Biogeochemistry ¶

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Projects
Staff

How does environmental change affect carbon, nutrient, and water fluxes in ecosystems? The research group Biogeochemistry (1) studies long-term changes of biogeochemical cycles in Swiss forests (LWF); (2) simulates climate change (warming, drought, N deposition) in field and lab experiments; and (3) traces water, carbon, and nitrogen fluxes using stable isotopes.

Projects ¶

DeepDrought examines how deep root water uptake helps plants mitigate drought, especially as deep soil droughts increase with climate change. Using SVAT models, the project analyzes deep soil water availability and aligns TWD and WUE as drought stress measures to assess plant responses.

How does soil carbon redistribute across diverse mountain landscapes? SOCscape combine field data, soil analysis, and modeling to uncover the dynamics of carbon fluxes in these complex, geochemically varied environments.

The SMURF project aims to improve soil moisture monitoring, which is crucial for understanding climate and ecosystem dynamics in Swiss forests.

Forest-RESIST explores how forests respond to changes in water availability and vapour pressure deficit (VPD). We map underground processes using 4D electrical resistivity imaging, capturing water flow and root uptake. Together with ETHZ, this research is conducted at the Pfynwald research platform.

The emergence of visible tree-stress symptoms caused by the emerald ash borer occurs only several years after its arrival and are hard to tell apart from those caused by soil drought. Here, we investigate the potential of reflectance spectroscopy as an early-warning screening tool.

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