Curriculum Vitae
- Current: Postdoc, Forest Ecology and Resilience, Chair of Silviculture, University of Freiburg
- Current: Coordinator, Excellence Cluster Future Forests, University of Freiburg
- 2019-2024: PhD candidate, Boreal Forest Resilience, Department of Environmental Sciences, Wageningen University
- 2018-2019: Data Modeler, Pest distribution modelling, Wageningen University
- 2017-2019: MSc Forest and Nature Conservation (Ecology), Wageningen University
- 2016: Exchange semester, University of Alaska Fairbanks
- 2014-2015: Faculty Student Officer, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling
- 2013-2017: BSc Environmental Sciences (Ecology), University of Stirling
- 2004-2013: Banking Officer, Commerzbank, Frankfurt
Research
My main research interest lies in the exploration of resilience of various (eco)systems, especially forests, to global change and its impacts (i.e. drought, wildfire, insect outbreaks). This means that I study if and how systems can recover from these impacts.
I am particularly fascinated about developments of early warning indicators that may tell us whether an ecosystem may become less resilient over time. I use multiple data sources to investigate changes in resilience: remote sensing data (e.g. from satellites and drones), field data (such as tree rings, vegetation data), and model data. Beyond the ecological questions related to system resilience, I aim to figure out whether and how answers to these questions can lead to actionable change, for example in forest management measures or environmental policies.
My system focus so far has been on Arctic tundra (mainly Siberia), boreal and temperate forests as well as infectious disease outbreaks.
Research projects:
- Excellence Cluster Future Forests, Germany
- Netherlands Earth System Science Centre, NESSC, The Netherlands
- WrEN: Woodland Creation and Ecological Networks, Scotland/England
Teach
Assisted in the following courses at Wageningen University and University of Freiburg (including supervision of student groups, field excursions and grading of course work):
- Trends in Forest and Nature Conservation
- Complexity in Ecological Systems
- Introduction to Marine and Estuarine Ecology
- Marine Systems
- Trending Topics in Biology and Chemistry of Soil and Water
- Silviculture
Lectures given at the following courses at Wageningen University and University of Freiburg:
- Trends in Forest and Nature Conservation
- Complexity in Ecological Systems
- Silviculture
Thesis supervision of seven MSc students and one BSc student
Publikationen
The 1 most recent publication(s) are displayed
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Demuth, S., Gustard, A., Planos, E., Scatena, F., & Servat, E. (2006). Climate Variability and Change – Hydrological Impact. Vth International FRIEND World Conference, 703 pp.
- Delecroix, Clara, Egbert H. van Nes, Ingrid A. van de Leemput, Ronny Rotbarth, Marten Scheffer, and Quirine ten Bosch. 2023. “The Potential of Resilience Indicators to Anticipate Infectious Disease Outbreaks, a Systematic Review and Guide.” Edited by Reuben Kiggundu. PLOS Global Public Health 3 (10): e0002253. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgph.0002253.
- Magnússon, Rúna Í., Juul Limpens, Jacobus Huissteden, David Kleijn, Trofim C. Maximov, Ronny Rotbarth, Ute Sass‐Klaassen, and Monique M. P. D. Heijmans. 2020. “Rapid Vegetation Succession and Coupled Permafrost Dynamics in Arctic Thaw Ponds in the Siberian Lowland Tundra.” Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences 125 (7): 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1029/2019JG005618.
- Milkoreit, Manjana, Emily Boyd, Sara M. Constantino, Vera Helene Hausner, Dag O. Hessen, Andreas Kääb, Duncan McLaren, Christina Nadeau, Karen O’Brien, Fran-Jan Parmentier, Ronny Rotbarth, Rolf Rødven, Desiree Treichler, Elana Wilson-Rowe, Yulia Yamineva. 2024. “Governance for Earth System Tipping Points – A Research Agenda.” Earth System Governance 21 (August): 100216. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esg.2024.100216.
- Olsthoorn, Fanny, Lucy Gilbert, Manoj Fonville, Nolwenn Blache, Livia May, Flavia Mondini, Ronny Rotbarth, Corinne Schlierenzauer, Sara Gandy, Hein Sprong, Jaoury Ghazoul. 2025. “Woodland Expansion and Deer Management Shape Tick Abundance and Lyme Disease Hazard.” Ecological Solutions and Evidence 6 (1). https://doi.org/10.1002/2688-8319.12403.
- Rotbarth, Ronny, Charlotte Bruggeman, Jesse de Gelder, Tim Jansen, Jane Uhd Jepsen, Mirre Stevens, Ole Peter Laksforsmo Vindstad, and Milena Holmgren. 2024. “Stem Mortality, Productivity and Climate Determine Forest Recovery after Insect Outbreaks.” In The Future Face of the Last Frontier : Boreal Forest Resilience to Global Change, PhD thesis by Ronny Rotbarth, pp. 99–121. Wageningen, The Netherlands: Wageningen University. https://doi.org/10.18174/670532.
- Rotbarth, Ronny, Egbert H. van Nes, Marten Scheffer, and Milena Holmgren. 2025. “Boreal Forests Are Heading for an Open State.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 122 (2). https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2404391121.
- Rotbarth, Ronny, Egbert H. van Nes, Marten Scheffer, Jane Uhd Jepsen, Ole Petter Laksforsmo Vindstad, Chi Xu, and Milena Holmgren. 2023. “Northern Expansion Is Not Compensating for Southern Declines in North American Boreal Forests.” Nature Communications 14 (1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-39092-2.