Research
Current research projects
Forests under climate change:
Partnership for research on biota-climate-feedbacks (PERICLES). UHH Next Generation Partnerships - Thematic Networks.
Drought and warming effects on root and hyphal dynamics in diverse wet tropical forests. Teilprojekt des Tropical Responses to Altered Climate Experiment (TRACE) und des Throughfall Exclusion Experiment (TEE), Luquillo LTER.
Plant-soil interactions:
Surplus C in plants as a driver of allocation and plant-soil interactions in estuarine alluvial forests. Teilprojekt des DFG-Graduiertenkollegs RTG 2530 ‘Rolle von Biota im Kohlenstoffkreislauf von Ästuaren‘
Mycorrhizal functions:
Mycorrhizal functions in the forest floor. Teilprojekt der DFG-Forschungsgruppe FOR 5315 ‘Forest Floor: Functioning, Dynamics, and Vulnerability in a Changing World’.
How mycorrhizal types and tree diversity drive soil carbon. DFG Sachbeihilfe.
Tree diversity effects on rhizodeposition and rhizosphere priming: the role of the mycorrhizal colonization in coupling C and N cycles in diverse tree stands. DFG Sachbeihilfe.
Mykorrhizakontrolle der biogeochemischen Kreisläufe in Wäldern: Der Einfluss der Baumdiversität und SkalaMycorrhizal control of biogeochemical cycles in forests: The influence of tree diversity and scale. DFG Heisenberg-Programm.
Past research projects
Towards understanding root trait variation and ecosystem functioning - sROOT. iDiv working group (German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research Halle-Jena-Leipzig).
Root traits as predictors of plant and soil functions: aggregating current knowledge to build better foundations for root ecological science. 25th New Phytologist workshop.
The phosphorus nutrition of European beech and Palestine oak under a future warmer and drier climate: experiments and transect studies. Research grant by Volkswagenstiftung (Niedersächsisches Vorab: Forschungskooperation Niedersachsen Israel). Press releases: Mehr Licht ins Dunkel! Wie Sichtwechsel die Wissenschaft voranbringen (PDF) and Gemeinsam forschen - Verbindung stiften (PDF).
Linking belowground biodiversity and ecosystem function in European forests (BioLink). FPS COST Action FP1305 (European Cooperation in Science and Technology).
Nitrogen and drought effects on the tree-soil interaction of ECM and AM temperate trees. DFG research grant.
Root contributions of European beech to subsoil C fluxes. FOR 1806 – The forgotten part of carbon cycling: Organic matter storage and turnover in subsoils (SUBSOM). DFG research group.
Consequences of intensified management and associated species loss for resource use and biomass production of grasslands. Grassland Management Experiment GRASSMAN, Cluster of Excellence ‘Functional Biodiversity Research’, Ministry of Science and Culture of Lower Saxony.
Aboveground and belowground drought response of European beech. Climate Impact and Adaptation Research KLIFF, research group, Ministry of Science and Culture of Lower Saxony.
The role of root and mycorrhizal exudates of loblolly pine in coupling ecosystem C and N cycles under elevated atmospheric CO2. Duke University FACE experiment, collaboration between Duke University and Brookhaven National Laboratory, BER - U.S. Department of Energy.