Plant – Soil – Microbes
ECOLOGY / EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY
Plant–soil–process interactions
My current work largely focusses on the role of the plant community composition –taking a functional approach– on soil organochemical factors, and how apparent links between these components in ecosytems affect carbon and nitrogen dynamics. On top of that, I am interested if these plant–soil–process links add to the 'robustness' of ecosystems to withstand environmental perturbation. My work concentrates on peatlands, with field sites in Switzerland and Sweden, and the Silvopastoral grasslands of the Swiss Jura
Do peatlands hibernate?
Processes in peatlands do not halt during winter. Actually, winter is a season rich in belowground processes. We even start to understand that changes in witer conditions can be very important in shaping ecosystem behaviour during the growing season. In my research I aim to understand how peatlands function in winter.
Do microbial processes adapt to local plant communities? In this line of research I aim to understand the how tight the links are between plant communities and their microbial communities and its functioning. The ultimate goal is to identify the mechnisms that are responsible for apparent microbial adapratation to certain biological condiditions.
Home sweet home
