Mitigating the effects of climate change

Dr Thorsten Balke has been appointed Professor of Vegetation Ecology and Conservation at the university’s Institute of Biology and Environmental Sciences. The expert on coastal ecology researches how restored habitats can mitigate the effects of climate change.

Welcome to the University of Oldenburg? What brought you here?

Chance always plays a role in academic careers. After eight years in Scotland I’m delighted to be back in Oldenburg, where I can deepen my coastal research and experience in teaching ecology.

What do you research?

I focus on questions related to the consequences of climate change and nature conservation. Climate change has far-reaching effects on both nature and people. Nature-based solutions such as habitat restoration can help mitigate the consequences of climate change-induced changes that can no longer be reversed. My research in vegetation ecology helps to restore coastal habitats. Healthy and resilient coastal habitats can, for example, protect against flooding by trapping sediments and buffering shorelines against waves. In cities, they regulate the microclimate and delay water runoff. I do half of my research here in this region and the other half in collaboration with international colleagues, for example in the mangrove swamps of Southeast Asia.

What do you like about your field of study?

That everyone in this field can contribute to a sustainable and liveable future.

What are your plans for your first few months at our university?

To exchange views and ideas with as many students and colleagues as possible.

Who or what made a particular impact on you during your studies?

Learning outside the lecture hall, for example on an excursion from the Mediterranean to the Polar Circle.

Your tip for surviving on campus?

Good conversation over bad coffee always helped me in my student days.