Research interests and activities:
The main scientific research field is tree ring analysis in the Tropics. With isotope analyses, increment measurements, photosynthesis measurements and other techniques we contribute to open questions in tropical earth sciences on:
- stress physiology of trees and climate reconstructions.
- age of tropical trees and forest dynamics
- timber growth and sustainable forest management
- carbon sequestration of tropical forests
As part of my research activities I founded tree ring laboratories in Manaus (INPA) and Piracicaba (University of Sao Paulo) in Brazil, and in Bogor at the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) in Indonesia. Moreover with CIFOR we are recently involved in a project on Carbon Dynamics of peat swamp forests on Kalimantan, Indonesia.
Teaching and academic activities:
As a lecturer I present and discuss the topics of tropical earth science in the lecture "Forest Growth in the Tropics" in the winter semester. Moreover I contribute to the lectures "Experimental Techniques in Tropical Agronomy" with special focus on stress physiology and "Introduction to Tropical and International Agriculture" and "Management of Tropical Plant Production Systems".
Furthermore I am currently Associate Editor of the Elsevier Journal: Dendrochronologia.