Per Gundersen

Per Gundersen is Professor in the Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management at the University of Copenhagen's Faculty of Life Science. A leading European expert in forest biogeochemistry, his research focuses on nitrogen and carbon cycling in forest ecosystems, particularly examining how elevated nitrogen deposition affects forest soils and carbon sequestration processes across temperate and tropical forests.

His educational background includes:

• 1985: Engineer (academic) in Ecology and Environmental Chemistry, Technical University of Denmark (DTU)
• 1989: Ph.D. in Environmental Sciences, DTU with thesis 'Air Pollution with Nitrogen Compounds: Effects in Coniferous Forest'

Gundersen's research program centers on biogeochemical cycling of nitrogen, carbon and water, with particular emphasis on nitrogen retention mechanisms, nitrate leaching, and the use of stable $$^{15}N$$ isotopes to track nitrogen fate in forest ecosystems. His work integrates long-term manipulation experiments (including two-decade nitrogen addition studies) with observational data analysis to understand fundamental ecosystem processes. His experimental innovations include developing automatic curtain systems for simulating ecosystem warming, now implemented in over 10 European experiments.

Analysis of his recent publications (2021-2025) reveals an increasing focus on practical climate change mitigation through forest management, with particular attention to soil carbon dynamics. His 2025 publications show a strategic shift toward applying soil microbiome science for restoring forests on post-agricultural lands, addressing both carbon sequestration potential and ecosystem multifunctionality.

His notable recognition includes:

• Environmental Sciences Leader Award for 2023, which received significant media coverage across multiple platforms including news outlets, social media, and policy documents

Gundersen currently supervises two PhD students (Shimon Ozeri Ginzburg and Teresa Gomez de la Barcena) and one MSc student. His research funding portfolio includes substantial grants such as the Forest Soil C Sink Nordic Network (NordForsk, 3 million DKK, 2010-2014), Carbon sequestration in forest soils project (Villum Fonden, 3.3 million DKK, 2009-2012), and the NitroEurope IP project (1.9 million DKK, 2006-2011) where he served as activity leader for 12 forest experiments.

His research infrastructure includes long-term experimental sites across Europe and collaborative networks with institutions like the South China Institute of Botany, where he has conducted nitrogen experiments in tropical forests resulting in 15 joint publications. His work bridges fundamental biogeochemical research with practical forest management applications for climate change mitigation.