Bristol 'Next Generation' Visiting Researcher Professor Elisabeth Cooper, UiT-The Arctic University of Norway

Arctic snow-microbial-plant interactions in a changing climate

13 December - 23 January 2024

Biography

Elisabeth Cooper is Professor of Plant Ecology at the Institute for Arctic and Marine Biology, UiT- The Arctic University of Norway. She previously worked for the Norwegian Polar Institute, The University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS), and Kings Bay Coal Company, Ny Ålesund, Svalbard.

Her research interest is the ecological challenges that plants face in polar environments; the adaptations of the plants, acclimation of physiology as well as shifts in phenology and growth in response to changes in their environment. She has worked at the species and community level as well as investigating interactions between trophic levels. She has a special interest in winter climate change effects and the role of snow, light and nutrients on phenology, physiology and growth, and is a leader in the developing field of Arctic Winter Ecology.

Prof. Cooper uses field experiments and observations along gradients as well as experiments carried out within climate-controlled chambers. Her field research is mostly on Svalbard (Spitsbergen) where she has a long-term snow manipulation experiment (see this film about ecosystems in change, where the snow fence experiment in Adventdalen is featured at 6min 40 sec. http://vimeo.com/106374998). She also has spent several field-seasons in Abisko (Northern Sweden) and Iceland, as well as Byers Peninsula on Livingston Island (South Shetland Islands of Antarctica).

Prof. Cooper supervised 33 MSc and 7 PhD students and has over 80 peer-reviewed publications in the field of Arctic Ecology. She led several large research projects as well as a novel bi-national educational project for MSc students, and has developed, run, and taught a range of courses at BSc and postgraduate level. She currently teaches Botany (BSc) and Arctic-Alpine Terrestrial Plant Ecology (MSc) at UiT, Tromsø.  Elisabeth is a member of the British Ecological Society, Norwegian Ecological Society, Society for Ecological Restoration, International Tundra Experiment (ITEX) and WinterNet.

Research Summary

Professor Cooper will be hosted by Dr Christopher Williamson, Bristol Glaciology Centre, Geographical Sciences. During this visit they will develop a cross-disciplinary collaborative research project. They will make joint grant applications within Norway and the UK to fund this work, taking advantage of recent collaborative agreements made by the funding agencies of both countries. They propose a multi-disciplinary approach at the interface between terrestrial ecology, microbiology and biogeochemistry to characterise microbial regulation of snowpack nutrient evolution and the consequences for High Arctic vegetation in a warming world.

The Bristol visit will familiarise Prof. Cooper with techniques and labs within Geographical Sciences (a leading-edge suite for cold-climate microbiology and biogeochemistry) and inform Dr Williamson on the long-term snow manipulation study led by Prof. Cooper in Svalbard. This will enable them to integrate their logistical networks; develop their joint scientific agenda and grant applications.  They will jointly run a workshop and Elisabeth will give lectures and seminars to involve others from UoB (including staff from the Bristol University Botanical Garden and the Cabot Institute) as well as the general public, with her research focus of Arctic winter ecology and climate change. In addition, there is a strong potential for further joint UoB-UiT projects to be developed at Master’s and PhD level, placed within the Cabot Institute. This visit will thereby establish long-lasting international collaboration and catalyse future joint projects between UiT and UoB and provide a gateway for the Bristol Glaciology Centre into long-term, High Arctic study sites.

‌Planned lectures and seminars include:

• Open Lecture, Wednesday 17th January, 15:30-16:30, University of Bristol Botanic Gardens - booking essential
  Arctic plants and their challenges
  
  This talk will illustrate the flora of Spitsbergen in the High Arctic archipelago of Svalbard, giving examples of the most common terrestrial ecosystems. In addition, it will outline interactions with herbivores and the challenges presented by tourism and climate change.
  
  
• Departmental Lecture, Friday 19th January, Geography Department
  Warmer wetter winters in the Arctic
  
  Polar areas are warming rapidly and winter temperatures and precipitation are increasing. However, despite growing research focus on winter climatic change, the impacts on Arctic terrestrial ecosystems remain poorly understood. Changes in Arctic winter conditions (e.g., timing, duration, temperature, snow depth, and mild periods followed by a return to freezing) will be described and the effects of these on microbial activity, soil nutrient composition, timing and quality of plant growth and forage availability will be discussed. Finally, the important consequences of the knock-on effects between seasons and trophic levels for biological activity, diversity, and ecosystem function will be introduced.
  
  
• Postgraduate seminar
  Snow and ecosystem
  
  Winter respiration in snow-covered ecosystems strongly influences annual carbon cycling, underlining the importance of processes related to the timing and quantity of snow. Snow insulates tundra soil from the cold winter air temperatures, and changes in snow depth affect the enhancement of thermally dependent reactions, such as microbial activity, respiration, and winter gas efflux. These will be illustrated using examples from snow manipulation experiments and natural cover gradients in the Arctic, and discussion around this topic with the postgraduate students will be encouraged.