Egill Erlendsson

Egill Erlendsson serves as a Professor in the Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences at the University of Iceland's School of Engineering and Natural Sciences, where he has established himself as a prominent figure in palaeoecology and environmental reconstruction. His academic journey began with a BSc in Geography from the University of Iceland in 2002, followed by a PhD from the University of Aberdeen in 2007, focusing on environmental changes during Iceland's Norse settlement period. His groundbreaking research has significantly advanced our understanding of Iceland's historical landscapes through innovative studies of lake sediments, which reveal patterns of climate change and landscape erosion in western Iceland. As a skilled palaeoecologist, his work combines archaeological, historical, and palaeoenvironmental evidence to reconstruct Iceland's past environments, offering crucial insights into how the landscape evolved before human settlement and subsequent agricultural activities. His research is particularly valuable as it examines Iceland's Holocene environment during its uninhabited period, free of mammalian herbivores, providing essential data about natural ecosystem processes. Through his position at the University of Iceland, he continues to contribute to our understanding of environmental change and human impact on Iceland's dynamic and vulnerable landscapes, while also focusing on vegetation history, soil erosion, and archaeological investigations that help piece together the complex story of Iceland's environmental past