Ishi Buffam

Originally from the US, I have lived in Sweden and worked at SLU for over 10 years in total, and am based at SLU Alnarp near Lund and Malmö in southern Sweden. My time is split fairly evenly between research, teaching, and administration. Research-wise, I am an ecosystem scientist with a broad research background, and experience working inter- and trans-disciplinarily to address societal challenges, particularly in urban settings. My initial training and early research (MSc, PhD, post-doc) focused on understanding hydrological and biogeochemical processes impacting carbon and nitrogen cycling across land-water interfaces and within surface waters at local to regional scales. Since then, over the past decade, I have led a research group with a focus on ecosystem functioning and ecosystem services of urban Nature-based Solutions, with a particular focus on green (vegetated) roofs and their biogeochemical function. 

My group’s current research projects involve:  Ecosystem services provided by urban green spaces, climate change and freshwater ecosystem carbon cycling, and biogeochemistry of urban aquatic ecosystems. Many of our current projects are centered around quantifying ecosystem services and potential disservices associated with green (vegetated) roofs. Green roofs are known to intercept and reduce runoff during rain events, to reduce the urban heat island effect, and to function as good insulators thus saving heating/cooling energy. But, little is known about the direct biogeochemical functions of green roofs, for example: What capacity do green roofs have for carbon sequestration, nutrient retention, or greenhouse gas exchange? Or, do they function as a source of nutrients and greenhouse gases, and if so – how can they be designed to minimize these dis-services? And, what are the key design, environmental, and biological factors that drive long-term changes in these novel urban ecosystems?

At SLU I teach courses on Climate Change and Challenges of the City, as well as guest lecturing in many others. In the past, I have designed and taught courses in Ecosystem Ecology, Aquatic Ecology, Stream Ecosystems, Water Resources, and Global Change.  

Courses I am currently responsible for:

LK0412: Climate Change - Landscape in Transition (Masters Level, Spring Term, SLU Alnarp Campus)

LK0401: Climate Change - Effects on the Landscape and Potential Solutions (Bachelors Level, Spring Term, SLU Alnarp Campus)

2007 PhD in Forest Ecology and Management, SLU, Sweden

1999 Master of Environment Sciences, University of Virginia, USA 

1994 Bachelors of Science in Chemistry, Haverford College, USA

2023 – present: Member, Board of Directors, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU)

2020 – present: Research Coordinator, Dep’t. of Landscape Architecture, Planning & Management (SLU)

2024 - present: Co-director, Nature-based Solutions Network, SLU

I welcome contact from students that are interested in potential research with our group! If you are a current bachelors or masters student (primarily for students already at SLU) or a potential doctoral or post-doctoral scholar and interested in learning more about research opportunities in our group, feel free to contact me by email. Include a CV/resume and a description of your experiences and interests, and how they link to those of our group.