Rasmus Fensholt

Rasmus Fensholt is a Professor at the Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management (IGN) within the Faculty of Science at the University of Copenhagen. He has held this position since 2017, following previous appointments as Associate Professor (2009) and Assistant Professor (2007) at the same institution. His academic credentials include a PhD in Geography (2004) and a Master of Science in Physical Geography (1998), both from the University of Copenhagen.

Professor Fensholt's research focuses on remote sensing and Earth observation ecology studies of terrestrial ecosystems, with particular emphasis on quantitative assessment of carbon/water fluxes of vegetation and understanding human versus climate-induced changes in ecosystem services. His work spans global environmental change, land system science, climate change impacts, primary productivity monitoring, carbon stocks assessment, forest degradation analysis, plant water stress, land degradation, and land surface phenology. His research approach integrates satellite data with ground-based observations to address critical environmental challenges.

His publication record is exceptional, with 253 peer-reviewed journal papers including 32 in Nature & Science journals, 4 book chapters, and an impressive 28,009 citations with an H-index of 83 (as of March 2025). His most recent research has centered on tree resource monitoring, carbon stock assessments in drylands, climate change impacts on vegetation, and advanced applications of remote sensing technology.

• Clarivate Plc. Highly Cited Researchers (2010-2020 - top 1% by citations, 2021)
• Vega gratia; Swedish society for Anthropology and Geography (2014)
• Sapere Aude research leader grant (2011)
• ERC Starting Independent Researcher Grants interview invitation (2011)
• Niels Nielsen price for young promising scientist (2007)

Professor Fensholt has supervised 49 M.Sc. projects, 21 PhD students, and 7 Post-Docs, and currently mentors 8 PhD candidates and 7 Post-doctoral researchers. He has secured substantial research funding totaling 19.5 million Euros as principal investigator, including major grants like TreeSense (8.055 million Euros, 2025-2030) from the Danish National Research Foundation. He has also served in significant roles including as an Expert Reviewer for the IPCC Special Report on Climate Change and Land, and as a Lead Author of the World Atlas of Desertification 3rd edition.