Research interests: Disturbances (fire, wind, reindeer grazing, insects, etc.) and biogeochemistry, carbon dynamics, greenhouse gas emissions, pyrogenic matter formation and post-fire transport (by water), post-disturbance changes in biogeochemical processes, etc.
My research deals with questions how the northern ecosystems respond to climate change, the changes in land-use, and the changes in disturbance dynamics. My current research focusses on how northern ecosystems respond to changes in fire dynamics and other disturbances, and what are the consequences on the formation of greenhouse gas, volatile organic compound, pyrogenic carbon, and soot emissions. The research uses a wide scope of measurements with extensive field-based measurements including experimental and natural fires and detailed process-level studies on the effects of fires on the formation of particles using the existing laboratories in UEF. The work will link disturbance related studies to plant ecology, biogeochemistry and atmospheric sciences, and will improve predictions of ecosystem responses to a changing climate, and helps to understand possible tipping points in the environment (e.g. transitions of ecosystems from carbon sinks to carbon sources).
Research groups
Projects
Publications
17/17 items-
Enhancing boreal forest resilience: A four-year impact of biochar on soil quality and fungal communities
Liao, Yang-chun-zi; Pu, Hong-xiu; Jiao, Zi-wen; Palviainen, Marjo; Zhou, Xuan; Heinonsalo, Jussi; Berninger, Frank; Pumpanen, Jukka; Köster, Kajar; Sun, Hui. 2024. Microbiological research. 283: -
Post-fire soil carbon emission rates along boreal forest fire chronosequences in northwest Canada show significantly higher emission potentials from permafrost soils compared to non-permafrost soils
Köster, Kajar; Aaltonen, Heidi; Köster, Egle; Berninger, Frank; Pumpanen, Jukka. 2024. Frontiers in ecology and evolution. 2023; 11: . 1331018 -
The complex composition of organic aerosols emitted during burning varies between Arctic and boreal peat
Schneider, Eric; Rüger, Christopher P; Chacón-Patiño, Martha L; Somero, Markus; Ruppel, Meri M; Ihalainen, Mika; Köster, Kajar; Sippula, Olli; Czech, Hendryk; Zimmermann, Ralf. 2024. Communications earth & environment. 5: . 137 -
Temporal dynamics of soil dissolved organic carbon in temperate forest managed by prescribed burning in Northeast China
Dou, Xu; Ding, Yiyang; Köster, Kajar; Sun, Aobo; Li, Guangxin; Yue, Yang; Sun, Long; Hu, Tongxin. 2023. Environmental research. 237: -
The Center of Excellence in Atmospheric Science (2002–2019) — from molecular and biological processes to the global climate
Lintunen, Anna; Aalto, Juho; Asmi, Ari; Aurela, Mika; Bäck, Jaana; Ehn, Mikael; Ezhova, Ekaterina; Hakola, Hannele; Hartonen, Kari; Heinonsalo, Jussi; Hellén, Heidi; Hölttä, Teemu; Jokinen, Tuija; Järvi, Leena; Järvinen, Heikki; Kangasluoma, Juha; Kerminen, Veli Matti; Kolari, Pasi; Köster, Kajar; Köster, Egle; Kulmala, Liisa; Kurten, Theo; Laaksonen, Ari; Lappalainen, Hanna K.; Laurila, Tuomas; Lehtipalo, Katrianne; Lihavainen, Heikki; Lohila, Annalea; Losoi, Mari; Mäkelä, Annikki; Makkonen, Ri. 2023. Boreal environment research. 28: 15-80 -
Forest fires have long-term effects on the composition of vascular plants and bryophytes in Scots pine forests of hemiboreal Estonia
Orumaa, Argo; Köster, Kajar; Tullus, Arvo; Tullus, Tea; Metslaid, Marek. 2022. Silva fennica. 56: . 10598 -
Long-term effects of forest fires on fungal community and soil properties along a hemiboreal Scots pine forest fire chronosequence
Orumaa, Argo; Agan, Ahto; Anslan, Sten; Drenkhan, Tiia; Drenkhan, Rein; Kauer, Karin; Köster, Kajar; Tedersoo, Leho; Metslaid, Marek. 2022. Science of the total environment. 851: -
Response of soil bacterial community to biochar application in a boreal pine forest
Ge, Yan; Li, Xiao-li; Palviainen, Marjo; Zhou, Xuan; Heinonsalo, Jussi; Berninger, Frank; Pumpanen, Jukka; Köster, Kajar; Sun, Hui. 2022. Journal of forestry research. [Published online: 08 July 2022]: 1-11 -
Short- to medium-term effects of crown and surface fires on soil respiration in a Canadian boreal forest
Ribeiro-Kumara, Caius; Santín, Cristina; Doerr, Stefan H.; Pumpanen, Jukka; Baxter, Greg; Köster, Kajar. 2022. Canadian journal of forest research-revue canadienne de recherche forestiere. 52: 591-604 -
The effect of natural disturbances on forest biodiversity: an ecological synthesis
Viljur, Mari‐Liis; Abella, Scott R.; Adámek, Martin; Alencar, Janderson Batista Rodrigues; Barber, Nicholas A.; Beudert, Burkhard; Burkle, Laura A.; Cagnolo, Luciano; Campos, Brent R.; Chao, Anne; Chergui, Brahim; Choi, Chang‐Yong; Cleary, Daniel F. R.; Davis, Thomas Seth; Dechnik‐Vázquez, Yanus A.; Downing, William M.; Fuentes‐Ramirez, Andrés; Gandhi, Kamal J. K.; Gehring, Catherine; Georgiev, Kostadin B.; Gimbutas, Mark; Gongalsky, Konstantin B.; Gorbunova, Anastasiya Y.; Greenberg, Cathryn H.. 2022. Biological reviews. 97: 1930-1947