Dr Boris Sakschewski

Postdoctoral Researcher
Sakschewski

Boris Sakschewski is a researcher in Research Department 1 on Earth System Analysis at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research. He is a member of the Future Lab Earth Resilience in the Anthropocene (ERA) and the Working Group on Ecosystems in Transition. His research focus is on vegetation and Earth System modelling. He is specifically interested in feed backs within and between Earth System elements, Earth system resilience against global change, and the role of biodiversity to mitigate and adapt to global change. Boris is a member of the Earth Commission and a author of the chapter on The resilience of the Amazon forest to global changes: assessing the risk of tipping points in the forthcoming report of the Science Panel for the Amazon.

Vegetation modelling 2© Boris Sakschewski

Contact

Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK)
T +49 (0)331 288 2548
boris.sakschewski[at]pik-potsdam.de
P.O. Box 60 12 03
14412 Potsdam

Current position

Researcher

  • 2016 -2021: PostDoc Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research and Biodiversity Research University of Potsdam: Implementing functional diversity into a Dynamic Global Vegetation Model (DGVM). Investigating the role of functional diversity for the water cycle in the international research project CLIMAX.
  • 2012 - 2016: PhD Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research and Biodiversity Research University of Potsdam: Implementing functional diversity into a Dynamic Global Vegetation Model (DGVM). Investigating the role of functional diversity for the carbon cycle in the international research project ROBIN. PhD thesis: "Major impacts of anthropogenic pressure on the terrestrial biosphere and its resilience to global change"

Education

  • 2009 - 2012: M.Sc. Ecology, Evolution and Conservation, University of Potsdam, Germany, Master thesis: "New estimations of specific leaf area and leaf longevity relationship in the Amazon rainforest: improving functional diversity in LPJmL"
  • 2006 - 2010: B.Sc. Organismic Biology, University of Potsdam, Germany



Main research interests:

  •     Links between biodiversity, functional diversity and ecosystem functions
  •     Effects of biodiversity on climate change
  •     Improving functional diversity in dynamic global vegetation models (DGVMs)
  •     Quantifying phenotypic plasticity of plant traits
  •     Implementing phenotypic plasticity into DGVMs
  •     Implementing plant dispersal into DGVMs
  •     Quantifying the role of Amazon forests for continental atmospheric moisture recycling
  •     Coupling Dynamic Global Vegetation Models and Moisture Recycling Models

Further information

N. Wunderling, A. Staal, B. Sakschewski, M. Hirota, O.A. Tuinenburg, J.F. Donges, H.M.J. Barbosa, R. Winkelmann (2020) Network dynamics of drought-induced tipping cascades in the Amazon rainforest, in review, https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-71039/v1

B. Sakschewski, W. von Bloh, Markus Drüke, A. Sörensson, R.Ruscica, F. Langerwisch, M. Billing, S. Bereswill, M. Hirota, R.  Oliveira, J. Heinke, K. Thonicke (2020): Variable tree rooting strategies improve tropical productivity and evapotranspiration in a dynamic global vegetation model. in review at Biogeosciences, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-2020-97

K. Thonicke, M. Billing, W. von Bloh, B. Sakschewski, U. Niinemets, J. Peñuelas, J.H.C. Cornelissen, Y. Onoda, P. van Bodegom, M.E. Schaepman, F.D. Schneider, A. Walz (2020). Simulating functional diversity of European natural forests along climatic gradients. Journal of Biogeography 1, 1-17

M. Drüke, M.Forkel, W. von Bloh, B. Sakschewski, M. Cardoso, M. Bustamante, J. Kurths, K. Thonicke, (2019). Improving the LPJmL4-SPITFIRE vegetation–fire model for South America using satellite data. Geoscientific Model Development 12(12), 5029-5054.

B. Sakschewski, W. von Bloh, A. Boit, L. Poorter, M. Peña-Claros, J. Joshi, J. Heinke, K. Thonicke (2016): Resilience of Amazon forests emerges from plant trait diversity. Nature Climate Change. doi:10.1038/nclimate3109

A. Boit, B. Sakschewski, L. Boysen, A. Cano Crespo, J. Clement4, N. Garcia Alaniz, K. Kok, M. Kolb, F. Langerwisch, A. Rammig, R. Sachse, M. van Eupen, W. von Bloh, D. Zemp, K. Thonicke (2016): Large-scale impacts of climate versus land-use change on future biome shifts in Latin America. Global Change Biology. DOI: 10.1111/gcb.13355

C.P.O. Reyer , S. Adams, T. Albrecht, F. Baarsch, A. Boit, N. C. Trujillo, M. Cartsburg, D. Coumou, A. Eden, E. Fernandes, F. Langerwisch, R. Marcus, M. Mengel, D. Mira-Salama, M. Perette, P. Pereznieto, A. Rammig, J. Reinhardt, A. Robinson, M. Rocha, B. Sakschewski, M. Schaeffer, C.-F. Schleussner, O. Serdeczny, K. Thonicke (2015): Climate change impacts in Latin America and the Caribbean and their implications for development. Regional Environmental Change. DOI:10.1007/s10113-015-0854-6

L. Poorter, M. T. van der Sande, J. Thompson, E. J. M. M. Arets, A. Alarcón, J. Álvarez-Sánchez, N. Ascarrunz, P. Balvanera, G. Barajas-Guzmán, A. Boit, F. Bongers, F. A. Carvalho, F. Casanoves, G. Cornejo-Tenorio, F. R. C. Costa, C. V. de Castilho, J. F. Duivenvoorden, L. P. Dutrieux, B. J. Enquist, F. Fernández-Méndez, B. Finegan, L. H. L. Gormley, J. R. Healey, M. R. Hoosbeek, G. Ibarra-Manríquez, A. B. Junqueira, C. Levis, J. C. Licona, L. S. Lisboa, W. E. Magnusson, M. Martínez-Ramos, A. Martínez-Yrizar, L. G. Martorano, L. C. Maskell, L. Mazze, J. A. Meave, F. Mora, R. Muñoz, C. Nytch, M. P. Pansonato, T. W. Parr, H. Paz, E. A. Pérez-García, L. Y. Rentería, J. Rodríguez-Velazquez, D. M. A. Rozendaal, A. R. Ruschel, B. Sakschewski, B. Salgado-Negret, J. Schietti9 M. Simões, F. L. Sinclair, P. F. Souza, F. C. Souza, J. Stropp, H. ter Steege, N. G. Swenson, K. Thonicke, M. Toledo, M. Uriarte, P. van der Hout, P. Walker, N. Zamora and M. Peña-Claros (2015): Diversity enhances carbon storage in tropical forests. Global Ecology and Biogeography (24), pp. 1314-1328.

B. Sakschewski, W. von Bloh, A. Boit, A. Rammig, J. Kattge, L. Poorter, J. Peñuelas, K. Thonicke (2015): Leaf and stem economics spectra drive diversity of functional plant traits in a dynamic global vegetation model. Global Change Biology (21), pp. 2711-2725.


S., Adams, V. Aich, T. Albrecht, F. Baarsch, A. Boit, T. Canales, M. Cartsburg, D. Coumou, A. Eden, M. Fader, B. Hare, H. Hoff, G. Jobbins, L. Jones, O. Kit, L. Krummenauer, F. Langerwisch, V. Le Masson, E. Ludi, R. Marcus, M. Mengel, B. Mosello, J. Möhring, Jacob, A. Norton, I.M. Otto, M. Perette, P. Pereznieto, A. Rammig, D. Reckien, J. Reinhardt, C. Reyer, A. Robinson, M. Rocha, B. Sakschewski, M. Schaeffer, S. Schaphoff, J. Schewe, CF. Schleussner, O. Serdeczny, J. Stagl, K. Thonicke, K. Waha, World Bank. 2014. Main report. Turn down the heat. Washington, DC : World Bank Group. http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2014/11/20404287/turn-down-heat-confronting-new-climate-normal-vol-2-2-main-report

B. Sakschewski, W. von Bloh, V. Huber, C. Müller, A. Bondeau (2014): Feeding 10 billion people under climate change: How large is the production gap of current agricultural systems? Ecological Modelling (288), pp. 103-111.

S. Franck, W. von Bloh, C. Müller, A. Bondeau, B. Sakschewski (2011): Harvesting the sun: New estimations of the maximum population of planet Earth. Ecological Modelling (222), pp. 2019-2026.

 

Santarem_rainforest_canopy_wide.jpg

Photo: Boris Sakschewski, Tapajós National Forest canopy, Brazil

  • University Bachelor course "The Earth as a system", University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany WS 2017/2018
  • University Master course "Global Ecology", University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany WS 2017/2018
  • University Master course "Global Ecology", University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany WS 2015/2016
  • University Master course "Global Ecology", University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany WS 2014/2015
  • University Master course "Global Ecology", University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany WS 2013/2014
  • Lecture series "Aspects of tropical ecology", University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany WS 2013

03.03.2020 Managing forests in the 21st century Konferenz @ PIK, Potsdam, Germany: “Variable rooting strategies stabilize biome productivity”

12.11.2019 EU project meeting in Foz do Iguacu, Brazil: “The effects of deep roots and root diversity on Amazon forest transpiration”

25.10.2019 European Tour of Amazonia's tribal chiefs @ PIK, Potsdam, Germany: “The role of Amazonia’s forests”

24.10.2019 Visit of science minister of Venezuela @PIK, Potsdam, Germany: “The importance of biodiversity under climate change”

08.10.2019 invited talk @ Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Center for „Ginkgo network meeting“, Frankfurt/Main, Germany: “Variable rooting strategies stabilize biome productivity”

03.11.2018 EU project meeting @ Servicio Meteorologico Nacional, Buenos Aires, Argentinia: “How to improve evapotranspiration in land surface models”

07.03.2018 invited talk @ “second expert roundtable for Perspectives of forest modelling” @ Helmholtz-Zentrum für Umweltforschung (UFZ) Leipzig, Germany:  “Interrelations between functional biodiversity and biogeochemical cycles”

08.12.2017 EU project meeting Brasilia, Brazil: “The effects of deep roots and root diversity on Amazon forest transpiration”

31.01.2017 invited talk Technical University Munich, Munich, Germany: “Tropical forest resilience emerges from biodiversity”

15.12.2016 Talk @ American Geophysical Union, San Francisco, USA: “Tropical Tree Trait Diversity Enhances Forest Biomass Resilience in a Dynamic Global Vegetation Model”

15.11.2016 invited talk @ Free University Berlin, Germany: “Tropical forest resilience emerges from biodiversity”

19.10.2015  EU project meeting in Brussels, Belgium: “Biodiversity matters: it has a direct effect on carbon stocks and forest biomass resilience”

17.06.2015 invited talk @ University of Wageningen, Wageningen, Netherlands: “Amazon resilience to climate change: Effects of introducing plant trait diversity into a dynamic global vegetation model”

14.01.2015 Workshop on “Species adaptation to global change” at PIK. Talk: “Using a trait-based dynamic global vegetation model for predicting habitat change”

17.12.2014 invited talk @ Museum of Natural History Berlin, Berlin, Germany: “How to link species distribution models and trait based dynamic global vegetation models”

11.09.2013 Talk @ University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany @ “43rd Annual of the Ecological Society of Germany, Austria and Switzerland”: “Implementation of functional diversity in a dynamic global vegetation model”

03.09.2013 Talk @ Deutsches Zentrum für integrative Biodiversitätsforschung, Leipzig, Germany, für  “5th workshop of the TRY initiative – Quantifying and scaling global plant trait diversity”: “Implementation of functional diversity in a dynamic global vegetation model”

05.10.2012 EU project meeting in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia: “Functional diversity in dynamic global vegetation models (DGVMs) and how to improve it”

Poster

12.04.2013 European Geosciences Union, Vienna, Austria: “The role of biodiversity for the carbon cycle: Implementation of functional diversity in a dynamic global vegetation model”

Events

Lange Nacht der Wissenschaften / Long Night of Sciences: Explaining vegetation modelling to visitors by using visualization tool


Biodiversity and ecosystem functioning:

Amazon rainforest moisture recycling:

Süddeutsche Zeitung - 2016/12/01. "Massive Regenwald-Abholzung in Brasilien"