First UNU-LRT MSc scholarship recipient finishes a degree at the Agricultural University of Iceland
Mr. Joel C. Owona, a former fellow from Uganda, completed a Master of Science at the Agricultural University of Iceland on 23 September. He is the first former fellow to complete an MSc degree with a scholarship from UNU-LRT. Mr. Owona attended the six-month training programme in 2008 and came back to Iceland in 2017 to start his MSc studies.
Mr. Owona did his MSc research on changes in carbon-stock and soil properties following afforestation in SW Iceland. The aim of the research was to evaluate the influence of afforestation on several ecosystem variables at three sites in SW Iceland and to assess the influence of forest age and type on the same variables. He studied the influence of afforestation on four major ecosystem pools of the forest, i.e. dead wood, ground vegetation, litter layer and soil organic carbon, while another MSc student measured the above ground tree biomass at the same sites.
Mr. Owona’s supervisors were Professor Bjarni Didrik Sigurdsson at the Agricultural University of Iceland and Berglind Orradottir, UNU-LRT Deputy Director. In addition to the UNU-LRT scholarship, Reykjavík Energy also supported the research.
UNU-LRT congratulates Joel C. Owona on his achievement and wishes him all the best in his future endeavours.