Senior researcher
D.Sc.( Engineering; Systems and Operations research), Associate professor (Agroecology, University of Helsinki)
Contact information
Email: firstname.surname@syke.fi
Tel: +358 29 525 1415
Finnish Environment Institute (Syke)
Climate solutions
Sustainability
Postal address: Latokartanonkaari 11,
FI-00790 Helsinki, Finland
@ORCID
@GoogleScholar
@Twitter
Present role
I’m an Ecological Engineer who is primarily helping farmers to manage their soils and field ecosystems. I have a problem-solving mindset, where I combine engineering, ecology and systems analysis. A lot of my work involves co-operation with farmers, farm advisors, and companies to apply research to practice (Research Extension approach). I have focused on a few key problems in the food system in the recent years (nutrient availability, soil structure, soil health, remote sensing, combining measurements with systems modelling).
I also participate in the sustainability assessment of renewable resource use and develop methods for managing productive ecosystems also in the future.
Research interests and expertise
- Soil management, soil health and field ecosystems
- Life cycle assessment (LCA), modeling of environmental impacts
- Soil carbon sequestration and nutrient cycling
- Food systems and production ecosystems
- Systems analysis, mathematics, and quantitative uncertainty assessment
- Climate change adaptation and mitigation in agriculture
- On-farm research networks (Carbon action)
Current projects
STN MULTA: Multi-benefit solutions to climate-smart agriculture (2019-2025)
Evergreen revolution with Cover Crops – best practices to enhance carbon sequestration (2021-2023, results are still published)
Novel soil management practices – key for sustainable bioeconomy and climate change mitigation (SOMPA) (-2023, results are still published)
Publications
I have published over 40 peer reviewed scientific articles, in addition to book chapters and extension reports. The latest 4 are here, the rest are in @GoogleScholar and on the University repository as well as in Zenodo (datasets and code).
Mattila, T.J., Vihanto, N. 2024. Agricultural limitations to soil carbon sequestration: plant growth, microbial activity, and carbon stabilization. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment 367, 108986.
Mattila, T.J., 2024. Cover crops and soil loosening are key components for managing P and C stocks in agricultural soils. Soil Use and Management 40(1), e12976
Mattila, T.J., 2024. Redox potential as a soil health indicator – how does it compare to microbial activity and soil structure? Plant and Soil 494 (1): 617-625.
Mattila, T.J., Girz, A.I., Pihlatie, M. 2023. Do carbon farming practices build bioavailable nitrogen pools? Soil use and Management 39 (4): 1532-1544.