Dr. Johan Eckdahl is a postdoc in the Energy and Resources Group at UC Berkeley, focusing on how montane and conifer forests regenerate after fires. He is an affiliate researcher at Lund University in South Sweden, as well as an affiliate of the Western Fire and Forest Collaborative. His research emphasizes the microbial communities in soil, how climate changes affects them and how microbes influence plant growth.
Dr. Eckdahl began researching wildfires in Sweden, where his team studied 50 fires across a broad climate and condition gradient to capture broad patterns. He is excited about applying a multi-fire, geographic-scale approach to wildfire research in the U.S. and aims to produce maps showing which areas are vulnerable to changes such as slower forest regrowth or shifts to different land-cover types.
After growing up in California and then spending eight years researching in Sweden, Dr. Eckdahl was excited to reconnect with friends, family and forests at UC Berkeley. He had opportunities in Sweden, but aligned more with the Berkeley research approach. “I thought the project with this kind of geographic approach to fire was kind of something that was right up my alley, and I thought it was really important.”
The biggest challenge in his research, Dr. Eckdahl explained, is government funding and budget cuts to the program. “There’s been a huge challenge in establishing field sites and getting the right communication to work with land managers, both in just the permitting process and seeing what their needs are in terms of research.”
Outside of research, Dr. Eckdahl has many hobbies and interests. So many, he joked, that he runs the risk of losing their ability to be grounded. His main passions lie in climbing and photography, and he enjoys spending time in the darkroom developing film. “I'd really like to, at some point, be able to use photography more for outreach or some kind of photojournalism.”
Dr. Eckdahl emphasized that his physics background and a nontraditional approach to wildlife research have strengthened his ability to see problems from different perspectives. “I would say that, I mean, it's kind of interesting how if you really care about something and you want to put in the effort, you can change your path.”
Looking ahead, Dr. Eckdahl is excited to continue applying his multi-fire approach and wants to encourage others to approach the world with a curious mind. “I just want to encourage people to try out research and work hard and go for the things they believe in and what they want to do.”