Postdoc Inger Elisabeth Måren
Dr. Inger E. Måren is an ecologist and her research interests focus on interdisciplinary approaches of analysing human impact in terrestrial ecosystems. Spatial and temporal vegetation dynamics (succession) in anthropogenic environments such as the European heathlands and high elevation forests in the Himalayas are inverstigated. Her publications deal with the ecology and conservation biology of anthropogenic landscapes.
Main content
Inger Elisabeth Måren held her dissertation for the PhD degree in March 2009, at the Department of Biology, University of Bergen, entitled; “Effects of management on heathland vegetation in Western Norway”. Her thesis examines the effects of anthropogenic disturbance regimes; the traditional management practices of livestock grazing and prescribed burning, on vegetation and seed banks in coastal heathlands of Western Norway. Effects of germination cues on the key species Calluna vulgaris are also discussed. Threats and conservation aspects in relation to different mechanical and chemical bracken control measures are investigated. The concept of heathland conservation is integrated into a wider frame-work, discussing biodiversity, ecosystem services and the global context.
Her research in the Himalayas includes effects of human disturbance and diversity in high elevation forests, regeneration ecology of trees, and dynamics in medicinal plant populations and food systems. She has been involved in the interdisciplinary project Legal frameworks for Conservation of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services in the Himalayas (HimaLines) dealing with legal frameworks for the conservation of biodiversity and ecosystem services in the Himalayas; Maintenance of biodiversity and other ecosystems services essential for human well-being requires an effective legal framework to prevent over-exploitation and give incentive for the protection of biodiversity. The Postdoc project as part of HimaLines tested the effectiveness of different legal frameworks for maintaining biodiversity and ecosystem services in high-altitude Himalayan forests in Nepal.
- In developing countries, the landscape surrounding agricultural land is important for maintaining biodiversity and providing ecosystem services. Forests provide a full suite of goods and services to subsistence farmers in the Himalayan agro-ecological system. We found species richness to be negatively correlated with walking distance from the nearest village and increasing levels of anthropogenic disturbance. Community forests were generally less degraded than government managed forests, giving support to common pool resource management, says Inger Elisabeth Måren.
Current Akctivities
- Postdoc Project: Land Use Change and the Himalayan Agro-Ecological System: Limitation or Adaptation?
Research Focus
- Conservation biology
- Land Use Change - Anthropogenic Landscapes
- Agro-Ecosystems
- Agro-biodiversity
- Succession
- Biodiversity
- Global Change
- Landscape Ecology
- Vegetation Dynamics
Research Regions
- Norway - Western Norway
- Himalaya - Nepal
- East Africa
- North America
Teaching
Inger Elisabeth Måren teaches at these courses:
- GEO100Introduction to Geography: Global Challenges and Local Responses
- GEO131 Resource Management and Development in the Third World
- GEO212 Terrestrial Climate and Environmental Changes
- GEO281 Environmental Management and Planning
- GEO282 Geography of the Cultural Landscape
- GEO326 Geographical Perspectives on Food
Publications
Peer-reviewed journals:
Bhattarai K.R. MårenI.E., & Subedi S.C. Biodiversity and invasibility: distribution patterns of invasive alien plant species in the Himalayas, Nepal. In Press. Journal of Mountain Science.
MårenI.E., Bhattarai K.R. & Chaudhary R.P. 2013. Forest ecosystem services and biodiversity in contrasting Himalayan forest management systems. Environmental Conservation . DOI: 10.1017/S0376892913000258
Spindelböck J.P., Cook Z., Daws M.I., Heegaard E., Måren I. E. & Vandvik V. 2013. Conditional cold avoidance drives variation in germination behaviour of Calluna vulgaris. Annals of Botany. doi:10.1093/aob/mct142
Sharma L.N., Vetaas O.R., Chaudhary R.P. & Måren I.E. 2013. Pastoral abandonment, shrub proliferation and landscape changes: a case study from Gorkha, Nepal. Landscape Research
Shrestha K.B., Måren I.E., Arneberg E., Sah J.P. & Vetaas O.R. 2013. Plant diversity along an anthropogenic disturbance gradient in the oak forests of the Middle Hills, Nepal, Central Himalaya. International Journal of Biodiversity Science, Ecosystem Services & Management
Bhattarai K.R., MårenI.E. & Chaudhary R.P. 2011. Forest ecosystem services; Medicinal plant knowledge of the Panchase region in the Middle Hills of the Nepalese Himalayas. Banko Janakari 21: 31-39.
Måren I.E., Janovský Z., Spindelböck J., Daws M.I., Kaland P.E. & Vandvik V. 2010. The use of fire in northern heathlands; Calluna vulgaris and regeneration. Plant Ecology 207: 245-256.
Måren I.E. & Vandvik V. 2009. Fire and regeneration: the role of seed banks in the dynamics of northern heathlands. Journal of Vegetation Science 20: 871-888.
Måren I.E. & Vandvik V. 2009. Prescribed burning and the role of seed banks in post-fire succession of northern heathlands, Lygra and Lurekalven islands, Hordaland, Norway. Conservation Evidence 6: 48-56.
Måren I.E., Vandvik V. & Ekelund K. 2008. Restoration of bracken-invaded Calluna vulgaris heathlands: effects on vegetation dynamics and non-target species. Biological Conservation 141: 1034-1044.
Måren I.E., Vandvik V. & Ekelund K. 2008. Effectiveness of chemical and mechanical Pteridium aquilinum control treatments in northern coastal heathlands on Lygra. Conservation Evidence 5: 12-17.
Måren I.E. & Vetaas O.R. 2007. Does Regulated Land Use Allow Regeneration of Keystone Forest Species in the Annapurna Conservation Area, Central Himalaya? Mountain Research and Development Journal 27: 345-351.
Vandvik V., Heegaard E., Måren I.E. & Aarrestad P.A. 2005. Managing heterogeneity: the importance of grazing and environmental variation on post-fire succession in heathlands. Journal of Applied Ecology 42:139-149.
Conference Presentations, Seminars and Workshops:
Bargmann T., Måren I.E. & Vandvik V. 2013. Life after fire: smoke and ash as germination cues in ericads, herbs and graminoids of northern heathlands. POSTER at the 13th European Heathland Workshop. Denmark, 23.06.-28.06.13.
Måren I.E. 2013. Man and forest: the Himalayan hill farming system. ORAL TALK at the Norwegian Ecological Society, Trondheim, Norway.
Nordtveit E., Måren I.E. & Vandvik V. 2012. Development of evidence based legal models for ecosystem and biodiversity protection and recovery. ORAL TALK at EcoSummit. 30 Sep–5 Oct, Ohio, USA.
Måren I.E. & Kaland P.E. 2012. From local adaptation to industrial production: Loss of sustainability on the west coast of Norway. POSTER at EcoSummit. 30 Sep–5 Oct, Ohio, USA.
Esaete J.,Eycott A., Måren I.E., Reinö J., Telford, Vandvik V. 2012. Plant groups respond differently to forest disturbance. POSTER at EcoSummit. 30 Sep–5 Oct, Ohio, USA.
Måren I.E. Vandvik V., Ndangalasi H.J., Taplin J., Mbaga F. & Lovett J.C. 2012. Back to Africa: Post hydropower-project mitigation effects on wetland vegetation in relation to the conservation of an endemic amphibian. ORAL TALK at the IAVS symposium 23-28 Jul, Mokpo, South Korea.
Måren I.E. 2012. Natural capital. Seminar on “The Conservation of Cultural Landscapes: from Traditional Heathland Management to ‘Man and the Biosphere’ “, Department of Biology, UIB. ORAL TALK
Måren I.E. 2011. Can you see the forest for the trees? Seminar on Evidence Based Management of Ecosystems. September 14-16, 2011. The Heathland Centre, Lygra. ORAL TALK
Måren I.E. 2010. HimaLines: Legal frameworks for Conservation of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services in the Himalayas. At: International Symposium on Biodiversity, Livelihood and Climate Change in the Himalayas, December 12-14, 2010. Kathmandu, Nepal. ORAL TALK
Nordtveit E., Måren I.E., Shelby, L. & Vandvik V. 2010. HimaLines: Legal frameworks for Conservation of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services in the Himalayas. At: Global Change and the World's Mountains Conference, Perth, Great Britain 2010, organized by Mountain Research Initiative (MRI). POSTER
Nordtveit E., Måren I.E., Shelby, L. & Vandvik V. 2010. HimaLines: Legal frameworks for Conservation of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services in the Himalayas. At: International Symposium on Biodiversity, Livelihood and Climate Change in the Himalayas, December 12-14, 2010. Kathmandu, Nepal. POSTER
Spindelböck J., Daws M.I., Cook Z., Heegaard E., Måren I.E. & Vandvik V. 2009. Heather and germination – climate matters. POSTER at the conference Niche Evolution – a unifying concept for systematics, ecology, paleontology and conservation biology. University of Zürich, 03.07. – 04.07.2009.
Spindelböck J., Daws M.I., Cook Z., Heegaard E., Måren I.E. & Vandvik V. 2009. Heather and germination – climate matters. POSTER at the 11th European Heathland Workshop, Natural England, Cornwall, UK, 13.09.-18.09.2009.
Spindelböck J., Daws M.I., Cook Z., Heegaard E., Måren I.E. & Vandvik V. 2009. Heather and germination – climate matters. POSTER at the NORKLIMA Researcher Conference, Bergen, Norway, 19.10.-20.10.2009.
Måren I.E., Janovský Z., Spindelböck J. Daws M.I., Kaland P.E. & Vandvik V. 2009. Prescribed burning of northern heathlands: Calluna Vulgaris and germination cues. POSTER at the 52nd International Symposium of the International Association of Vegetation Science (IAVS), Island of Crete, Greece, 30.05.-04.06.2009.
Vandvik V., Berge A., Klanderud K., Meineri E., Måren I.E. & Spindelböck J. 2009. Soil seed banks – biodiversity refuges or spillover from the extant vegetation? TALK at the 52nd International Symposium of the International Association of Vegetation Science (IAVS), Island of Crete, Greece, 30.05.-04.06.2009.
Måren, IE. 2009. How important is niche conservatism for creating global biodiversity patterns? Trial lecture for the degree of Philosophiea Doctor (PhD). 27.02.2009.
Måren I.E. 2008. Seed banks and fire - their role in north European heathlands. International Association for Vegetation Science (IAVS) 51st Symposium. Stellenbosch, South Africa 07.09-12.09.2008.
Måren I.E. 2008. Fire and regeneration: Seed bank analysis. National seminar for LYNGNETT; National Network for Heathland Science. Lista 29.05-31.05.08.2008.
Måren I.E. & Nilsen L.S. 2007. (Eds.) 10th European Heathland Workshop. Threats, Management and Conservation of Heathlands. - Workshop, Excursion, and Symposium Guide. Department of Natural History, Bergen Museum & Department of Biology, University of Bergen. 161 pp.
Tveraabak U., Kaland P.E. & Måren I.E. 2007. Lofoten, Nordland. In: 10th European Heathland Workshop - Workshop, Excursion, and Symposium Guide. Måren I.E. & Nilsen L.S. (Eds.). Department of Natural History, Bergen Museum & Department of Biology, University of Bergen. 74-79.
Måren I.E. 2006. Seksuell regenerering av Calluna vulgaris langs en regional klimagradient: variasjon i frøspiring, vekst og genetikk fra Hidra i sør til Troms i nord. National seminar for LYNGNETT; National Network for Heathland Science. Tarva 22.05-24.05.08.
Ekelund, K., Måren, I.E., Vandvik, V. 2005. Effects of bracken control treatments on bracken performance, vegetation dynamics and non-target species in heathlands of Western Norway. The 9th European Heathland Workshop. Bredene, Belgium, 13.09.-16.09.05.
Måren I.E., & Vandvik V. 2005. Seed banks and fire; A study of west Norwegian heathlands. The 9th European Heathland Workshop. Bredene, Belgium, 13.09.-16.09.05.
Måren I.E. 2005. Effects of Traditional Heathland Management and its Discontinuation on Vegetation at Lygra, Western Norway. National seminar for LYNGNETT; National Network for Heathland Science. 05.01.-07.01.05.
Måren I.E. 2005. Spring flora in the Appalachian Mountains, North America. The Norwegian Botanical Assosiation, Bergen.
Grytnes J.A., Måren I.E. 2003. Biodiversity and human disturbance in the Himalayas. “Fragile Mountains Fragile People? Understanding “fragility” in the Himalayas”. Seminar, Bergen, UIB, 21.11-22.11.03.
Måren I.E. 1997. The flora of the Annapurna Conservation Area, Nepal. The Norwegian Botanical Association, Bergen.
