RESEARCH THEMES
ECOSYSTEM FUNCTIONING
Dead organic matter (OM) serves as a major food source fueling detritivorous food webs. Its degradation is a key ecosystem process governed by a complex interplay between microbial decomposition and invertebrate consumption. I have developed technical advancements that allow measurements of key ecosystem processes, and developed new concepts demonstrating novel food web interactions and the intimate ties between adjacent ecosystems, highlighting the importance of ecosystem connectivity.
PHYSICAL ECOLOGY
The atmosphere is a complex physical environment that makes up an intrinsic component of our living environment. A novel and central avenue of empirical research is studying the interactions between atmospheric physical phenomena and the geophysical and geochemical environment and the organisms living therein. I have demonstrated that solar radiation and UV radiation are a principal driver of microbial processes and invertebrate behavior in aquatic ecosystems, and that atmospheric electricity governs geochemical and microbial processes in soils and sediments.
STRESS ECOLOGY
While the natural environment already sets harsh conditions for organisms, human activities add additional constraints to organisms and the ecosystem processes they sustain. Attaining predictions on how stressors affect the environment is notoriously challenging and to date failed to tackle ongoing declines in biodiversity. Therefore, I study the combined impact of stressors or its propagation across ecosystem boundaries to enhance our understanding of the impact of human activities along the ecosystem continuum.
NETWORK ANALYSIS
This analysis shows my main collaborators across my main research themes. It includes established scientist with whom I have > 2 papers. Created with VOSviewer.
