Anna Suuronen

Background

About Anna Suuronen

My research focuses on human–nature interactions, with the aim of identifying effective strategies to mitigate biodiversity loss and promote sustainable land use management. In my work, I have used spatial and temporal biodiversity modelling to explore how land use, natural environments, climate, and phenological factors influence species and community composition. By applying multi-criteria decision-making tools, I have integrated my biodiversity expertise to help identify sustainable solutions for green energy production. I obtained my Master’s degree in Ecology in 2011 from the University of Turku, during which I participated in an exchange program at Universidad Nacional Agraria La Molina in Lima, Peru. After graduating in 2012, I completed an internship at Fundación Chile, contributing to the Mining Footprint project that assessed the ecological and biodiversity impacts of mining activities in Chile. In 2017, I earned my PhD from the University of Jyväskylä, with doctoral research focusing on the effects of photovoltaic (PV) solar power plants on species composition in desert ecosystems. During this work, I developed a sustainable site selection framework for PV installations in Northern Chile. The research was primarily conducted in Chile, where I was also jointly enrolled as a PhD student at the University of Concepción. Since March 2021 I have been researcher at the Nature Solutions unit of the Finnish Environment Institute (Syke). During this time, I have worked extensively with long-term biodiversity data and have become well-acquainted with the existing long-term datasets available in Finland. My primary work at Syke has involved developing RIVPACS models for predicting freshwater organism groups and assessed the change in species composition resulting from land-use impacts. I am also part of the team responsible for maintaining and developing Finland´s national moth monitoring scheme. My primary responsibilities include ensuring data quality and managing data requests, which has given me the privilege of acting as a data provider.