BIO > Forskning > Terrestrisk Økologi > Fysiologisk økologi
Fysiologisk økologi / Physiological Ecology
The focus of the Physiological Ecology research group is on climate change effects and anthropogenic impact on organisms, plant physiological and biogeochemical processes in natural and semi-natural ecosystems, mainly in the temperate and arctic zone. For more details please see below, and feel free to contact one of us.
Members
Associate Professor Anders Michelsen (Group leader)
Associate Professor Helge Ro-Poulsen
Adj. Professor Kim Pilegaard (RISØ/KU)
Post doc. Mads F. Hovmand
Post doc. Maria Olsrud
Post doc. Riikka Rinnan
Post doc. Pernille L. Sørensen
Laboratory Technician Esben V. Nielsen
Laboratory Technician Gosha Sylvester
Laboratory Technician Karna Heinsen
PhD Student Merete B. Selsted
MSc Student Henriette Petersen
MSc Student Astrid K. Nielsen
MSc Student Kristina Mathiesen
MSc Student Kristine Boesgaard
MSc Student Merian Skouw-Rasmussen
MSc Student Lena Pedersen
MSc Student Anders Juel
MSc Student Caroline E Simonsen
MSc Student Casper Tai Christiansen
MSc Student Sarah H Svendsen
MSc Student Sebrina Burchard
BSc Student Ditte B Iversen
BSc Student Laila S K Espensen
BSc Student Martin Kristensen
BSc Student Signe Lett
Research
The fields of research are within general and physiological ecology in terrestrial systems, including interactions between the ecosystem components, and the biodiversity of soil organisms and plants. Major approaches include investigation of plant physiological and biogeochemical responses to natural environmental variation and to global and regional environmental changes and disturbances (e.g. climate change, UV-B radiation and land use). We also study the interactions between aboveground processes such as photosynthesis, the relation to tissue chemistry, and to belowground processes, such as nutrient mineralisation and uptake by plants. The main approach of the research is experimental and generally has a process as well as an organism/population component. It spans over a hierarchy of temporal and spatial levels such as studies of
• gas exchange at leaf and whole plant level
• nutrient mineralisation, plant nutrient uptake and soil-microbe-plant-interactions
• nutrient flow and carbon cycling, at community, ecosystem and landscape level
The research takes place in arctic and temperate ecosystem types. The group is using the facilities in the Ecological-Chemical Laboratory and the Photobiological Laboratory, both of which are run by the group.
Current externally funded research projects include
• Environmental controls on plants, microbes and biogeochemical processes in the Arctic
• Climaite - climate change effects on biological processes in terrestrial ecosystems
• Ericoid mycorrhizas and carbon biogeochemistry in subarctic ecosystems
• Volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions from northern ecosystem
Current M.Sc/PhD/post doc projects address questions as
• Does enhanced UV-B have a short-term impact on plant physiological processes only, or is plant biomass generally reduced in the Arctic?
• How far does ammonia emission from farms affect plants and sensitive ecosystem types?
• Does climate change affect microbial and plant uptake of nitrogen?
• What is the role of ericoid and ectomycorrhizal fungi for carbon balance in northern ecosystems?
• Will arctic and danish heath ecosystems be future sources or sinks for CO2?
• Are more volatile carbon compounds emitted from plants when temperatures increase?
The Ecological-Chemical Laboratory
The Ecological-Chemical Laboratory carries out high precision physical and chemical analyses of soils, plants and liquids. The laboratory is fully updated in analytical equipment and takes on analytical tasks for the scientific staff at the Biological Institute as well as for external reseachers. For instance we analyze:
Species composition
Plant biomass
CNP in soil, plants and liquids
Secondary metabolites
15N og 13C
Photosynthesis
CO2 og VOC emission
Microbial biomass CNP
Ergosterol, PLFA, Biolog
Screening for mycorrhiza fungi
The analytical equipment includes:
Hitachi U-2000 and U-2010 Spectrophotometers
Shimadzu Total Organic Carbon Analyzer TOC-5000A
Perkin Elmer 4100 Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer
Shimadzu GC-17A Gas Chromatograph
Fiastar 5000 Flow Analyzer
LECO TruSpec Carbon Nitrogen Determinator
LECO FP-428 Total Nitrogen Determinator
Eltra CS 500 Total Carbon Determinator
Aquatec 5400 Analyzer
EuroVector Elemental Analyzer EA3028-HT
Micromass IsoPrime Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometre
