University of Gothenburg
  2. About
  3. Find staff
  4. Håkan Pleijel

Håkan Pleijel

Professor

Department of Biological & Environmental Sciences
Telephone
+46 31-786 25 32
+46 733-10 07 00
Mail
hakan.pleijel@bioenv.gu.se
Visiting address
Medicinaregatan 7 B
41390 Göteborg
Room number
4154
Postal address
Box 463
40530 Göteborg

About Håkan Pleijel

Research My research is focused on the interaction between vegetation and the atmosphere. A large fraction of my work has been related to ground level-ozone – deposition, effects on vegetation and its distribution in the landscape near the Earth surface. This work has been used in the Air Pollution Convention LRTAP (Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution), where I have been active in the Task Force ICP Vegetation since 1987. I also conducted several investigations of the effect of elevated carbon dioxide on agricultural crops regarding growth and nutrient concentration.

In addition, I work with traffic related air pollutants, such as nitrogen oxides, PAH pollutants and particles, as well as the effects of climate and climate change on air pollution. This part of my research also includes the importance of urban greenery for the city environment, partly by removing air pollutants, but also more generally by contributing to an improved local climate and a more attractive Environment.

I lead the Formas funded project ”Clean the air with plants – can PAH exposure be reduced with urban vegetation?” where we investigate how different tree species can contribute to improved air quality by absorbing PAH pollutants in the urban environment. We also investigate the distribution of air pollutants over the urban landscape.

I am also project leader of the Formas project CityAirSim - ”Visualising and modelling urban air quality - influence of vegetation, building morphology and traffic emissions”. Here, the University of Gothenburg collaborates with Chalmers, the IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute and other partners on how the urban air quality is affected by the design of the urban landscape, including the occurrence of greenery. We also address the question of how the knowledge can be transferred to school children and city planners. You can read more about this project on the web site of Mistra Urban Futures.

In the period 2010-2021, I was the co-ordinator for those parts of the strategic research area BECC (Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services in a Changing Climate), led by Lund University, that are allocated to the University of Gothenburg. In am still active in BECC. Here we work with a broad spectrum of research related to climate effects and environmental change in the terrestrial environment.

Teaching My teaching covers plant ecophysiology, air pollution, international environmental agreements as well as basic environmental science and ecology.

Other activities I have been the author and/or editor of several books, mainly for teaching purposes. In addition, I have been working with design of environmental monitoring and evaluation of environmental objectives.

A complete list of scientific publications can be obtained through my Researcher ID C-9724-2010.