Short CV
Ph.D. Candidate, since 2021 Goethe-University Frankfurt
M.Sc. Physical Geography, 2017 - 2020 Goethe-University Frankfurt
B.Sc. Geography, 2014 - 2017
Georg-August-University Göttingen
Research interest
Deadwood-dependent
fungi and bacteria are among the most species-rich groups in forest ecosystems
and are essential to ecosystem functioning because of their involvement in
organic matter turnover. Our knowledge of these groups is very limited although
these species have a tremendous impact on forest ecosystem functioning.
Previous studies have focused on the relationship between wood-dependent
fungi/bacteria and host-related factors such as tree species identity or
deadwood volume. As a result, there is a gap in knowledge of how various
abiotic factors such as microclimate influence these wood-dependent communities
and associated ecosystem processes. Forest ecosystems are facing large-scale
canopy dieback due to changing precipitation regimes and higher temperature
variability. Regular forest management, however, also has an effect on canopy
cover in the forest and the associated microclimate. Changes in canopy cover
and the availability of deadwood create new habitat islands with a variety of
different ecological niches. How these niches affect diversity patterns of
fungi and bacteria is part of my research.
I want to
investigate how these changes in forest microclimate affect the diversity
pattern of deadwood-dependent fungi and bacteria, their assembly and
decomposition processes. In addition, I am interested in morphological
adaptation mechanisms within and between species (communities) under different
microclimatic conditions. To answer these research questions, my research will
be based on a long-term experiment and a new experimental setup in the Bavarian
Forest.
Funded by
the German Research Foundation and the Czech Science Foundation (CAČR), the
MicroADAPT joint research project will provide a deeper mechanistic
understanding of the microclimate- and deadwood-dependent diversity
relationships. In addition, the project will improve predictions and provide
concepts for climate-smart forest management by addressing the previously
mentioned knowledge gaps.
If you are interested in supporting my research
in the MicroADAPT project as part of an internship with field work in the
Bavarian Forest, please feel free to contact me.
Research
► MicroADAPT
This project is based
on a long-term and a new supplementary experiment in the Bavarian Forest
linking microclimate, microbial diversity in deadwood, adaptation mechanisms
and ecosystem processes.