Dr. Birgitta Malm Renöfält

Biography

Birgitta Malm-Renöfält conducts research focused on restoring and rehabilitating watercourse ecosystems affected by human activity, particularly concerning hydropower and its impact on natural flow patterns. Her work seeks to enhance the understanding of how natural flow regimes affect the physical habitat, organisms, and the ecological status of ecosystems. With a landscape ecology perspective, she emphasizes the significance of catchment areas in her research. Malm-Renöfält is actively involved in various projects aimed at maintaining valuable riparian ecosystems through understanding flow needs and developing impactful measures for rehabilitation. Her research encompasses high-flow pulses and their vital role in sustaining ecosystems, particularly in areas impacted by water diversion. She is also a group member in restoration ecology, collaborating on projects that explore the ecological status of aquatic and riparian habitats in regulated rivers. Her projects include examining the effects of hydropeaking on habitats and connectivity under sustainable hydropower management, as well as initiatives focused on freshwater ecosystem management in the context of climate change.

Research Interests