Department Physical Geography

Dr. Jesse Kalwij

Research and Teaching Interests

  • Invasive and exotic plant species: Dispersal mechanisms, genetic patterns, elevational distribution, and human impacts on invasive species.
  • Vegetation dynamics in savanna and grassland systems: Influence of large herbivores, management measures, and climate change on plant composition and diversity.
  • Vegetation changes along landscape gradients: Elevational, climatic, and disturbance gradients, such as the spread of species along roads or in montane ecosystems.
  • Functional diversity and adaptation to environmental variables: Relationships between stress resistance and range size, functional redundancy, and local adaptation in invasive species.
  • Remote sensing and drone use in vegetation ecology: Use of UAVs (drones) and high-resolution imagery to analyse tree structures, species composition, and vegetation changes.
  • Long-term effects of landscape use and management: Impacts of bush encroachment, artificial waterhole management, and roadside verges on vegetation and biodiversity.
  • Plant dispersal by biotic vectors: Role of animals, such as birds and mammals, in the long-distance transport of plant propagules.
  • Spatio-temporal analysis of ecological patterns: Spatially explicit data analyses and the development of large-scale databases.
  • Methods for assessing and interpreting large-scale biodiversity data: Use and evaluation of species distribution data, sampling bias, and biodiversity indicators.

Projects:
Lapalala Elephant Landscape Experiment (LELE Project)
Sani Pass Alien Plants Monitoring Project (SPAM Project)

Courses:
Geoinformatics 2
Methods of Ecosystem Management

Qualifications and Education:
05/2005: PhD (Dr. phil.-nat., University of Bern)
01/2000: MSc (Wageningen University)

Academic Positions:
Since 10/2025: Research Associate, Institute of Geography, University of Göttingen
Since 2013: Visiting Researcher, Department of Zoology, University of Johannesburg
Since 2022: Visiting Researcher, Institute of Geography and Geoecology, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology
Since 10/2025: Visiting Researcher, Institute of Environmental Planning, Leibniz University Hannover

International Research Experience:
Europe and southern Africa

Memberships:

 

Links: ORCID, LinkedIn