Professor
Dr. Gunilla Öberg is Professor at the Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability, (IRES) at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada. She is presently on sabbatical leave and will be spending her year as visiting professor with the Gino Germani Institute at the University of Buenos Aires, Argentina and Uniwater at the University of Melbourne where she will be focussing on sustainable (waste) water management in growing urban areas.
Dr. Öberg recently finished her five year term as director of IRES (2006-2011), a period after which the institute received a very strong external review. Before arriving at UBC, she was the founding director of the Centre for Climate Science and Policy Research at Linköping University, Sweden. She works in a number of seemingly disparate research fields, takes pleasure in creating collaborative teams consisting of unorthodox combinations of expertise and is a dedicated teacher who publishes with scholars in the educational field.
Reviews of Interdisciplinary environmental studies – a primer
Research
Dr. Öberg is acknowledged for her ability to lead complex interdisciplinary environmental projects involving experts in the social sciences, humanities, natural sciences and engineering. Her projects focus on the use of knowledge in policy and she has led projects on acidification, critical loads, and climate change and her most recent project deals with the energy-water nexus with a focus on sustainable waste water management. The Integrated Water and Energy Management Project (IWEP) aims at facilitating sustainable waste water management in growing urban areas. IWEP is conducted in close collaboration with industry and community partners and the interdisciplinary group includes UBC scholars with expertise in water governance, risk perception, eco-hydrology, decision making theory, artificial intelligence, ecosystem services and engineering. The project is conducted in collaboration with the U21 network Water Futures for Sustainable Cities as well as with partners at the University of Buenos Aires (UBA) and the University of San Martin (UNSAM), Argentina.
Dr. Öberg is also internationally recognized for her research on chlorine biogeochemistry in soil. These studies integrate knowledge from a number of disciplines such as biogeochemistry, soil science, analytical environmental chemistry, microbiology, enzymology and hydrology. Her work is widely cited with her 1991 seminal paper “Organohalogens in nature: more widespread than previously assumed” featured by Environmental Science and Technology and her 2005 paper Retention of chloride in soil(co-authored with Dr. Per Sandén), among the top-ten cited papers in Hydrological Processes.
Dr. Öberg is a faculty associate at the Faculty of Land and Food systems where she runs the Soil Water Air Laboratory (SWAL) jointly with Drs. Les Lavkulich, Hans Schreier, Maja Krzic and Mark Johnson in close collaboration with Dr. Andrew Black and the Biometeorology group at UBC.
In addition, Dr. Öberg conducts studies on interdisciplinary higher education, with a focus on method development and the question “how does one conduct rigorous interdisciplinary research and education?” In 1997, she was in charge of the development of the interdisciplinary environmental program at Linköping University, which was deemed exceptional by the Swedish Agency for Higher Education due to its novel approach and structure, designed to facilitate integration of subject matter from various disciplines and scholarly traditions. Her publications in this area are steadily gaining in reputation. For example, her 2007 paper “Communicative aspects of environmental management by objectives – examples from the Swedish context” (co-authored with Drs. Victoria Wibeck and Madelaine Abrandt Dahlgren) is among the top ten most read papers in Qualitative Research and has been chosen to be re-printed in a major reference collection as part of SAGE Benchmarks in Social Research Methods. Her most recent book “Interdisciplinary environmental studies – a primer”, published in December 2010 by Blackwell and Wiley, is a much needed practical hands-on guide book.
Dr. Öberg enjoys teaching and has successfully supervised students in a number of diverse areas. Being Director at IRES, she presently teaches only one course per year. In 2007-2010, she taught the graduate course “Facilitation of interdisciplinary and transacademic research” and in 2011, she developed and taught the new interdisciplinary undergraduate course “Applied sustainability” which is open for students in six of UBC’s Faculties and conducted in close collaboration with UBC Operations.
Current supervision
Victor Acuña (MA) Factors that Facilitate Interdisciplinary Collaboration
Matt Dolf (PhD Human kinetics) Sustainable sports events
Liz Ferris (MA) What is effective climate policy – the BC case
Hana Galal (MA) Municipal infrastructure selection processes:
Selecting the most environmentally sustainable and risk-averse wastewater treatment technology – a case study of the North Shore facility replacement project in Metro Vancouver, BC, Canada
Laura Grant (MSc) Source determination of organic matter and metals in coastal mountain streams.
Alicia LaValle (PhD) Topic tbd
Margaret Morales (MA) Gender and sanitation in Lomas de Zamora, Argentina
Hamed Taheri (PhD) Topic tbd
Committee member for
Nicole Dusyk (PhD) Local energy planning and the construction of sustainable energy in British Columbia
Tashi Tsering (PhD) Inequality in Traditionally Farmer-Managed Irrigation System: A Case Study of Tibetan Buddhist Village
Previous supervision
Doctoral theses
Svensson, Teresia. 2006. Chlorine transport in a small catchment. Linköping Studies in Arts and Science, nr 352. Linköpings universitet. ISBN 91-85523-85-2.
Alkan Olsson, Johanna. 2003. Setting Limits in Nature and the Metabolism of Knowledge – the Case of the Critical Load concept. Linköping Studies in Arts and Science nr Linköpings Universitet. ISBN 91
Johansson, Emma. 2000. Organic chlorine and chloride in soil. Linköping Studies in Arts and Science nr 210, Linköpings Universitet. ISBN 91-7219-724-2
Hjelm, Olof. 1996. Organohalogens in coniferous forest soil. Linköping Studies in Arts and Science nr 139, Linköpings Universitet. ISBN 91-7871-702-7
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Master theses
Jacqueline A. Belzile (MA) 2011 Lessons from Oz to the Okanagan : water policy and structural reform in a changing climate
Beaulieu, Mathieu (MSc) 2010 Climate change impact in a coastal community watershed: investigating the summer streamflow response to a shifting hydrological regime
Empey, Erin 2010 (Master of Journalism) Integrated resource recovery: energy potential in Vancouver’s waste water
Ahl, Helga. 2005. Theory and practice. A study of the Swedish forestry administration board and its procedures for protecting land. (In Swedish). LiU Norrköping. Environmental Science Programme.
Larsson, Emma. 2004. Science and policy in the framing of international negotiations on climate change. LiU Norrköping. Environmental Science Programme. LIU-ITUF/MV-D–04/11—SE
Larsson, Anna. 2004. Environmental goal assessment – not as simple as it sounds. A study of roles and communication in the Swedish environmental administration. (In Swedish). LiU Norrköping, Environmental Science Programme. LIU-ITUF/MV-D–03/31—SE
Madelaine Johansson, 2003. Environmental goal assessment in the county of Östergötland – a study of areas of conflict within the frame of regional environemental assessment work. (In Swedish). LiU Norrköping. Environmental Science Programme,. LIU-ITUF/MV-D–03/10—SE
Maria Eriksson, 2002. Indirect environmental aspects at SMHI. Identification and handling. (In Swedish). LiU Norrköping Environmental Science Programme.
Marita Lachan, 2002. Levande skogar – ett svenskt miljökvalitetsmål. Living forests – a Swedish environmental goal. (In Swedish). LiU Norrköping. Environmental Science Programme.
Malin Rodhstedt, 2002. Risk assessment and naturally produced dioxins. LiU Norrköping. Environmental Science Programme. LIU-ITUF/MV-D–02/16–SE
Gustaf Ebenå, 1997. Influence of nitrogen on netformation of organic halogen during degradation of soil. LiU Linköping. Department of Biology.
Carsten Johansen. 1995. Organically bound halogens in spruce forest through fall – occurrence, deposition and chemical characterization (in Danish). DTH, Kopenhaven. Institution of Geology and Geotechnology.
Helena Nord. 1994. Do white-rot fungi produce chloro-organic compounds during lignin degradation? (in Swedish). LiU Linköping. Department of Biology,
Ingela Börjesson. 1991. Net production of halogenated organic compounds in soil at different pH (in Swedish). LiU Linköping. Department of Biology.
C.J.M. van den Biggenlaar. 1990. The use of sum-parameter measurements of anthropogenic organic halogens compounds in the Netherlands and Germany and the influence of naturally produced organohalogens. University of Agriculture, Wageningen.
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Bachelor theses
Milka Nilsson. 2005. Influence of chloride and nitrogen on formation and leaching of chlorinated organic matter in soil. LiU Norrköping. Environmental Science Programme.
Tora Strandberg. 2003. Inventorying humans in the forest – a study of coastal forest owners’ understanding of the political shift in focus within Swedish forestry. LiU Norrköping. Environmental Science Programme.
Daniel Stenman, 2002. The scientific basis of Swedish climate policy (In Swedish). Environmental Science Programme, Department of Thematic Studies. Linköpings Universitet. LIU-ITUF/MV-C–02/14–SE
Marita Lachan, 2001. Health and the environment – conflicts in the management of waste products? (In Swedish) Environmental Science Programme, Department of Thematic Studies. Linköpings Universitet.
Mårten Sundin, 2001. towards closed cycles – the precautionary principle, the hierarchy of waste and the risk society (In Swedish). Environmental Science Programme, Department of Thematic Studies. Linköpings Universitet.
Gustav Ebenå. 1995. Development of a method for studies on the influence of reactive chlorine on the degradability of lignin (in Swedish). Department of Biology, LiU.
Pia Kersna. 1992. A studie of the content of TOX in plants and its contribution to such compounds in soil (in Swedish). Department of Biology, LiU. (10 p)
Karin Persson. 1992. Detection of chloroperoxidase activity in fungal mycel isolated from spruce forest soil (In Swedish). Department of Biology, LiU.
Olof Hjelm. 1991. Occurrence of chlororganic compounds in lichen (in Swedish). Department of Chemistry, LiU.
Pia Kersna. 1991. An attempt to detect chlorperoxidase activity in needles of Norwegian Spruce (Picea abies, L.). Department of Biology, LiU. (5 p)
Susanne Karlsson. 1989. Studies of naturally produced chlororganic compounds (in Swedish) Kemiavdelningen, LiU.
Eva Siljeholm. 1989. Chloro-organic compounds in an acidified spruce forest in Swedish). Department of Biology, LiU.
Teaching
2007-2010 Transdisciplinary Sustainable Research (RMES 502)
2011 – Applied sustainability (APSC 364)
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Publications
Jacqueline A. Belzile, and Gunilla Öberg 2012. Focus Groups. In: Measurements, Indicators, and Research Methods for Sustainability. Berkshire Encyclopedia of Sustainability 6/10.
Jacqueline A. Belzile and Gunilla Öberg 2012 Where to begin? Grappling with how to use participant interaction in focus group design. Qualitative Research (Published online March 23, 2012, doi: 10.1177/1468794111433089 )
Per Bengtsson, David Bastviken and Gunilla Öberg. 2012. Possible roles of reactive chlorine II: Assessing biotic chlorination as a way for organisms to handle oxygen stress. Environmental Microbiology and Environmental Microbiology Reports. (Accepted for publication May 14, 2012)
Malin Gustavsson, Susanne K. Karlsson, Gunilla Öberg, Per Sandén, Teresia Svensson, Valinia, S., Ives Thiry, David Bastviken, 2012. Organic matter chlorination rates in different boreal soil — the role of soil organic matter content. Environmental Science and Technology 46 (3), pp 1504–1510. DOI: 10.1021/es203191r
Margaret Morales and Gunilla Öberg, 2012.The Idea of Sewage as a Resource. An Introductory Study of Knowledge and Decision Making in Liquid Waste Management in Metro Vancouver, BC. Canada. UBC’s Program of Water Governance Report.
Gunilla Öberg, 2012. Qualitative and quantitative studies. In: Measurements, Indicators, and Research Methods for Sustainability. Berkshire Encyclopedia of Sustainability 6/10.
Gunilla Öberg, Louise Fortmann and Tim Gray 2012 Is interdisciplinary research a mashup? In: Interdisciplinary progress in environmental science and management. (ed. Nicholas V.C. Polunin) Cambridge University Press. (accepted)
Molodovskaya, M., Warland, J., Richards, B.K., Öberg, G. and Steenhuis, T. 2011. Nitrous oxide emission from heterogeneous agricultural landscape: analysis of source contribution by eddy covariance and static chambers. Soil Science Society of America Journal 75: 5: 1829-1838
Öberg, G. and Bastviken, D. 2011. Transformation of chloride to organic chlorine in terrestrial environments: variability, extent and implications. Critical Reviews in Environmental Science and Technology(Published online 20 Oct 2011 DOI: 10.1080/10643389.2011.592753)
Kai M.A. Chan, Emily Anderson, Natasha Sihota, Brent C. Chamberlain, Carys Evans, Gunilla Öberg and Erin Empey, Sarah Klain, Jordan Levine, Megan E. Mach, Rebecca Goldman Martone, Cathryn Clarke Murray, Julia Reckermann, Gerald Singh, Jordan Tam (submitted) Integrating Ecology into Organizational Decision-Making for Sustainability
de Boer, W., Folman, L., Bastviken, D., Svensson, T., Öberg, G., del Rio, J. and Boddy, L. 2010. Mechanism of antibacterial activity of the white-rot fungus Hypholoma fasciculare colonizing wood. Canadian Journal of Microbiology Volume 56, Number 5, 1 May 2010 , pp. 380-388.
Öberg, Gunilla, 2010. Interdisicplinary environmental studies – a primer. Blackwell & Wiley.
Wibeck, V., Abrandt Dahlgren, M. and Öberg, G. 2010 Learning in focus groups: an analytical dimension for enhancing focus group research. In “Data Collection” W. Paul Vogt (Ed) SAGE Benchmarks in Social Research Methods. SAGE Publications. (in press)
David Bastviken, Teresia Svensson, Susanne Karlsson and Gunilla Öberg. 2009. Temperature sensitivity indicates that chlorination of organic matter in forest soil is primarily biotic. Environmental Science and Technology 43, 3569–3573.
Per Bengtson, David Bastviken, Wietse de Boer and Gunilla Öberg. 2009. Possible role of reactive chlorine in microbial antagonism and organic matter chlorination in terrestrial environments. Environmental Microbiology 11: 1330–1339,(published on line doi:10.1111/j.1462-2920.2009.01915.x)
Öberg, G. 2009. Facilitating interdisciplinary work: using quality assessment to create common ground. Higher Education 57, no. 4, pp. 405-415
Bastviken, D., Thomsen, F., Svensson, T., Karlsson, S., Sandèn, P., Shaw, G., Matucha, M. and Öberg, G. 2007. Chloride retention in forest soil by microbial uptake and by natural chlorination of organic matter. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 71:3182-3192
Öberg, G. 2007. Praktisk tvärvetenskap – tankar om och för gränsöverskridande projekt (Interdisciplinarity in practice – thoughts concerning cross-boundary projects). Studentlitteratur.
Svensson T., Laturnus F., Sandén P., Öberg G. 2007 Chloroform in run-off water – a two-year study in a small catchment in south-east Sweden. Biogeochemistry 82: 139-151
Svensson, T., Sandén, P., Bastviken, B. and Öberg, G. 2007 Chlorine transport in a small catchment in southeast Sweden during two years. Biogeochemistry 82:181-199
Wibeck, V., Abrandt Dahlgren, M. and Öberg, G. 2007 Learning in focus groups: an analytical dimension for enhancing focus group research. Qualitative Research 7 (2): 249-267
Bastviken, D., Sandén, P., Svensson,T., Ståhlberg, C., Magounakis,M. and Öberg, G. 2006 Chloride retention and release in a boreal forest soil – effects of soil water residence time, nitrogen and chloride loads. Environmental Science and Technology 40:2977-2982
Lahsen, M. and Öberg, G. 2006. The role of unstated mistrust and disparities in scientific capacity – examples from Brazil. CSPR Reports. ISBN 91-25523-42-9
Wibeck, V., Johansson, M., Larsson, A. and Öberg, G. 2005 Communicative aspects of environmental management by objectives – examples from the Swedish context. Env. Managment 37 (4):461-469
Lövbrand, E. and Öberg, G. 2005 Towards reflexive scientization of environmental policy. Environmental Science and Policy. 8(2):195-197
Öberg G, Holm, M. Parikka, M. Sandén, P. and Svensson, T. 2005. The role of organic-matter-bound chlorine in the chlorine cycle: a case study of the Stubbetorp catchment, Sweden. Biogeochemistry 75: 173–201
Öberg, G. and Sandén, P. 2005 Retention of chloride in soil. Hydrol Proc 19:2123-2136
Johansson, E., Xin, Z.B., Zhengyi, H., Sandén, P. and Öberg, G. 2004. Turn-over of organic chlorine in submerged paddy soil. Soil Use and Management 20:144-149.
Laturnus, L., Svensson, T. Wiencke, C. and Öberg, G. 2004. Ultraviolet Radiation Affects Emission of Ozone-Depleting Substances by Marine Macroalgae – Results From a Laboratory Incubation Study. Environmental Science and Technology 38: 6605-6609
do Nascimento, N.R, Nicola, S.M.C. Rezende, M.O.O. Oliviera, T.A. and Öberg, G. 2004. Pollution by hexachlorobenzene and pentachlorophenol in the coastal plain of São Paulo state, Brazil. Geoderma 121:221-232
Johansson, E., Sandén, P. and Öberg, G. 2003. Organic chlorine in deciduous and coniferous forest soil in southern Sweden. Soil Science 168:347-355.
Johansson, E., Sandén, P and Öberg, G. 2003. Spatial patterns of organic chlorine and chloride in Swedish forest soil. Chemosphere 52:391-397.
Karlsson, S.A. and Öberg, G. 2003. UV-light induced mineralization of organic matter bound chlorine in Lake Bjän, Sweden – a laboratory study. Chemosphere 52:463-469.
Rodstedth, M., Ståhlberg, C., Sandén, P. and Öberg, G. 2003. Chloride imbalances in soil lysimeters. Chemoshere 52:381-389.
Öberg, G. 2003. The biogeochemistry of chlorine in soil. In: The Handbook of Environmental Chemistry Vol. 3, part P. The Natural Production of Organohalogen Compounds (ed Gribble, G.), Springer-Verlag, pp 43-62.
Öberg, G. 2002. Old news about the chlorine cycle in soil. Science dEbate feb 21, 2002. (http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/eletters/295/5557/985?ck=nck)
Öberg, G. 2002. The natural chlorine cycle – fitting the scattered pieces. Requisitioned review. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 58 (5): 565-581.
Johansson, E., Ebenå, G., Sandén, P., Svensson, T. and Öberg, G. 2001. Organic and inorganic chlorine in Swedish spruce forest soil: Influence of nitrogen. Geoderma 10: 1-13.
Abrandt-Dahlgren, M. and Öberg, G. 2000. Questioning to learn and learning to question: Structure and function of PBL scenarios in environmental science education. Higher Education 41:263-282.
Johansson, E., Krantz-Rülcker, T., Zhang, B.X. and Öberg, G. 2000. Chlorination and biodegradation of lignin. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 32:1029-1032.
Neidan, V., Pavasars, I., and Öberg, G. 2000. Chloroperoxidase-mediated chlorination of aromatic groups in fulvic acid. Chemosphere 41: 779-785.
Abrandt-Dahlgren, M. and Öberg, G. 1999. Structure and function of PBL scenarios in environmental science and education. In: Här och Nu! Hård af Segerstad, H. (ed). CUP rapport 5. ISBN 91-7219-625-4.
Abrandt-Dahlgren, M. and Öberg, G. 1999. Brief scenarios instead of authentic cases in environmental science education – does it work? Presented at AuDes 5e conference on environmental education. Zürich, Schweiz, april 15-17, 1999.
Hjelm, O., Johansson, E. and Öberg, G. 1999. Production of organically bound halogens by the litter-degrading fungus Lepista nuda. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 31:1509-1515.
Kokalj, S. and Öberg, G. 1999. Miljö till salu. I: Medier och modernisering. En antologi om utbildningsprogram och samhällsförändring (red. Bengt Sandin). Etermedierna i Sverige. pp 281-296.
Svensson, T., Bastviken, D., Fredriksson, A. and Öberg, G. 1999. Problem-oriented laboratory work in environmental education: Experiences from a new master’s programme at Linköping University, Sweden. Presented at AuDes 5e conference on environmental education. Zürich, Schweiz, april 15-17, 1999. http://www.uns.umnw.ethz.ch/auDes/
Öberg, G. 1998. Chloride and organic chlorine in soil. Acta hydrochimica et hydrobiolobiologica 26:137-144.
Öberg, G., Johansen, C., and Grön, C. 1998. Organic halogens in spruce forest throughfall. Chemosphere 36:1689-1701.
Öberg, G. and Grön, C. 1998. Sources of organic halogens in spruce forest soil. Environ. Sci. Technol. 32:1573-1579.
Öberg, G, Brunberg, H. and Hjelm, O. 1997. Production of organically bound halogens during degradation of birch wood by common white-rot fungi. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 29:191-197.
Öberg, G. and Bäckstrand, K. 1997. Praktik och ideal i svensk försurningsforskning. VEST- tidsskrift för vetenskapsstudier 1: 23-39.
Hjelm, O., Borén, H. and Öberg, G. 1996. Detection of halogenated organic compounds in soil from a Lepista nuda (wood blewitt) fairy ring. Chemosphere 32:1719-1728.
Öberg, G. and Bäckstrand, K. 1996. Conceptualization of the acidification theory in Swedish environmental research. Environmental Reviews 4:123-132.
Öberg, G., Nordlund, E. and Berg, B. 1996. In situ formation of organically bound halogens during decomposition of Norway spruce needles – effects of fertilization. Canadian Journal of Forest Research 26:1040-1048.
Öberg, G., Börjesson, I. and Samuelsson, B. 1996. Production and mineralisation of organically bound halogens in relation to soil pH. Water, Air and Soil Pollution, 89:351-361.
(Change of surname from Asplund to Öberg in 1996)
Asplund, G. 1995. Origin and occurrence of halogenated organic matter in soil. In: Grimvall, A. and deLeer, E.W.B. (Eds.) Naturally-Produced Organohalogens. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dortrecht. pp. 35-48.
Hjelm, O. and Asplund, G. 1995. Chemical characterization of organohalogens in a coniferous forest soil. In: Grimvall, A and deLeer, E.W.B (Eds.). Naturally-Produced Organohalogens. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dortrecht, the Netherlands. pp. 105-111.
Hjelm, O., Johansson, M-B. and Öberg-Asplund, G. 1995. An analysis of the sources and distribution pattern of organically bound halogens in soil from a coniferous forest soil. Chemosphere 30:2353-2364.
Asplund, G. and Grimvall, A. 1994. Organohalogen compounds in nature. Environ. Sci. Technol. 28:402A.
Asplund, G., Grimvall, A. and Jonsson, S. 1994. Determination of the total and leachable amounts of organohalogens in soil. Chemosphere 28:1467-1475.
Asplund, G., Christiansen, J.V. and Grimvall, A. 1993. A chloroperoxidase-like catalyst in soil: detection and characterization of some properties. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 25:41-46.
Asplund. G. 1992. On the origin of organohalogens found in the environment. Ph. D. Thesis. Linköpings universitet studies in Arts and Science, nr 177. ISBN
Hedrén, J. and Asplund, G. 1992. Den politiska ekologin – en granskning av dess överdeologiska funktion och förutsättningar VEST- tidsskrift för vetenskapsstudier 4/1992: 4-12.
Asplund, G. and Grimvall, A. 1991. Organohalogens in nature, more widespread than previously assumed. Environ. Sci. Technol. 25:1346-1350.
Grimvall, A and Asplund, G. 1991. Natural halogenation of organic macromolecules. Finnish Humus News. 3:41-51.
Lassen, P., Christiansen, J.V., Carlsen, L., Asplund, G. and Grimvall, A. 1991. Halogen lability of halogenated humic acids. Finnish Humus News. 3:53-58.
Asplund, G., Grimvall, A. and Pettersson, C. 1989. Naturally produced adsorbable organic halogens (AOX) in humic substances from soil and water. Sci. Tot. Environ. 81/82:239-248.
