Mads Forchhammer

DepartmentOrganizationEmailPhoneAddressLongyearbyen , Svalbard N-9171NorwayBioDr. Forchhammer is a professor in Global Change Biology at the National Environmental Research Institute, University of Aarhus, Denmark. During the last 15 years, his research has focused on how climatic changes affect the lives of species and the environment in which they are embedded. With his background as a population biologist, he studies the effects of climate through statistical analyses and modelling of large time series and monitoring data sets. Since 1996, he's been involved in the large monitoring programme Zackenberg Ecological Research Operations (ZERO), which continuously, year after year monitor climate-related changes in an entire high-arctic ecosystem. The programme involves scientists from the entire spectrum of natural science, climatologists, glaciologists, geo-physicists and biologists. ZERO covers all the terrestrial, freshwater and marine compartments of the ecosystem. They have recently published a book based on 10 years of monitoring and research at Zackenberg.

Science Specialties

population ecology, climate change, animal behavior

Current Research

Large-scale atmospheric fluctuations (the NAO and the ENSO/NP) and their influence on ecosystem functioning in the Northern Hemisphere. Analytic/statistical population modeling on arctic animals integrating climatic and biological processes. Plant/herbivore interactions.Lemming/muskox/caribou population dynamics.Population dynamics of arctic marine mammals.Predator-prey dynamics (lynx-snowshoe hare interactions in Canada).