Natalie Ahlstrand
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natalieahlstrand.bsky.social
Natalie Ahlstrand
@natalieahlstrand.bsky.social
200 followers 210 following 21 posts
Botanist | Assistant Professor & Curator | Natural History Museum Denmark | Science & Society

plant phenology & traits, herbaria, digital museum collections, citizen science, lychophytes, graminoids, peatlands, arctic plants, wild food plants
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natalieahlstrand.bsky.social
Capturing reflectance spectra from specimens of critically endangered plants in Denmark and Germany, Eriophorum gracile and Saxifraga hirculus. Comparing historical populations with 2025 samples collected by @nhmdk.bsky.social PhD student Sverre Schou. At Senckenberg Institute Plant Form & Function
November 14, 2025 at 10:14 AM
Reposted by Natalie Ahlstrand
robertgbjork.bsky.social
🌍Tenure-track call at GU Earth Sciences🇸🇪!
Seeking top ECRs (PhD≤5yrs) for nomination to the 🇸🇪 Research Council’s strategic programme
🔬5 yrs | 💰SEK 3M/year
📅Deadline: Nov 19 | Start: Autumn 2026
Research: Climate, Geosphere, Ecosystems
🔗 gu.se/en/earth-sciences
Contact: robert.bjork@gu.se or DM me
Department of Earth Sciences
Earth Sciences is the studying of the Earth and its history as well as the processes that operate in and on the Earth's surface. We study how humans use the Earth, its natural resources and the conseq...
gu.se
October 8, 2025 at 1:19 PM
Reposted by Natalie Ahlstrand
volts.wtf
A new Nature study on the four horsemen of the climate-tipping-points apocalypse: "the Greenland Ice Sheet, the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, the South American monsoon system and the Amazon rainforest."
Destabilization of Earth system tipping elements - Nature Geoscience
A review of observation-based evidence suggests that four interconnected Earth system tipping elements have moved towards their critical thresholds, highlighting the need for better monitoring and increased mitigation efforts.
www.nature.com
October 8, 2025 at 6:34 PM
natalieahlstrand.bsky.social
A wonderful opportunity for a fully funded #PhD position in collections-based research at Natural History Musuem Denmark @nhmdk.bsky.social

Reach out if interested in a PhD project in #peatland #sedges, #aquatic plants, or #ferns! 🌿🍂🌾

#globalchange #eco-evo

employment.ku.dk/phd/?show=16...
PhD fellowship in collection-based Natural History Research
employment.ku.dk
September 15, 2025 at 11:52 AM
Reposted by Natalie Ahlstrand
osubpp.bsky.social
The Department of Botany and Plant Pathology at Oregon State University is Hiring!

We are searching for a Director of the Oregon State University Herbarium and applications are welcomed at the ranks of assistant, associate, or full professor.
Department of Botany and Plant Pathology at Oregon State University is hiring a Directory of the Herbarium
August 6, 2025 at 4:58 PM
natalieahlstrand.bsky.social
Thank you @botany.one for covering our latest work on tracking changes in Arctic shrub growth in response to climate change over the past 120 years using digital herbarium specimens collected in Greenland.

botany.one/2025/08/no-n...
No need to put a ring on it
Digital images of herbarium specimens can be used to non-destructively measure woody plant growth and assess response to climate change in the Arctic.
botany.one
August 21, 2025 at 1:51 PM
natalieahlstrand.bsky.social
Searching for the critically endangered slender cottongrass, Eriophorum gracile, and other beautiful sedges in Danish #peatlands - with @ninaronsted.bsky.social & PhD student Sverre JS

#bogs #fens #rareplants #botanicalresurveys
July 21, 2025 at 9:31 AM
Reposted by Natalie Ahlstrand
queenofpeat.bsky.social
Sphagnum mosses are fascinating from physiology, ecology, and climate perspectives. I'm especially proud of this @newphyt.bsky.social paper meant to inspire new research on ecoevolution and biodiversity. Check out the incredible cover art by Blanka Aguero! nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Image of the cover of the New Phytologist journal showing a close up image of brown and orange Sphagnum plants.
July 19, 2025 at 6:02 PM
Reposted by Natalie Ahlstrand
jgpausas.bsky.social
Yes! Two independent studies, using very different approaches (and published in the same month), suggest that climate warming has been detectable since the late 19th C.

Plants detected climate warming about 135 years ago!
nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.... | @newphyt.bsky.social 🧪🌍🌿🌾🌳🌐
The onset of phenological plant response to climate warming
Click on the article title to read more.
nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
June 23, 2025 at 7:57 PM
Reposted by Natalie Ahlstrand
brandonswhitley.bsky.social
I am excited to share that the first chapter of my PhD thesis has been published! The paper is titled “Harmonising digitised herbarium data to enhance biodiversity knowledge: Major steps towards an updated checklist for the flora of Greenland”.

nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
Harmonising digitised herbarium data to enhance biodiversity knowledge: Major steps towards an updated checklist for the flora of Greenland
Herbaria worldwide hold centuries of plant data that are key to understanding and protecting biodiversity; however, even with increased digital access, differences in plant naming systems make it dif....
nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
June 15, 2025 at 12:40 AM
Reposted by Natalie Ahlstrand
science.org
As the world warms, plants in natural ecosystems and agricultural settings find ways to respond to the heat.

In a new special issue of Science, researchers examine how heat affects plants at multiple scales, from the molecular level to the biosphere. scim.ag/44cSw3Z
Infrared imaging shows heat levels in sun-exposed leaves of Alstonia scholaris from the Australian Wet Tropics. As climate change increases temperatures and the severity of heat waves, both natural ecosystems and agricultural plants are increasingly affected by heat. Examining heat responses at cellular, genetic, physiological, and ecosystem scales, this special issue explores how plants sense and respond to high temperatures.
June 12, 2025 at 6:05 PM
Reposted by Natalie Ahlstrand
hilaryrosed.bsky.social
For those following the #iNaturalist LLM/genAI uproar, the iNat team has responded with more details about how they envision this change. You can submit comments about the plan here: inaturalist.typeform.com/to/hCrKAbW0
June 12, 2025 at 4:42 AM
natalieahlstrand.bsky.social
Herbarium specimens reveal drivers of Arctic shrub growth @newphyt.bsky.social

Shrub specimens can be used to recreate annual growth chronologies and help understand plant responses to global change.

With @annebeejay.bsky.social, ZA Panchen, JDM Speed

nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
June 10, 2025 at 1:25 PM
Reposted by Natalie Ahlstrand
m-dimarco.bsky.social
📢 New in @globalchangebio.bsky.social

The Accelerating Exposure of European #ProtectedAreas to #ClimateChange

We measure climate velocity and magnitude in Europe, and estimate risk for #ProtectedAreas and species.

Paper and maps available OA
doi.org/10.1111/gcb.... @martacimatti.bsky.social
Overlay of the values within the last quartile (higher values) from each climate risk metric for scenario SSP3-7.0. Areas in the map are color-coded based on their overlap with hotspots of exposure identified based on different climate metrics (Local, local velocity; Analog, analog velocity; Magnitude). Areas with no analogues within the 1500 km search radius (NA values on land) are shown as blank spots (i.e. central Greenland). Map lines delineate study areas and do not necessarily depict accepted national boundaries.
June 10, 2025 at 7:39 AM
Reposted by Natalie Ahlstrand
natureportfolio.nature.com
The deadline is soon! Nature has launched its seventh global survey of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) doctoral students, which will probe graduate students’ views about their goals and challenges, and their experiences of their studies so far. #Academicsky 🧪
PhD students in STEM: Nature wants to hear from you
Buried in lab work or drowning in data? Take a break and help shape the future of PhD education.
go.nature.com
June 7, 2025 at 1:19 AM
Reposted by Natalie Ahlstrand
ndevere.bsky.social
Thank you to @grrlscientist.bsky.social for covering our new paper in @plantspeopleplanet.bsky.social

nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
June 7, 2025 at 7:57 AM
Reposted by Natalie Ahlstrand
newphyt.bsky.social
#Viewpoint: Cones and consequences: the false dichotomy of #conifers vs #broad-leaves has critical implications for research and modelling

Kate Johnson, Matilda Brown, Katya Bandow & Helena Vallicrosa 👇

📖 nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

#LatestIssue
Global distribution of conifer leaf widths and silhouettes of both broad-leaved conifers and nonbroad-leaved woody angiosperms.
June 6, 2025 at 3:31 PM
Reposted by Natalie Ahlstrand
natecoevo.nature.com
Read the accompanying News & Views commentary by Catherine Sheard 👇

"Some birds are left behind in a race to beat the heat" www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Free to read: rdcu.be/epgXI

Photo credits: Dave Menke (a; public domain), Glenn Bartley/All Canada Photos/Alamy Stock Photo (b).
Composite photo of a brown thrasher (Toxostoma rufum, winter range), and a Nashville warbler (Leiothlypis ruficapilla, summer range).
June 3, 2025 at 3:02 PM
Reposted by Natalie Ahlstrand
wslresearch.bsky.social
🌲🖥️ #PhDAlert! MSc in a #natural #science & experience with #tree-ring analysis and statistical software (R)? Fluent in English and ready for #fieldwork? Our #forest dynamics #research unit is looking for a #PhD candidate in #dendroecology and #ecophysiology! apply.refline.ch/273855/1736/...
PhD candidate in Dendroecology and Ecophysiology The project involves fieldwork, lab analyses and manipulative experiments. The research sites are located in the Alps (Switzerland), Pyrenees (Spain), and Carpathians (Romania), and the experimental study will be conducted in Switzerland. You will apply dendroecological techniques to measure and analyse carbon and oxygen isotope ratios in the cellulose of tree rings as proxies of physiological changes. Additionally, you will participate in an experimental study on saplings growing along an elevational transect in the Alps, examining their morphological, physiological, and phenological responses to climate stressors (heat, drought, and frost). Ultimately, the goal is to rank species by their sensitivity to recent and future climatic stressors, helping forest managers select the most resilient species for each elevation zone. You hold a Master’s degree in forest ecology, ecology, plant physiology, environmental science, or a related field. Ideally, you already have experience with tree-ring analysis, ecophysiology, or climate data analysis. You have a good command of English, enjoy working collaboratively, and are comfortable using statistical software, preferably R. You are in good physical condition so that you can move safely over rough terrain. In addition, you are independent, self-motivated, and eager to take on a challenging project that will contribute to a deeper understanding of how climate change affects forest ecosystems. This position offers an exciting opportunity for those seeking a career in dendroecology, ecophysiology, or climate change science. You will work in an international research environment with access to cutting-edge methods and collaboration opportunities in Spain and Romania. Working place will be at WSL in Birmensdorf (approx. 20 min outside of Zurich); PhD enrolment will be at University of Bern.
May 14, 2025 at 8:13 AM
Reposted by Natalie Ahlstrand
natureportfolio.nature.com
A study in Nature Climate Change shows irreversible global glacier loss for centuries after overshooting 1.5 °C of warming, implying long-term reductions in glacial water resources with amplified impacts in regions where glaciers regrow. ⚒️ 🧪
Irreversible glacier change and trough water for centuries after overshooting 1.5 °C - Nature Climate Change
How mountain glaciers will react to temporarily overshooting 1.5 °C of warming is poorly understood. Here the authors show irreversible global glacier loss for centuries after overshoot, implying long-term reductions in glacial water resources with amplified impacts in regions where glaciers regrow.
go.nature.com
May 24, 2025 at 10:12 PM
Reposted by Natalie Ahlstrand
iris-hordijk.bsky.social
Publication out on the effect of climate on traits of dominant and rare tree species in the world’s forests in natcomms.nature.com‬rdcu.be/enby2
Effect of climate on traits of dominant and rare tree species in the world’s forests
Nature Communications - Species’ traits and environmental conditions determine the abundance of tree species across the globe. Here, the authors find that dominant tree species are taller and...
rdcu.be
May 23, 2025 at 11:22 AM
Reposted by Natalie Ahlstrand
theresacrimmins.bsky.social
Call for papers! Special issue in new @SpringerNature journal _Discover Life_ : Plant #phenology in an era of rapid global change: new perspectives and frontiers. Co-editing this collection with the fabulous Rob Guralnick and @diji.bsky.social

link.springer.com/collections/...
Plant phenology in an era of rapid global change: new perspectives and frontiers
Phenology is a crucial indicator of plant responses to environmental changes, with multifaceted implications for individual plants, ecological communities, ...
link.springer.com
October 25, 2024 at 5:59 PM
natalieahlstrand.bsky.social
Interested in how global specimen digitisation efforts are enabling large-scale phenology research? 🌱🌼🍂

Check out our Viewpoint article published on-line today in @newphyt.bsky.social

doi.org/10.1111/nph....

#plantphenology #climatechange #herbariumspecimens #globalchange
The promise of digital herbarium specimens in large‐scale phenology research
The online mobilization of herbaria has made tens of millions of specimens digitally available, revolutionizing investigations of phenology and plant responses to climate change. We identify two main....
doi.org
May 19, 2025 at 4:38 PM
Reposted by Natalie Ahlstrand
botsocamerica.bsky.social
Check out this new #AJB essay by Jitka Klimešová, Timothy Harris & Tomáš Herben!

Morphological knowledge in plant #ecology and why it matters

doi.org/10.1002/ajb2... #botany #plantscience
Graphical art (lino-cut) showing functional ecologists busy with measuring leaf and fine root traits while ignoring storage and clonal growth organ
May 16, 2025 at 1:47 PM