In his previous research, Erickson focused on investigating treelines on a global scale, examining their distribution patterns and responses to climate change. Particularly in the Andean treelines, he worked on understanding the effects of fire on the recovery and distribution of high mountain forests. He is also interested in the carbon and water fluxes in disturbed and undisturbed forests in Perú, where he and his colleagues from PUCP collected extensive datasets in Peru`s forests across a wide range of latitudes and altitudes.
During his stay, he will work with Sarah Bereswill to study forests in Peru using a Dynamic Global Vegetation Model developed at PIK, and validate it with observational data collected in forests plots by a team of PUCP researchers. The joint work aims to improve the vegetation model in the Andean region and to provide insights into the carbon storage capacity and biodiversity of undisturbed and recovering forests. The combination of field measurements and vegetation modeling also allows to obtain a perspective on the future development of Peru's forests under the influence of climate change.
If you are interested to get in touch with Erickson, kindly contact epicc@pik-potsdam.de.
