Final Appraisal for Associate professor Andreas Westergaard-Nielsen

Review and outlook of near-field remote sensing of terrestrial ecosystems

Andreas Westergaard-Nielsen’s research is focused on terrestrial ecosystem processes related to climate feedbacks.

Since being employed as an assistant professor, Andreas Westergaard-Nielsen has studied plant phenology, carbon and nutrient balances, and snow dynamics primarily in Arctic terrestrial ecosystems. He has developed both UAV- and satellite-based techniques and modelling to quantify spatial and temporal patterns in the ecosystems in a pursuit to improve our understanding of the ecosystem’s response to climate change.

Currently he has expanded his research to include gas exchange between terrestrial ecosystems and the atmosphere of CO₂, CH₄, and biogenic volatile organic compounds and develop methods to upscale gas emissions to regional parts of the Arctic.

In his appraisal, Andreas will present his work coming out of his employment as an assistant professor at the University of Copenhagen, Department of Geosciences and Natural Ecosystem Management, and his plans to advance his research and teaching in the coming years.

 Assessment committee 

• Associate Dean for Research, Professor Lise Arleth, Faculty of Science, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
• Head of Department, Vivian Kvist Johannsen, University of Copenhagen, Denmark. 
• Head of Studies/deputy head of department of teaching, Professor Tod Waight, University of Copenhagen, Denmark. 
• Professor Gustaf Hugelius, Stockholm University, Sweden. 
• Professor Zbynek Malenovský, University of Bonn, Germany.