Physical Geography

Physical geographers contribute to cutting-edge global change research. We focus on a wide range of complementing study questions related to biotic and abiotic earth surface systems. We are especially devoted to the Arctic and boreal environments.

Research group information

Unit and faculty

Geography
Faculty of Science

Contact information

Research group leader

Professor

Jan Hjort

Researchers

Professors

Postdoctoral researchers

Researchers

Doctoral researchers

Research group description

Physical geographers contribute to cutting-edge global change research. We focus on a wide range of complementing study questions related to biotic and abiotic earth surface systems.

Projects

2020 – 2024

Project

Global taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic diversity of stream macroinvertebrate communities: unravelling spatial trends, ecological determinants and anthropogenic threats

Physical Geography focuses on

Title
Geodiversity–biodiversity relationships in northern environments

A long-term challenge in biodiversity research has been the establishment of robust methods for cost-effective targeting of conservation actions.

The concept of geodiversity has recently been expressed as a novel complementary and potentially useful means to explore biodiversity.

Geodiversity refers to the variability of the Earth’s surface materials, forms, and physical processes at different scales. In general, there is a lack of studies where geodiversity has been systematically inventoried across environments and scales. Importantly, the potential of geodiversity as a surrogate of biodiversity has not been assessed using comprehensive biological and geodiversity data sets.

Thus, our fundamental goal is to promote biodiversity monitoring by examining geodiversity and its relationship to biodiversity in boreal and subarctic landscapes. This research may produce answers to several scientifically important questions in geodiversity mapping and biodiversity assessment by revealing the most suitable measures of geodiversity for biodiversity assessments, and by improving the performance and robustness of biodiversity models.

Main objectives

To develop a methodology to map and measure geodiversity across scales
To explore the potentiality of measures of geodiversity in predicting biodiversity patterns
To scrutinize the relationship between geodiversity and biodiversity

Main collaborators

Professor Miska Luoto, Department of Geosciences and Geography, University of Helsinki, Finland
Professor Risto Kalliola, Department of Geography and Geology, University of Turku, Finland
Associate Professor Richard Field, School of Geography, University of Nottingham, UK
Dr., Honorary Professor John Gordon, School of Geography & Geosciences, University of St Andrews, Scotland
Dr. Risto K. Heikkinen, Finnish Environment Institute, Natural Environment Centre/Ecosystem Change Unit, Finland
Dr. Risto Virtanen, Senior Curator, Department of Biology, Botanical Museum, University of Oulu, Finland
PhD Researcher Katja Kangas, The Finnish Forest Research Insitute
Researcher Dr. Joseph Bailey, York St John University, UK
Dr. Franziska Schrodt, University of Nottingham, UK

Current projects

Geodiversity as a surrogate of lake biodiversity and a measure of conservation value https://www.researchgate.net/project/Geodiversity-as-a-surrogate-of-lake...
Participation in Essential Geodiversity Variables projects https://www.researchgate.net/project/Essential-Geodiversity-Variables
iGEOBIO – Improved geodiversity information in assessing and conserving biodiversity https://www.researchgate.net/project/Improved-geodiversity-information-in-assessing-and-conserving-biodiversity-iGEOBIO

Past Projects

GEOBIO – Potentiality of geodiversity information in biodiversity assessments “Kone Foundation”
LIFEPeatLandUse – Quantification and valuation of ecosystem services to optimize sustainable re-use for low-productive drained peatlands (funding from the European Union)

Title
Global change in high-latitudes: geomorphological and biogeographical perspectives

Human-induced climate change, habitat fragmentation and land use changes are global threats that are changing the atmosphere, climate, hydrology, biodiversity and earth surface processes and ultimately landscapes. High-latitudes are experiencing rapid and significant change associated with climate warming. This places global change research at the centre of the international scientific agenda.

Determination of the environmental factors controlling earth surface processes and landform patterns in cold regions is one of the central themes in periglacial geomorphology. Recently, novel statistical techniques and modelling methods have gained more attention in the field of periglacial geomorphology. Especially in the context of global change, spatial models are essential tools for assessing the impacts of changing environmental conditions on geodiversity and geomorphological processes.

Main objectives

To investigate the impacts of climate change on the high-latitude periglacial processes (e.g. permafrost)
To explore the spatial and temporal changes in high-latitude biodiversity patterns
To evaluate the accuracy, utility and feasibility of statistically-based spatial models in examining treeline ecotone and periglacial processes
To produce geographic information system (GIS) -based infrastructure hazard assessment across the Arctic

Main collaborators

Professor Miska Luoto, Department of Geosciences and Geography, University of Helsinki, Finland
Professor Bernd Etzelmüller, Department of Geosciences, University of Oslo, Norway
Dr. Risto Virtanen, Senior Curator, Department of Biology, Botanical Museum, University of Oulu, Finland
Dr. Jani Heinon affiliaatio: Finnish Environment Institute, Oulu, Finland
Dr. Juha Aalto, Associate Professor Sebastian Westermann, Professor Vladimir E. Romanovsky, Professor (emeritus) Frederick E. Nelson

Current Projects

Spatial ensemble prediction of permafrost thaw, soil carbon and ground-ice in the Arctic (ArcticSHOC)
Partner in FrostInSAR: Upscaling the investigation of periglacial landforms in the Norwegian Arctic using Synthetic Aperture Radar Interferometry http://norut.no/en/prosjekter/upscaling-investigation-periglacial-landfo...

Past Projects

Geomorphic sensitivity of the Arctic region: geohazards and infrastructure (INFRAHAZARD) https://www.researchgate.net/project/Geomorphic-sensitivity-of-the-Arcti...
Perma-Nordnet Read more
Macroecological approaches to understanding macrophyte diversity Read more

Title
Large-scale patterns of northern freshwater biota

The number of biogeographical studies on freshwater ecosystems has increased rapidly since the early 2000s. Understanding large-scale gradients and underlying factors is highly important in the context of northern freshwater systems because they are especially vulnerable to global change and other anthropogenic alterations of landscapes and ecosystems. However, there are still biases in the freshwater taxa used in large-scale studies, as most studies have traditionally focused on well-known groups, such as fish and crayfish as well as some other groups of large invertebrates.

Our group focuses on various research themes, with particular emphasis on projects related to the pressing question of how environmental change affects freshwater biotas. We combine analyses of empirical surveys and atlas data with environmental, historical and biogeographical variables in explaining spatial and temporal distributions of biotas using modern statistical methods. In this topic field, we collaborate with numerous national and international researchers interested in macrophytes, macroinvertebrates and other aquatic organisms occurring in freshwater environments.

Main objectives

To analyze large-scale patterns of freshwater biota and their relationships with environmental variables at different spatial and temporal scales
To test biogeographical and macroecological theories using freshwater organisms as model groups
To explore the importance of spatial patterns in freshwater bioassessment
To contribute to conservation and restoration of freshwaters via our research findings

Main collaborators

Prof. Luis Mauricio Bini (Universidade Federal de Goiás, Brazil)
Prof. Janne Soininen, University of Helsinki, Finland.
Dr. Jorge Garcia-Giron (University of Leon, Spain)
Dr. Jukka Aroviita, Freshwater Centre, Finnish Environment Institute, Finland
Dr. Seppo Hellsten, Freshwater Centre, Finnish Environment Institute, Finland
Dr. Lars Båstrup-Spohr, University of Copenhagen, Denmark

Current Projects

Global taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic diversity of stream macroinvertebrate communities: unravelling spatial trends, ecological determinants and anthropogenic threats (GloBioTrends) (funding from the Academy of Finland) https://www.biodivtrends.com/about
Geodiversity as a surrogate of lake biodiversity and a measure of conservation value (funding from Maj and Tor Nessling Foundation) https://www.researchgate.net/project/Geodiversity-as-a-surrogate-of-lake...
Changes in aquatic macrophyte communities in the last hundred years and the underlying environmental factors across region (funding from University of Oulu https://www.researchgate.net/project/Changes-in-aquatic-macrophyte-commu...
Global distributions of freshwater macrophytes in relation to ecological gradients (funding from the University of Oulu)

Title
Spatial variation of ecosystem services, biodiversity and human health

The interest of the ecosystem service concept - benefits that human derives from ecosystems - has increased recently, especially since the release of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA). After the MA and The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity study (TEEB), the awareness of the negative impacts of the biodiversity loss have on human well-being have increased. In addition, many studies have shown that biodiversity and ecosystem services have intrinsic link to each other, with biodiversity playing a key role at all the levels of ecosystem services.

Despite recent findings, there is still a need to estimate the spatial connection between the areas which produce ecosystem services and supports physical structure that makes up biodiversity. To date few studies have evaluated the spatial concordance among biodiversity, geodiversity and ecosystem (dis-) services, especially in the northern environments.

Climate change and the degradation of ecosystems are among the biggest global health threat of the 21st century. Global climate change and the associated changes in emissions of air pollution, concentrations of allergenic pollen, ecosystems and land use impact both outdoor and indoor exposures which have adverse effects on human health. Physical geography research group is contributing to a research program that applies multidisciplinary research methodologies to respond to health impacts related to global climate change. In addition to addressing adverse health effects, our research program focuses on ecosystem services and functions that promote public health and human well-being.

Main objectives

To study how biodiversity, geodiversity and ecosystem services co-vary geographically in Finland across spatial scales
To explore the geographical relationships between human settlements and ecosystem services
To develop methodologies to map health-related ecosystem services and predict the distribution of allergenic pollen and concentrations of air pollutants in urbanized areas across scales

Main collaborators

Professor Jouni Jaakkola (Center for Environmental and Respiratory Research, CERH, University of Oulu)
Professor Jaakko Kukkonen (Finnish Meteorological Institute, FMI, Helsinki)
Associate Professor Richard Field, School of Geography, University of Nottingham, UK
Dr. Joseph Bailey

Current Projects

Global geographic accessibility to food resources: Exploring spatial mismatch between food production, consumption and transport system by using big and open source data (funding from Kone Foundation).
Introducing accessibility analysis in mapping ecosystem services (funding from Alfred Kordelin Foundation)

Past projects

GEOBIO – Potentiality of geodiversity information in biodiversity assessments
APTA – The Influence of Air Pollution, Pollen, and Ambient Temperature on Asthma and Allergies in Changing Climate (funding from the Academy of Finland)
LIFEPeatLandUse – Quantification and valuation of ecosystem services to optimize sustainable re-use for low-productive drained peatlands (funding from the European Union)

Researchers

Title
Profiles

Publications by research topic

Title
Publications

Geodiversity–biodiversity relationships in northern environments

Tukiainen, H. & Hjort, J. (2021). Landscape-scale geodiversity in Finland (in Finnish with English abstract). Terra 133, 55–76.
Alahuhta, J., Toivanen, M. & Hjort, J. (2020). Geodiversity–biodiversity relationship needs more empirical evidence. Nature Ecology & Evolution 4, 2-3.
Benito, X., Vilmi, A., Luethje, M., Carrevedo, M.-L., Lindholm, M. & Fritz, S.C. (2020). Spatial and temporal ecological uniqueness of Andean diatom communities are correlated with climate, geodiversity and long-term limnological change. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution 8, 260.
Kärnä, O.-M., Heino, J., Laamanen, T., Jyrkänkallio-Mikkola, J., Pajunen, V., Soininen, J., Tolonen, K.T., Tukiainen, H. & Hjort, J. (2019). Does catchment geodiversity foster stream biodiversity? Landscape Ecology 34, 2469–2485.
Schrodt, F., Bailey, J.J., Kissling, W.D., Rijsdijk, K.F., Seijmonsbergen, A.C., van Ree, D., Hjort, J., Lawley, R.S., Williams, C.R.N., Anderson, M., Beier, P., van Beukering, P., Boyd, D.S., Brilha, J., Carcavilla, L., Dahlin, K.M., Gill, J.C., Gordon, J.E., Gray, M., Grundy, M., Hunter, M.L., Lawler, J.J., Monge-Ganuzas, M., Royse, K.R., Stewart, I., Record, S., Turner, W., Zarnetske, P.L. & R. Field (2019). To advance sustainable stewardship, we must document not only biodiversity but geodiversity. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 116, 16155-16158.
Toivanen, M., Hjort, J., Heino, J., Tukiainen, H., Aroviita, J. & Alahuhta, J. 2019. Is catchment geodiversity a useful surrogate of aquatic plant species richness? Journal of Biogeography 46, 1711-1722.
Tukiainen, H., Kiuttu, M., Kalliola, R., Alahuhta, J. & Hjort, J. 2019. Landforms contribute to plant biodiversity at alpha, beta and gamma levels. Journal of Biogeography 46, 1699-1710.
Kärnä, O.-M., Heino, J., Grönroos, M. & J. Hjort, J. (2018). The added value of geodiversity indices in explaining variation of stream macroinvertebrate diversity. Ecological Indicators 94, 420–429.
Alahuhta, J., Ala-Hulkko, T., Tukiainen, H., Purola, L., Akujärvi, A., Lampinen, R. & J. Hjort (2018). The role of geodiversity in providing ecosystem services at broad scales. Ecological Indicators 91, 47–56.
Bailey, J.J, Boyd, D.S., Hjort, J., Lavers, C.P. & R. Field (2017). Modelling native and alien vascular plant species richness: at which scales is geodiversity most relevant? Global Ecology and Biogeography 26, 763–776.
Tukiainen, H., Alahuhta, J., Ala-Hulkko, T., Field, R., Lampinen, R. & J. Hjort (2017). Spatial relationship between biodiversity and geodiversity across a gradient of land use intensity in high-latitude landscapes. Landscape Ecology 32, 1049–1063.
Alahuhta, J., Kosten, S., Akasaka, M., Auderset, D., Azzella, M., Bolpagni, R., Bove, C., Chambers, P., Chappuis, E., Ilg, C., Clayton, J., De Winton, M., Ecke, F., Gacia, E., Gecheva, G., Grillas, P., Hauxwell, J., Hellsten, S., Hjort, J., Hoyer, M., Kolada, A., Kuoppala, M., Lauridsen, T., Li, E.-H., Lukács, B., Mjelde, M., Mikulyuk, A., Mormul, R., Nishihoro, J., Oertli, B., Rhazi, L., Rhazi, M., Sass, L., Schranz, C., Søndergaard, M., Yamanouchi, T., Yu, Q., Wang, H., Willby, N., Zhang, X.-K. & J. Heino (2017). Global variation in the beta diversity of lake macrophytes is driven by environmental heterogeneity rather than latitude. Journal of Biogeography 44, 1758–1769.
Tukiainen, H., Bailey, J.J., Kangas, K., Field, R. & J. Hjort (2017). Combining geodiversity with climate and topography to account for threatened species richness. Conservation Biology 31, 364–375.
Räsänen, A., Kuitunen, M., Hjort, J., Vaso, A., Kuitunen, T. & A. Lensu (2016). The role of landscape, topography, and geodiversity in explaining vascular plant species richness in a fragmented landscape. Boreal Environment Research 21, 53–70.
Hjort, J., Gordon, J.E., Gray, M. & M.L. Hunter Jr. (2015). Why geodiversity matters in valuing nature’s stage. Conservation Biology 29, 630–639.
Beier, P., Sutcliffe, T., Hjort, J., Faith, D., Pressey, R.L. & F. Albuquerque (2015). A review of selection-based tests of abiotic surrogates for species representation. Conservation Biology 29, 668–679.
Hjort, J., Heikkinen, R.K. & M. Luoto (2012). Inclusion of explicit measures of geodiversity improve biodiversity models in a boreal landscape. Biodiversity and Conservation 21, 3487–3506.
Hjort, J. & M. Luoto (2012). Can geodiversity be predicted from space? Geomorphology 153–154, 74–80.
Hjort, J. & M. Luoto (2010). Geodiversity of high-latitude landscapes in northern Finland. Geomorphology 115, 109–116.
Virtanen, R., Luoto, M., Rämä, T., Mikkola, K., Hjort, J., Grytnes, J.-A. & J. Birks (2010). Recent vegetation changes in the high latitude tree line ecotone are controlled by geomorphologic disturbance, productivity and diversity. Global Ecology and Biogeography 19, 810–821.

Global change in high-latitudes: geomorphological and biogeographical perspectives

Lembrechts, J.J., van den Hoogen, J., Aalto, J., Aschroft, M.B., De Fenne, P., Kemppinen, J., et al. Global maps of soil temperature. Global Change Biology, early view.
Hjort, J., Streletkiy, D., Dore, G., Wu, Q., Bjella, K. & Luoto, M. (2022). Impacts of permafrost degradation on infrastructure. Nature Reviews Earth & Environment 3, 24-38.
Irvine-Fynn, T.D.L., Bunting, P., Cook, J.M., Hubbard, A., et al. (2022). Temporal Variability of Surface Reflectance Supersedes Spatial Resolution in Defining Greenland’s Bare-Ice Albedo. Remote Sensing 14, 62.
Kishankov, A., Serov, p., Bünz, S., Patton, H., Hubbard, A., Mattingsdal, R., Vadakkepuliyambatta, S. & Andreassen, K. (2022). Hydrocarbon leakage driven by Quaternary glaciations in the Barents Sea based on 2D basin and petroleum system modeling. Marine and Petroleum Geology 138, 105557.
Ran, Y., Li, X., Cheng, G., Che, J., Aalto, J., Karjalainen, O., Hjort, J., Luoto, M., Jin, H., Obu, J., Hori, M., Yu, Q. & X. Chang. (2022). New high-resolution estimates of the permafrost thermal state and hydrothermal conditions over the Northern Hemisphere. Earth System Science Data 14, 865-884.
Tyystjärvi, V., Kemppinen, J., Luoto, M., Aalto, T., Markkanen, T., Launiainen, S., Kieloaho, A.-J. & Aalto, J. 2022. Modelling spatio‐temporal soil moisture dynamics in mountain tundra. Hydrological Processes 36, e14450.
García–Girón, J., Heino, J., Iversen, L.L., Helm, A. & Alahuhta, J. Rarity in freshwater plants across Europe and North America: Patterns, causes and future scenarios. Science of the Total Environment 786, 147491.
Happonen, K., Muurinen, L., Virtanen, R., Kaakinen, E., Grytnes, J. A., Kaarlejärvi, E., Parisot, P., Wolff, M. & Maliniemi, T. (2021). Trait-based responses to land use and canopy dynamics modify long-term diversity changes in forest understories. Global Ecology and Biogeography 30, 1863-1875.
Heino, J., Alahuhta, J., Bini, L.M., Cai, Y., Heiskanen, A.-S., Hellsten, S., Kortelainen, P., Kotamäki, N., Tolonen, K.T., Vihervaara, P., Vilmi. A. & Angeler, D.G. (2021). Lakes in the era of global change: moving beyond single-lake thinking in maintaining biodiversity and ecosystem services. Biological Reviews 96, 89-106.
Irvine-Fynn, T. D., Edwards, A., Stevens, I. T., Mitchell, A. C., Bunting, P., Box, J. E., Cameron, K. A., Cook, J. M., Naegeli, K., Rassner, S. M. E., Ryan, J. C., Stibal, M., Williamson, C. J. & Hubbard, A. (2021). Storage and export of microbial biomass across the western Greenland Ice Sheet. Nature Communications 12, 3960.
Kropp, H., ...Hjort, J. et al. (2021). Shallow soils are warmer under trees and tall shrubs across Arctic and Boreal ecosystems. Environmental Research Letters 16, 015001.
Maliniemi, T. & Virtanen, R. (2021). Anthropogenic disturbance modifies long-term changes of boreal mountain vegetation under contemporary climate warming. Applied Vegetation Science 24, e12587.
Rouyet, L., Karjalainen, O., Niittynen, P., Aalto, J., Luoto, M., Lauknes, T.R., Larsen, Y. & Hjort, J. (2021). Environmental controls of InSAR-based periglacial ground dynamics in a Sub-Arctic landscape. JGR Earth Surface 126, e2021JF006175
Rouyet, L., Karjalainen, O., Niittynen, P., Aalto, J., Luoto, M., Lauknes, T.R., Larsen, Y. & Hjort, J. (2021). Environmental controls of InSAR-based periglacial ground dynamics in a Sub-Arctic landscape. JGR Earth Surface 126, e2021JF006175
Alahuhta, J., Antikainen, H., Hjort, J., Helm, A. & Heino, J. (2020). Current climate overrides historical effects on species richness and range size patterns of freshwater plants in Europe and North America. Journal of Ecology 108, 1262-1275.
Bergstedt, H., Bartsch, A., Neureiter, A., Höfler, A., Widhalm, B., Pepin, N. & Hjort, J. (2020). Deriving a Frozen Area Fraction From Metop ASCAT Backscatter Based on Sentinel-1. IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing 58, 6008 - 6019.
Karjalainen, O., Luoto, M., Aalto, J., Etzelmuller, B., Grosse, G., Jones, B.M., Lilleøren, K.S. & Hjort, J. (2020). High potential for loss of permafrost landforms in a changing climate. Environmental Research Letters 15, 104065.
Karjalainen, O., Aalto, J., Luoto, M., Westermann, S., Romanovsky, V.E., Nelson, F.E., Etzelmüller, B. & J. Hjort (2019). Circumpolar permafrost maps and geohazard indices for near-future infrastructure risk assessments. Scientific Data 6: 190037.
Karjalainen, O., Luoto, M., Aalto, J. & J. Hjort (2019). New insights into the environmental factors controlling the ground thermal regime across the Northern Hemisphere: a comparison between permafrost and non-permafrost areas. The Cryosphere 13, 693–707.
Hjort, J., Karjalainen, O., Aalto, J., Westermann, S., Romanovsky, V.E., Nelson, F.E., Etzelmüller, B. & M. Luoto (2018). Degrading permafrost puts Arctic infrastructure at risk by mid-century. Nature Communications, 9: 5147.
Anderson, T. R., Fletcher, C. H., Barbee, M. M., Romine, B. M., Lemmo, S., & Delevaux, J. M. 2018. Modeling multiple sea level rise stresses reveals up to twice the land at risk compared to strictly passive flooding methods. Scientific Reports 8: 14484.
Aalto, J., Karjalainen, O., Hjort, J. & M. Luoto (2018). Statistical forecasting of current and future circum-Arctic ground temperatures and active layer thickness. Geophysical Research Letters 45, 4889–4898.
Bailey, J.J, Boyd, D.S., Hjort, J., Lavers, C.P. & R. Field (2017). Modelling native and alien vascular plant species richness: at which scales is geodiversity most relevant? Global Ecology and Biogeography 26, 763–776.
Vilmi, A., Alahuhta, J., Hjort, J., Kärnä, O.-M., Leinonen, K., Perez Rocha, M., Tolonen, K.E., Tolonen, K.T. & J. Heino (2017). Geography of global change and species richness in the North. Environmental Reviews 25, 184–192.
Gisnås, K., Etzelmüller, B., Lussana, C., Hjort, J., Sannel, A.B.K., Isaksen, K., Westermann, S., Kuhry, P., Christiansen, H.H., Frampton, A. & J. Åkerman (2017). Permafrost map for Norway, Sweden and Finland. Permafrost and Periglacial Processes 28, 359–378.
Hjort, J., Gordon, J.E., Gray, M. & M.L. Hunter Jr. (2015). Why geodiversity matters in valuing nature’s stage. Conservation Biology 29, 630–639.
Hjort, J., Ujanen, J., Parviainen, M., Tolgensbakk, J. & B. Etzelmüller (2014). Transferability of geomorphological distribution models: evaluation using solifluction features in subarctic and Arctic regions. Geomorphology 204, 165-176.
Hjort, J. (2014). Which environmental factors determine recent cryoturbation and solifluction activity in a subarctic landscape? A comparison between active and inactive features. Permafrost and Periglacial Processes 25, 136–143.
Hjort, J. & M. Luoto. (2013). Statistical methods for geomorphic distribution modeling. In: Shroder, J., Jr., Baas, A.C.W. (Eds.). Treatise on Geomorphology. Academic Press, San Diego, 59–73.
Alahuhta, J., Heino, J. & M. Luoto (2011). Climate change and the future distributions of aquatic macrophytes across boreal catchments. Journal of Biogeography 38: 383-393.
Alahuhta, J., Vuori, K.-M. & M. Luoto (2011). Land use, geomorphology and climate as environmental determinants of emergent aquatic macrophytes in boreal catchments. Boreal Environment Research 16, 185–202.
Hjort, J. & M. Luoto (2011). Novel theoretical insights into geomorphic process-environment relationships using simulated response curves. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms 36, 363–371.
Hjort, J., Etzelmüller, B. & J. Tolgensbakk (2010). Effects of scale and data source in periglacial distribution modelling in a High Arctic environment, western Svalbard. Permafrost and Periglacial Processes 21, 345–354.
Christiansen, H.H., Etzelmüller, B., Isaksen, K., Juliussen, H., Farbrot, H., Humlum, O., Johansson, M., Ingeman-Nielsen, T., Kristensen, L., Hjort, J., Holmlund, P., Sannel, A.B.K., Sigsgaard, C., Åkerman, H.J., Foged, N., Blirka, L.H., Pernosky, M.A. & R. Ødegård (2010). The Thermal State of Permafrost in the Nordic area during IPY 2007-2009. Permafrost and Periglacial Processes 21, 156–181.
Luoto, M., Marmion, M. & J. Hjort (2010). Assessing the spatial uncertainty in predictive geomorphological mapping: a multi-modelling approach. Computers and Geosciences 36, 355–361.
Virtanen, R., Luoto, M., Rämä, T., Mikkola, K., Hjort, J., Grytnes, J.-A. & J. Birks (2010). Recent vegetation changes in the high latitude tree line ecotone are controlled by geomorphologic disturbance, productivity and diversity. Global Ecology and Biogeography 19, 810–821.

Large-scale patterns of northern freshwater biota

Alahuhta, J. & Garcia-Giron, J. (2022). Patterns and mechanisms underlying ecoregion delineation in North American freshwater plants. Journal of Biogeography 49, 142-155.
García–Girón, J., Lindholm, M., Heino, J., Toivonen, H. & Alahuhta, J. (2022). Historical contingency via priority effects counteracts environmental change on metacommunity dynamics across decades. Limnology & Oceanography 67, S38-S53.
Alahuhta, J., Lindholm, M., Baastrup-Spohr, L., García-Girón, J., Toivanen, M., Heino, J. & Murphy, K. (2021). Macroecology of plants in the freshwater realm: patterns, mechanisms and implications. Aquatic Botany 168, 103325.
Bolpagni, R., Magrini, S., Coppi, A., Troìa, A., Alahuhta, J., Marit Mjelde, M. & Azzella, M.M. (2021). Isoëtes sabatina (Isoëtaceae, Lycopodiopsida): taxonomic distinctness and preliminary ecological insights. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems 31, 2690-2696.
García-Girón, J., Heino, J., Alahuhta, J., Chiarenza, A.A. & Brusatte, S.L. (2021). Palaeontology meets metacommunity ecology: The Maastrichtian dinosaur fossil record of North America as a case study. Palaeontology 64, 335-357.
García–Girón, J., Heino, J., Iversen, L.L., Helm, A. & Alahuhta, J. Rarity in freshwater plants across Europe and North America: Patterns, causes and future scenarios. Science of the Total Environment 786, 147491.
Heino, J., Alahuhta, J., Bini, L.M., Cai, Y., Heiskanen, A.-S., Hellsten, S., Kortelainen, P., Kotamäki, N., Tolonen, K.T., Vihervaara, P., Vilmi. A. & Angeler, D.G. (2021). Lakes in the era of global change: moving beyond single-lake thinking in maintaining biodiversity and ecosystem services. Biological Reviews 96, 89-106.
Lindholm, M., Alahuhta, J., Heino, J. & Toivonen, H. (2021). Temporal beta diversity of lake plants is determined by concomitant changes in environmental actors across decades. Journal of Ecology 109, 819-832.
Mattilde Pozzobom, U., Lemes Landeiro, V., Tábatha da Silva Brito, M., Alahuhta, J. & Heino, J. Multiple facets of macrophyte beta diversity are shaped by environmental factors, directional spatial processes, and connectivity across tropical floodplain lakes in the dry season. Hydrobiologia 848, 3587-3602.
Vieira, D.S., García-Girón, J., Heino, J., Toivanen, M., Helm, A. & Alahuhta, J. (2021). Little evidence of range size conservatism in freshwater plants. Journal of Biogeography 48, 1200-1212.
Alahuhta, J., Antikainen, H., Hjort, J., Helm, A. & Heino, J. (2020). Current climate overrides historical effects on species richness and range size patterns of freshwater plants in Europe and North America. Journal of Ecology 108, 1262-1275.
Alahuhta, J., Rosbakh, S., Chepinoga, V. & Heino, J. (2020). Environmental determinants of lake macrophyte communities in Baikal Siberia. Aquatic Sciences 83, 39.
García-Girón, J., Heino, J., García-Criado, F., Fernández-Aláez, C. & Alahuhta, J. (2020). Biotic interactions hold the key to understanding metacommunity organisation. Ecography 43, 1180-1190.
García-Girón, J., Heino, J., Baastrup-Spohr, L., Bove, C.P., Clayton, J., de Winton, M., Feldmann, T., Fernández-Aláez, M., Ecke, F., Grillas, P., Hoyer, M.V., Kolada, A., Kosten S., Lukács, B.A., Mjelde, M., Mormul, R.P., Rhazi, L., Rhazi, M., Sass, L., Xu, J. & Alahuhta, J. (2020). Global patterns and determinants of lake macrophyte taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic beta diversity. Science of the Total Environment 723, 138021.
García-Girón, J., Heino, J., Baastrup-Spohr, L., Clayton, J., de Winton, M., Feldmann, T., Fernández-Aláez, C., Ecke, F., Hoyer, M.V., Kolada, A., Kosten, A., Lukács, B.A., Mormul, R.P., Rhazi, L., Rhazi, M., Sass, L., Xu, J. & Alahuhta, J. (2020). Elements of lake macrophyte metacommunity structure: global variation and community-environment relationships. Limnology & Oceanography 65, 2883-2895.
Gillard, M.B., Aroviita, J. & Alahuhta, J. (2020). Same species, same habitat preferences? The distribution of aquatic plants is not explained by the same predictors in lakes and streams. Freshwater Biology 65, 878-892.
Lindholm, M., Alahuhta, J., Heino, J. & Toivonen, H. (2020). No biotic homogenisation across decades but consistent effects of landscape position and pH on macrophyte communities in boreal lakes. Ecography 43, 294-305.
Lindholm, M., Alahuhta, J., Heino, J., Hjort, J. & Toivonen, H. (2020). Changes in the functional features of macrophyte communities and driving factors across a 70-year period. Hydrobiologia 847, 3811–3827.
Alahuhta, J., Erős, T., Kärnä, O.-M., Soininen, J., Wang, J. & Heino, J. (2019). Understanding environmental change through the lens of trait-based, functional and phylogenetic biodiversity in freshwater ecosystems. Environmental Reviews 27, 263-273.
García-Girón, J., Fernández-Aláez, C., Fernández-Aláez, M. & Alahuhta, J. (2019). Untangling the assembly of macrophyte metacommunities by means of taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic beta diversity patterns. Science of the Total Environment, 693, 133616.
Heino, J., Alahuhta, J. & Fattorini, S. (2019). Macroecology of ground beetles: species richness, range size and body size show different geographical patterns across a climatically heterogeneous area. Journal of Biogeography 46, 2548-2557.
Heino, J., Alahuhta, J., Fattorini, S. & Schmera, D. (2019). Predicting beta diversity of terrestrial and aquatic beetles using ecogeographical variables: insights from the replacement and richness difference components. Journal of Biogeography 46, 304-315.
Heino, J. & Alahuhta, J. (2019). Knitting patterns of biodiversity, range size and body size in aquatic beetle faunas: significant relationships but slightly divergent drivers. Ecological Entomology 44, 413-424.
Iversen, L. L., Winkel, A., Baastrup-Spohr, L., Hinke, A. B., Alahuhta, J., Baattrup-Pedersen, A., Birk, S., Brodersen, P., Chambers, P A., Ecke, F., Feldmann, T., Gebler, D., Heino, J., Jespersen, T S., Moe, S J., Riis, T., Sass, L., Vestergaard, O., Maberly, S C., Sand-Jensen, K., Pedersen, O. (2019). Catchment processes control the global species composition of freshwater plants. Science 366, 878-881.
Rocha, M.P., Bini, L.M., Grönroos, M., Hjort, J., Lindholm, M., Karjalainen, S.-M., Tolonen, K.E. & Heino, J. (2019). Correlates of different facets and components of beta diversity in stream organisms. Oecologia 191, 919-929.
Toivanen, M., Hjort, J., Heino, J., Tukiainen, H., Aroviita, J. & Alahuhta, J. (2019). Is catchment geodiversity a useful surrogate of aquatic plant species richness? Journal of Biogeography 46, 1711-1722.
Alahuhta, J., Erős, T., Kärnä, O.-M., Soininen, J., Wang, J. & Heino, J. (2019). Understanding environmental change through the lens of trait-based, functional and phylogenetic biodiversity in freshwater ecosystems. Environmental Reviews 27, 263-273.
Perez Rocha, M.P., Bini, L.M., Domisch, S., Tolonen, K.E., Jyrkankallio-Mikkola, J., Soininen, J., Hjort, J. & J. Heino (2018). Local environment and space drive multiple facets of stream macroinvertebrate beta diversity, while climate and catchment features are less important. Journal of Biogeography 45, 2744–2754.
Alahuhta, J., Lindholm, M., Bove, C.P., Chappuis, E., Clayton, J., de Winton, M., Feldmann, T., Ecke, F., Gacia, E., Grillas, P., Hoyer, M.V., Johnson, L.B., Kolada, K., Kosten, S., Lauridsen, T., Lukács, B.A., Mjelde, M., Mormul, R.P., Rhazi, L., Rhazi, M., Sass, L., Søndergaard, M., Xu, J. & Heino, J. 2018. Global patterns in the metacommunity structuring of lake macrophytes: regional variations and driving factors. Oecologia 188: 1167-1182.
Lindholm, M., Grönroos, M., Hjort, J., M., Karjalainen, S.M., Tokola, L. and J. Heino (2018). Different species trait groups of stream diatoms show divergent responses to spatial and environmental factors in a subarctic drainage basin. Hydrobiologia 816, 213-230.
Rocha, M. P., Heino, J., Machado-Velho, L. F., Lansac-Tôha, F. M., & Lansac-Tôha, F. A. (2017). Fine spatial grain, large spatial extent and biogeography of macrophyte-associated cladoceran communities across Neotropical floodplains. Freshwater Biology, 62(3), 559-569.
Heino, J., Alahuhta, J., Ala-Hulkko, T., Antikainen, H., Bini, L.M., Bonada, N., Datry, T., Erős, T., Hjort, J., Kotavaara, O., Melo, A.S. & Soininen, J. 2017. Integrating dispersal proxies in ecological and environmental research in the freshwater realm. Environmental Reviews 25: 334-349.
Alahuhta, J., Kosten, S., Akasaka, M., Auderset, D., Azzella, M., Bolpagni, R., Bove, C.P., Chambers, P.A., Chappuis, E., Ilg, C., Clayton, J., de Winston, M., Ecke, F., Gacia, E., Gecheva, G., Grillas, P., Hauxwell, J., Hellsten, H., Hjort, J., Hoyer, M.V., Kolada, K., Kuoppala, M., Lauridsen, T., Li, E.-H., Lukács, B.A., Mjelde, M., Mikulyuk, A., Mormul, R.P., Nishihiro, J., Oertli, B., Rhazi, L., Rhazi, M., Sass, L., Schranz, C., Søndergaard, M., Yamanouchi, T., Yu, Q., Wang, H., Willby, N., Zhang, X.-K., & Heino, J. 2017. Global variation in the beta diversity of lake macrophytes is driven by environmental heterogeneity rather than latitude. Journal of Biogeography 44: 1758-1769.
Vilmi, A., Alahuhta, J., Hjort, J., Kärnä, O.-M., Leinonen, K., Rocha, M.P., Tolonen, K.E., Tolonen, K.T. & Heino, J. 2017. Geography of global change and species richness in the North. Environmental Reviews 25: 184-192.
Heino, J., Soininen, J., Alahuhta, J., Lappalainen, J. & Virtanen, R. Metacommunity ecology meets biogeography: Effects of geographical region, spatial dynamics and environmental filtering on community structure in aquatic organisms. Oecologia 183: 121-137.
Alahuhta, J., Ecke, F., Johnson, L.B., Sass, L. & Heino, J. 2017. A comparative analysis reveals little evidence for niche conservatism in aquatic macrophytes among four areas on two continents. Oikos 126: 136-148.
Rocha, M.P., Bini, L.M., Siqueira, T., Hjort, J., Grönroos, M., Lindholm, M., Karjalainen, S.-M. & J. Heino (2018). Predicting occupancy and abundance by niche position, niche breadth and body size in stream organisms. Oecologia 186, 205-216.
de Mendoza, G., Kaivosoja, R., Grönroos, M., Hjort, J., Ilmonen, J., Kärnä, O.M., Paasivirta, L., Tokola, L. & J. Heino (2018). Highly variable species distribution models in a subarctic stream metacommunity: patterns, mechanisms and implications. Freshwater Biology 63, 33-47.
Varanka, S. & J. Hjort (2017). Spatio-temporal aspects of the environmental factors affecting water quality in boreal rivers. Environmental Earth Sciences 76, 21.
Kärnä, O.-M., Grönroos, M., Antikainen, H., Hjort, J. Ilmonen, J., Paasivirta, L. & J. Heino (2015). Inferring the effects of potential dispersal routes on the metacommunity structure of stream insects: as the crow flies, as the fish swims or as the fox runs? Journal of Animal Ecology 84, 1342-1353.
Varanka, S., Hjort, J. & M. Luoto (2015). Geomorphological factors predict water quality in boreal rivers. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms 40, 1989-1999.
Heino, J., Soininen, J., Alahuhta, J., Lappalainen, J. & Virtanen, R. 2015. A comparative analysis of metacommunity types in the freshwater realm. Ecology and Evolution 5: 1525-1537.
Alahuhta, J. & Aroviita, J. 2016. Quantifying the relative importance of natural variables, human disturbance and spatial processes in ecological status indicators of boreal lakes. Ecological Indicators 63: 240-248.
Tolonen, K.E., Tokola, L., Grönroos, M., Hjort, J., Kärnä, O.-M., Erkinaro, J. & J. Heino (2016). Hierarchical decomposition of trait patterns of stream macroinvertebrate communities. Freshwater Science 35, 1032-1048.
Alahuhta, J. 2015. Geographic patterns of lake macrophyte communities and species richness at regional scale. Journal of Vegetation Science 26: 564-575.
Heino, J. & Alahuhta, J. (2015). Elements of regional beetle faunas: faunal variation and compositional breakpoints along climate, land cover and georgaphical gradients. Journal of Animal Ecology 84: 427–441.
Alahuhta, J. & J. Heino (2013). Spatial extent, regional specificity and metacommunity structuring in lake macrophytes. Journal of Biogeography 40, 1572–1582.
Alahuhta, J., A. Kanninen, S. Hellsten, K.-M. Vuori, M. Kuoppala & H. Hämäläinen (2013). Environmental and spatial correlates of community composition, richness and status of boreal lake macrophytes. Ecological Indicators 32, 172–181.
Alahuhta, J., I. Joensuu, J. Matero, K.-M. Vuori & O. Saastamoinen (2013). Freshwater ecosystem services in Finland. 35 p. Reports of the Finnish Environment Institute 16.
Kuusisto-Hjort, P. & J. Hjort (2013). Land use impacts on trace metal concentrations of suburban stream sediments in the Helsinki region, Finland. Science of the Total Environment 456–457: 222–230.
Alahuhta, J., A. Kanninen & K.-M. Vuori (2012). Response of macrophyte communities and status metrics to natural gradients and land use in boreal lakes. Aquatic Botany 103, 106-114.
Alahuhta, J., J. Heino & M. Luoto (2011). Climate change and the future distributions of aquatic macrophytes across boreal catchments. Journal of Biogeography 38, 383–393.

Spatial variation of ecosystem services, biodiversity and human health

Heino, J., Alahuhta, J., Bini, L.M., Cai, Y., Heiskanen, A.-S., Hellsten, S., Kortelainen, P., Kotamäki, N., Tolonen, K.T., Vihervaara, P., Vilmi. A. & Angeler, D.G. (2021). Lakes in the era of global change: moving beyond single-lake thinking in maintaining biodiversity and ecosystem services. Biological Reviews 96, 89-106.
García-Girón, J., Heino, J., Baastrup-Spohr, L., Bove, C.P., Clayton, J., de Winton, M., Feldmann, T., Fernández-Aláez, M., Ecke, F., Grillas, P., Hoyer, M.V., Kolada, A., Kosten S., Lukács, B.A., Mjelde, M., Mormul, R.P., Rhazi, L., Rhazi, M., Sass, L., Xu, J. & Alahuhta, J. (2020). Global patterns and determinants of lake macrophyte taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic beta diversity. Science of the Total Environment 723, 138021.
Alahuhta, J., Erős, T., Kärnä, O.-M., Soininen, J., Wang, J. & Heino, J. (2019). Understanding environmental change through the lens of trait-based, functional and phylogenetic biodiversity in freshwater ecosystems. Environmental Reviews 27, 263-273.
Ala-Hulkko, T., Kotavaara, O., Alahuhta, J., Kesälä, M. & Hjort, J. (2019). Accessibility analysis in evaluating exposure risk to an ecosystem disservice. Applied Geography 113, 102098.
Meriö, L.J., Ala-aho, P., Linjama, J., Hjort, J., Kløve, B. & H. Marttila (2019). Snow to precipitation ratio controls catchment storage and summer flows in boreal headwater catchments. Water Resources Research 55, 4096-4109.
Ala-Hulkko, T., Kotavaara, O., Alahuhta, J. & J. Hjort (2019). Mapping supply and demand of a provisioning ecosystem service across Europe. Ecological Indicators 103, 520-529.
Perez Rocha, M.P., Bini, L.M., Domisch, S., Tolonen, K.E., Jyrkankallio-Mikkola, J., Soininen, J., Hjort, J. & J. Heino (2018). Local environment and space drive multiple facets of stream macroinvertebrate beta diversity, while climate and catchment features are less important. Journal of Biogeography 45, 2744–2754.
Alahuhta, J., Ala-Hulkko, T., Tukiainen, H., Purola, L., Akujärvi, A., Lampinen, R. & J. Hjort (2018). The role of geodiversity in providing ecosystem services at broad scales. Ecological Indicators 91, 47–56.
Hugg, T.T., Hjort, J., Antikainen, H., Rusanen J., Tuokila, M., Korkonen, S., Weckström, J, Jaakkola, M.S. & J.J.K. Jaakkola (2017). Urbanity as a determinant of exposure to grass pollen in Helsinki Metropolitan area, Finland. PlosONE 12, e0186348.
Varanka, S. & J. Hjort (2017). Spatio-temporal aspects of the environmental factors affecting water quality in boreal rivers. Environmental Earth Sciences 76, 21.
Vilmi, A., Alahuhta, J., Hjort, J., Kärnä, O.-M., Leinonen, K., Perez Rocha, M., Tolonen, K.E., Tolonen, K.T. & J. Heino (2017). Geography of global change and species richness in the North. Environmental Reviews 25, 184–192.
Alahuhta, J., Kosten, S., Akasaka, M., Auderset, D., Azzella, M., Bolpagni, R., Bove, C., Chambers, P., Chappuis, E., Ilg, C., Clayton, J., De Winton, M., Ecke, F., Gacia, E., Gecheva, G., Grillas, P., Hauxwell, J., Hellsten, S., Hjort, J., Hoyer, M., Kolada, A., Kuoppala, M., Lauridsen, T., Li, E.-H., Lukács, B., Mjelde, M., Mikulyuk, A., Mormul, R., Nishihoro, J., Oertli, B., Rhazi, L., Rhazi, M., Sass, L., Schranz, C., Søndergaard, M., Yamanouchi, T., Yu, Q., Wang, H., Willby, N., Zhang, X.-K. & J. Heino (2017). Global variation in the beta diversity of lake macrophytes is driven by environmental heterogeneity rather than latitude. Journal of Biogeography 44, 1758–1769.
Tukiainen, H., Alahuhta, J., Ala-Hulkko, T., Field, R., Lampinen, R. & J. Hjort (2017). Spatial relationship between biodiversity and geodiversity across a gradient of land use intensity in high-latitude landscapes. Landscape Ecology 32, 1049–1063.
Tukiainen, H., Bailey, J.J., Kangas, K., Field, R. & J. Hjort (2017). Combining geodiversity with climate and topography to account for threatened species richness. Conservation Biology 31, 364–375.
Hjort, J., Hugg, T.T., Antikainen, H., Rusanen, J., Sofiev, M., Kukkonen, J., Jaakkola, M.S. & J.J.K. Jaakkola (2016). Fine-scale exposure to allergenic pollen in the urban environment: evaluation of land use regression approach. Environmental Health Perspectives 124, 619–626.
Ala-Hulkko, T., Kotavaara, O., Alahuhta, J., Helle, P. & J. Hjort (2016). Introducing accessibility analysis in mapping cultural ecosystem services. Ecological Indicators 66, 416–427.
Hjort, J., Suomi, J. & J. Käyhkö (2016). Extreme urban-rural temperatures in the coastal city of Turku, Finland: Quantification and visualization based on a generalized additive model. Science of the Total Environment 569–570, 507–517.
Varanka, S., Hjort, J. & M. Luoto (2015). Geomorphological factors predict water quality in boreal rivers. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms 40, 1989–1999.
Kuusisto-Hjort, P. & J. Hjort (2013). Land use impacts on trace metal concentrations of suburban stream sediments in the Helsinki region, Finland. Science of the Total Environment 456–457, 222–230.
Suomi, J., Hjort, J. & J. Käyhkö (2012). Effects of scale on modelling the urban heat island in Turku, SW Finland. Climate Research 55, 105–118.
Hjort, J., Suomi, J. & J. Käyhkö (2011). Spatial prediction of urban-rural temperatures using statistical methods. Theoretical and Applied Climatology 106,139–152.