Ph.D. Candidate, Section Forest Genetics and Forest Tree Breeding, University of Goettingen
2010 - 2012
Research Associate, Institute for World Forestry, von Thuenen Institute, Hamburg
2008 - 2010
M.Sc. in Tropical and International Forestry Science and Ecology, University of Goettingen
2004 - 2008
B.Sc. in Forestry Science and Forest Ecology, University of Goettingen
Current Research Project:
The reproduction system of teak (Tectona grandis): Gene flow, mating patterns and phenology in Indonesian populations .
Teak (Tectona grandis, Lamiaceae) is one of the few tropical tree species, which is managed on a large scale in its natural distribution area in South- and Southeast-Asia as well as in the Neotropics and tropical Africa, under systems that rely either on natural regeneration or re-planting. Teak plantations comprise about 10% of all planted forests in the tropics. In Indonesia, teak production forest covers an area of approximately 1.6 million ha and commonly occurs in monospecific, even-aged stands. The main part of these planted forests (1.1 million ha) is managed by the state-owned forestry company Perum Perhutani on the islands of Java and Madura.
The management system of Perum Perhutani prescribes that harvested compartments are replanted with seedlings from tree nurseries, with 70% of the reproductive material originating from three Clonal Seed Orchards (CSO) of mostly identical clonal composition. As a result, the extend of standing genetic variation in these CSO populations and the share of genetic variation that is inherited to their progeny during reproduction, decide to a considerable degree on the genetic structures in teak plantations of Perum Perhutani. Phenotypically selected tree individuals were used for clonal propagation and the genetic composition of the adult CSO populations and population genetic aspects of their reproduction system are not well understood. A study that characterizes the mating system and gene flow of teak in planted forests in Indonesia based on variation at highly polymorphic SSR-markers (Simple Sequence Repeats) that would provide information on the genetic constitution and dynamics of the species is however not known to the applicant.
We intend to study the gene flow and mating system in three Tectona grandis populations of Perum Perhutani using microsatellite-markers (SSR): One of the three CSOs mentioned above (est. 1987), a timber plantation (est. 1967) and a former Seed Production Area (est. 1936). A population genetic comparison of these monospecific, even-aged populations shall reveal possible differences in the reproduction system due to stand-age, genetic diversity of reproducing individuals, and spatial structures. Flower phenology observations in the CSO population shall complement the marker-based approach by describing possible factors of the mating system that lead to given genetic structures in the progeny generation.
Increasing our knowledge on gene flow and mating patterns in planted populations of insect-pollinated tropical trees will improve our understanding of the long-term human impact on the dynamics of intraspecific diversity of an important group of plants. It will also contribute to the development of new breeding strategies for insect pollinated tree species by providing data to optimize the design and management of propagation populations, in particular CSOs.
International Experience:
12.2013 - 10.2014
Implementation of Ph.D. research project, Bogor Agricultural University (IPB) and Teak Center, Java, Indonesia
09-2011 - 01/2012
Research Associate - Sustainable Forest Management project, von Thuenen Institute (vTI), Paramaribo, Suriname
05- 07/2009
Project Internship - Natural Resource Management, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), Tena, Ecuador
11/2008
Participant in Student project - Development of a forest region, Visayas State University (VSU), Philippines
08- 10/2007
Project Internship - Agroforestry, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), San Martin, Peru
08- 10/2006
Project Internship - Mangrove conservation, Centro del Agua del Trópico
Húmedo para América Latina y el Caribe (CATALAC), Panama
11- 12/2005
Project Internship - Wildlife monitoring, Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon (UANL), Mexico
03/2005
Project Internship - Elk (Alces alces) radio tracking, Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon (UANL), Mexico
