I am a researcher, lecturer and head of the Forest Trace Gas Laboratory in the Soil Science of Tropical and Subtropical Ecosystems Department of Prof. Veldkamp at the University of Goettingen.

 

We study how natural and managed ecosystems are affected by global change processes. We use natural gradients, ecosystem- and molecular-scale experiments to get a better mechanistic understanding of how plant-microbe interactions control nutrient cycling in the soil-plant-atmosphere continuum under global change processes. Ultimately, we want to identify site- and climate-adapted forest tree species and forest stands to promote forest health, carbon sequestration and reduce greenhous gas emissions in the face of climate change.

 

In my group we mainly focus on:

 

1) nutrient cycling and trace gas fluxes in tropical and temperate forest ecosystems

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• to identify forest management effects and other environmental controls on forest greenhouse gas fluxes (CO2, CH4, N2O) and soil nutrient cycling.

• to identify climate smart trees and forest stands with reduced greenhouse gas (CH4, N2O) emissions, sustainable  soil nutrient use and optimal resistance and resilience.
   

2) educating foresters and environmental managers in urban and natural ecosystem site evaluation, carbon accounting, climate-intelligent and site adapted tree species selection and soil amelioration.

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