Projects

UTU Geography Tanzania Team

Lassi Roininen is an associate professor (tenure track) in applied mathematics in the School of Engineering Science in Lappeenranta University of Technology. He is also an adjunct professor in applied mathematics in University of Oulu, Finland. He works on a broad spectrum from the fundamental mathematical inverse problems theory to applications in near-space remote sensing and subsurface imaging. He collaborates with high-level international research groups both in academia and industry. His research highlight is the development of the methodology of discretisation-invariant and computationally feasible priors for Bayesian inversion of function-valued unknowns. Applications include e.g. tomography (ionospheric, electrical impedance, X-ray) and radar pulse-compression coding and analysis methods.

Projects

Large-scale subclimax in the Amazonian lowland forests due to pre-Colombian deforestation

Working with ecology and biogeography of Amazonian rain forests.

Projects

Mapping Amazonian biodiversity at multiple scales by integrating geology and ecology

Providing tools for the use of indicator species in forest inventories in Amazonia

I have expertise in tropical forest ecology, conservation and management. Having lived in the Asia-Pacific region for 25 years, I have a deep understanding of the forests ranging from the Himalayas through Southeast Asia and to Oceana. My main area of study is vegetation and plant ecology, which includes not only natural forest but other forms of vegetation (plantations, agriculture, etc). I have a strong botanical foundation to my research. I conduct research on scales ranging from the plant community (e.g. forest dynamics) to the region (e.g. vegetation change in Southeast Asia). I also have extensive research experience with community-based forest management. My research aims to quantitatively link habitat, resource and landscape dynamics with local actors (farmers). I use a wide range of research tools including social surveys of various types, quantitative forest surveys, policy analysis and spatial analysis/modeling such as the quantification of land cover change using remote sensing and GIS.