Energy & Climate

Dr. Mirjam Pfeiffer

Senior Researcher

Special Expertise

Vegetation modelling and model development (process-based and empirical), globally and regionally
Data analysis and evaluation
Ecosystem dynamics and processes
Effects of climate change and land use on ecosystem functions and services
Interactions between biotic and abiotic environmental components, analysis of ecological relationships and processes

Research areas

Key Projects

Symobio 2.0: Consolidating Systemic Monitoring and Modelling of the Bioeconomy (in progress since 2021) (German Federal Ministry of Education and Research)
DIFENs: Dealing with Impacts on forests under changing end-use demand, climate change, natural disturbances and policy goals (in progress since 2021) (Forest Climate Fund)
BioSINK: Impact of the use of forest biomass for energy in Germany on German and international LULUCF sinks (in progress since 2021) (German Environment Agency)
Potentials of afforestation and restoration of forests from a nature conservation perspective (in progress since January 2023) (German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation)
STRUBI: Financial incentives for additional climate protection and biodiversity services in forests: Forests with high structural diversity and biodiversity (German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection)
Scenario-based analysis of GHG reduction and sink potentials for natural climate protection in the LULUCF sector and identification of synergies with biodiversity and other environmental goals (German Environment Agency)

Professional Training and Career

Since April 2022: Researcher at Oeko-Institut focusing on the modelling of German forest development using the Forestry and Agriculture Biomass Model FABio
2014 - 2022: Post-doc Researcher at the Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (S-BiKF), Frankfurt am Main
- Process-based vegetation modelling and model development as well as data analysis, evaluation and processing with the trait- and individual-based vegetation model aDGVM2
- Focus on savanna ecosystems in southern Africa (Limpopo Province) as part of the SPACES and SPACES II Initiative of German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (“Limpopo Living Landscapes” and “South African Limpopo Landscapes Network” projects)
- Research on the role of grazing, fire, wood utilisation and climate change for ecosystem functions and services in savannas
- Research on interactions of fire, vegetation and climate during the Holocene and Late Glacial in Europe and Siberia
2008 - 2013: Doctoral Research Assistant at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
- Development of a process-based fire module for the LPJ-DGVM model
- Research on palaeoecological interactions between fire, vegetation, climate and humans
- 2002 - 2008: Graduate degree in Geoecology at the University of Bayreuth
- Specialised in hydrogeology, geology, biogeography, soil ecology, geographic information systems and remote sensing

Selected Publications

Pfeiffer, M., Hennenberg, K., Böttcher, H., Reise, J., Mantau, U.: Referenzszenario der Holzverwendung und der Waldentwicklung im UBA-Projekt BioSINK, 2023
Pfeiffer, M., Hoffmann, M. P., Scheiter, S., Nelson, W., Isselstein, J., Ayisi, K., Odhiambo, J. J., and Rötter, R.: Modeling the effects of alternative crop–livestock management scenarios on important ecosystem services for smallholder farming from a landscape perspective, Biogeosciences, 19, 3935-3958, doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-3935-2022, 2022.
Pfeiffer, M., Kumar, D., Martens, C., and Scheiter, S.: Climate change will cause non-analog vegetation states in Africa and commit vegetation to long-term change, Biogeosciences, 17, 5829-5847, doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-5829-2020, 2020.

Language Skills

Contact

Dr. Mirjam Pfeiffer