DOS, UNIX, BASIC, FORTRAN, C, SAS). Admittedly, some knowledge is obsolete…

My international experience is wide, both as participant in conferences and as project participant and project leader (USA, China, Africa, the Nordic Countries, Europe etc.). I was elected as a member of the University Committee for Soil Biology, representing all soil biologists at SLU (about 45 with doctoral level competence). I was also Chairperson for the University program for Ecology/Environment/Natural Resources in Developing Countries.

I was a member of the Department Board of the Dept. of Ecology and Environmental Research more or less continuously since the Department was formed in 1977. The Dept, had about 150 employees, and spanned both the Agricultural and Forestry Faculties, I was Deputy Director of the Dept. during 1994 and also member of the Dept. Committees for Economy, Publication and Computing.

Between 1 July 1991 and 1994 I served as Acting Professor in Environmental Conservation/Agroecology. Together with the Director of Studies, I was responsible for the undergraduate courses in Environmental Conservation/Agroecology. I was Scientific Coordinator in the integrated project 'Ecology of Arable Land' as well as main responsible for the project's Synthesis volume.

I have been considered qualified for three Professor positions; Environmental Conservation (applied 1990, at SLU), Systems Ecology of Arable Land (applied 1993, The Danish Agricultural University) and Soil Biology (SLU/The Swedish Environmental Protection Bureau, applied 1993). I was listed as number one and got very positive statements from all reviewers in the Soil Biology Professorship, and consequently I was offered and accepted the position in 1994. Soil Biology at SLU was evaluated by an international group of experts in 1993, and received very high appreciation. In 1994 I moved to the Department of Soil Science, where I have led the Section of Plant Nutrition and Soil Biology during recent years. In September 2011 I left SLU to become a private consultant.

I have, as Principal Investigator or co-PI received over 20 million SEK in external grants, not counting the grants to the1980s � 25 million-project 'Ecology of Arable Land' where I was scientific coordinator.� 

• I was PI for the project ‘Daily irrigation and fertilization’ where we optimized crop growth and minimized nutrient losses to the environment (see e.g., 1.34 in the publication list).
• I have worked on soil biodiversity and published critical papers in the area, as well as co-chaired an international symposium at the World Congress of Soil Science�  (see e.g., 1.37 in the publication list).
• I led the project ‘Soil organic matter input and decomposition in Inner Mongolia’ and regularly worked in Naiman, Inner Mongoilia, China during a number of years (see e.g., 1.23 in the publication list).
• Together with my former PhD student, now Professor, Thomas Kätterer I devised the ICBM soil carbon model which has resulted in a number of international publications (see ICBM page). The model is used for annual reporting of Swedish soil C balances as well as internationally.
• In the project ‘Black carbon in soil – sequestration, reduction of nutrient losses and increase in soil fertility’ we investigated the effects of adding black carbon (biochar) to soil under controlled conditions. The main question under study was: Can we replace humus by charcoal and thereby improve Swedish CO2 balances as well as reduce nitrate leaching? This project has just under final reporting (see e.g. n.n in the publication list)
• I participate in Dr Kristina Röing de Nowina’s project ‘African small-holder agriculture in the context of soil carbon balances’. She is mostly stationed at TSBF-CIAT in Nairobi (with scientists at TSBF-CIAT), the project investigates how African farmers can increase soil fertility and sequester carbon in the soil. This is a multi-disciplinary project, including socioeconomic aspects. We are currently writing up the results.
• Modelling soil C dynamics under African conditions. Together with Kristina Röing and Professor Bernard Vanlauwe ( at TSBF-CIAT), this project aims at refining the ICBM model concept for use on African climate and soils. This project is in the startup phase, but is based on e.g. (1.65 in the publication list)
• I wrote the chapter on Agricultural ecosystems in Encyclopedia of Ecology (2.29 in the publication list).
• Together with internationally renowned scientists I have written a white paper on the state of soil biology: Visions of a more precise soil biology (1.64 in the publication list).

Doctoral students:

1985-87 Supervisor for the doctoral student A.-C. Hansson. Thesis: Roots of arable Crops: Production, Growth Dynamics and Nitrogen Content.
1985-88 Supervisor for the doctoral student R. Pettersson. Thesis: Primary Production in Arable Crops: Above-Ground Growth Dynamics, Net Production and Nitrogen Uptake
1985-88 Supervisor for the doctoral student U. Boström. Thesis: Ecology of Earthworms in Arable Land: Population Dynamics and Activity in Four Cropping Systems
1990-1995 Main supervisor for doctoral degreee studies for T. Kätterer. Thesis:: Nitrogen Dynamics in Soil and Winter Wheat Subjected to Daily Fertilization and Irrigation – Measurements and Simulations
1990-1991 Main supervisor for doctoral degreee studies for M. Flink (Primary production and nitrogen uptake – had a baby and moved to another city with her husband – no thesis)
1993-1997 Main supervisor for doctoral degree studies for M.L. Sander Thesis:: Biofuel Ash Use in Salix Plantations: Biomass Production, Nutrient Uptake and Heavy Metal Circulation
1991-1996 Main supervisor for doctoral degree studies for Y. Tilander Thesis: Competition for and Conservation of Water and Nutrients in Agroforestry Systems in semi-arid West Africa
1991- 1994 Main supervisor for doctoral degree studies for T. Persson Thesis: Management of Roadside Verges: Vegetation Changes and Species Diversity
1993- 1996 Main supervisor for doctoral degree studies for B. Svensson Thesis: Foraging and Nesting Ecology of Bumblebees (Bombus spp.) in Agricultural Landscapes in Sweden
1996-2002 Supervisor for doctoral degree studies for Mark Marissink. Thesis: Elevated Carbon Dioxide in a Semi-Natural Grassland: Plant Production and Vegetation Composition during six years
1997-2001 Main supervisor for doctoral degree studies for Erik Sindhöj. Thesis: Elevated Atmospheric CO2 in an semi-Natural Grassland: Root Dynamics, Decomposition and soil C balances.
1998- 2002 Supervisor for doctoral degree studies for Anja Lomander. Thesis: Organic matter turnover in forest and arable land
2000-2012 (Main 2000-2002), then assistant, supervisor for doctoral degree studies for Thord Karlsson. Thesis:Carbon and Nitrogen Dynamics in Agricultural Soils
 2001-2005 Main supervisor for doctoral degree studies for Kristina Röing. Thesis: Soil Nitrogen Fluxes in Swedish and Nigerian Agricultural Systems.
2007- Main supervisor for doctoral degree studies for Magnus Gustavsson. Thesis: Black Carbon in Agricultural Soils

Master of Science:

1989-92 Main supervisor for Master of Science for Zhao Aifen. Title: Root dynamics in semi-arid rangeland 1992 - 1995 Main supervisor for M. Sc. studies for Veronica Micas José. Title: Soil macrofauna as related to slash-and-burn agriculture in coastal Mocambique
1989-92 Main supervisor for Master of Science for Zhao Xueyong. Title: Decomposition and its controlling factors in semi-arid rangeland.

Master of Agronomy:

1980 Main supervisor for Master of Agronomy Thesis for Ingela Hallberg. Title: Enchytraeids in arable land - the effects of soil cultivation.
1989-90 Main supervisor for Master of Agronomy Thesis for T. Kätterer. Title: Root dynamics in winter wheat investigated with a mini-rhizotron technique. July 1990.
1999 Main supervisor for Master of Agronomy Thesis for Helena Elmquist Title: Rhizotron studies using image analysis
2004 Main supervisor for Master of Agronomy Thesis for Henrik Gustavsson Title: Black C in soil – laboratory investigations

Examinations etc.

1991 Member of the Ph. D. Examination committee for T. Slapokas, Dept. of Microbiology. Dissertation: Influence of litter quality and fertilization on microbial nitrogen transformations in short-rotation forests.
1993 Chairperson for the Ph.D. dissertation of M. Hansson. Title: Anthriscus sylvestris - an autecological study.
1993 External reviewer of applicants to a position as lecturer in Plant Ecology at the Danish Agricultural University.
1994 Pre-opponent for the Ph. D. Thesis of R. Hyvönen ' Interaction between Nematodes and Other Soil Organisms in Coniferous Forest Soils in Relation to Acid/base and Nutrient Status'.
1994 External opponent to the Ph. D. thesis of L. Stoumann Jensen at the Danish Agricultural University. Title: Temporal dynamics of soil microbial biomass size and activity: An indicator for the turnover of soil carbon and nitrogen after the input of organic matter or under different soil physical conditions.
1994 External reviewer of applicants to the position as lecturer in 'Microbial transformations in soil and groundwater', The Royal College of Technology, Stockholm.
1997 External reviewer of Ph. D. thesis. Michael Crawford, Adelaide University, Australia (Soil carbon in field trials)
1997 External opponent to the Ph. D. thesis. Arild Vold, Norwegian Agricultural University. (Modelling soil nitrogen)
1998 Member of the Ph. D. Examination committee for Karin Blombäck, SLU. (Modelling soil)
1999 Pre- opponent for the Ph. D. Thesis of Stefan Andersson, SLU. (Soil Carbon)
2000 Examiner for Docent level: Eva Bringmark, SLU
2001 External opponent to the Ph. D. thesis. Audun Korseth, Norwegian Agricultural University. (Nitrogen dynamics of agroecosystems: combinations of modelling and experiments at different spatial and temporal scales)
2001 Member of the Ph. D. Examination committee for Lisette Lenoir, SLU. (Wood ants)
2002 External reviewer of Ph. D. thesis. J Nieminen. Modelling the Functioning of Experimental Soil Food Webs. Univ of Jyväskyla, Finland
2003 External opponent to the Ph. D. thesis. Tong, SLU. (Fertilizer use in China)
2003 External opponent to the Ph. D. thesis. Aparna Misra, Lund University. (Plant dynamics and soil)
2008 Member of the Ph. D. Examination committee for PhD thesis. Z. Gnankambary, Faculty of Forestry, SLU. (Compost and fertilizer mineralization effects on soil and harvest in parkland agroforestry systems in the south-Sudanese zone of Burkina Faso)
2010 External opponent to the Ph. D. thesis. Pernille Busk Hansen. KVL, SLU. (Soil C and sewage sludge)