About us

Carbon Tree is a co-operation between the University of Helsinki Institute for Atmospheric Research and Earth System Science (INAR) Physics and Forest Sciences, software company Simosol Oy and artist Terike Haapoja.

The Carbon Tree project was initiated at the Department of Forest Sciences with an aim to promote ecologically, economically and socially sustainable use of forests and peatland. INAR maintains the Carbon Tree project and supports exceptionally interdisciplinary research on atmospheric sciences and climate change. INAR research activities combine forest sciences, meteorology, physics and other sciences. INAR acts as a center for national and international collaborative research and runs, for example, SMEAR stations and related research programs as well as cross sectoral collaborations on environmental issues and climate change related to, for example, carbon balance of trees and forests.

The first version of the Carbon Tree was funded by the Finnish Society of Forest Sciences and it was launched in 2009 when the Society celebrated its 100th year anniversary.

The development of the new Carbon Tree pages, as well as the related Interactive Carbon Tree exhibition stand and teaching suitcase were funded by Tieteen tiedotus ry and Ministry of Education and Culture.

 

Authors of the site:

  • PhD Eija Juurola initiated and lead the Carbon Tree project up to 2016.

  • University lecturer Taina Ruuskanen is currently leading the Carbon Tree, and she is also responsible for the educational material.

  • Simosol Oy has implemented the site. It focuses on the development of the forest management decision support systems. The combination of a high degree of computing knowledge and forest-related decision-making expertise offers a broader range of options.  

  • Terike Haapoja has designed the concept for the carbon flow animation.

  • Ivaylo Dzhedzhev built the Carbon Tree animation using the Flint particle system by Richard Lord.

  • Graphic designer Merja Jaskara has designed the graphical layout.

  • PhD Liisa Kulmala has been responsible on the scientific content of the pages.

  • PhD Nuria Altimir has participated in the provision of the content.

  • PhD Pasi Kolari has been the expert of ecological modelling, and he also participated in the provision of the content. 

  • Tommy Chan edited the English-language content.

  • MSc Janne Korhonen and Frans Korhonen have designed and developed portable Interactive Carbon Tree suitcases for educational activities in a project coordinated by the University of Helsinki Center for Continuum Education.      

  • BSc Marianne Santala and MSc Timo Pitkänen have updated the webpages in 2017.