Polar Terrestrial Environmental Systems

Short Profile

The polar regions are among the most sensitive and vulnerable regions on Earth. The long-term interactions between climate, ecosystems, and humans in polar continental regions are still poorly understood. The research section "Polar Terrestrial Environmental Systems" investigates the past climate, the biodiversity, and vegetation of high latitudes, and Polar ecology and health. We undertake expeditions to investigate flora and fauna and snow and ice and establish long-term measurement sites. To detect and analyze long-term changes, we use "proxies" (substitute data) from environmental archives such as lake, marine, and ice deposits. These proxy data – for example, isotopes in ice and snow, genetic data from flora and fauna, pollen, and paleothermometry – provide insights into climate and environmental changes. The working groups "Earth System Diagnostics" and "Earth System Complexity" conduct research at the global level, focusing on analyzing the entire complex Earth system. Understanding climate and environmental indicators, biodiversity, vegetation, ecosystems, and health in the high latitudes, as well as proxy development and proxy data synthesis, along with the analysis of global interactions, are central research interests of the group. The goal is to achieve a better understanding of continental polar regions and their interactions with the global Earth system.                                                                                                                                                                                          

Head
Prof. Dr. Ulrike Herzschuh

Assistant
Kristina Brenner
Email: kristina.brenner@awi.de; 

Phone: +49(331)58174-5600

 

Scientific Management
Dr. Liv Heinecke
Email: liv.heinecke@awi.de; 

Phone: +49(331)58174-5603

Projects