Curriculum Vitae
PhD student; Department of Microbial Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology,
The Netherlands
Master student (thesis on ecology of methanogenic Archaea); Max Planck Institute for
Terrestrial Microbiology, Marburg, Germany
B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Biology (modules of intense studies: Microbiology, Ecology, Botany);
TU Dresden, Germany
Projects
Ecology of ammonia-oxidizing archaea in Icelandic grassland soils
By studying the response of nitrifying soil archaea to the biogeochemical factors surrounding them in their habitat I try to shed some light on the ecology of these but recently discovered prokaryotes. I am especially interested in the combined and discrete effects of rising temperatures and enhanced nitrogen deposition, as these are main features of global change. Some general questions are:
- Will these factors alter the diversity and function of archaeal ammonia-oxidizing communities and if so, how will nitrogen cycling in soil ecosystems be affected?
- How ecologically relevant are archaeal ammonia-oxidizers in relation to Bacteria in these grassland soils and is the extent of this relation linked to environmental factors under study?
- Do the factors temperature and N-availability select for physio- or ecotypes of AOA?
The naturally heated grassland soils in Graendalur Valley, Iceland provide a perfect research site, as soils in great proximity feature a broad range of temperatures, while otherwise being highly similar in soil properties as well as in vegetation cover. An experimental setup of long term fertilization schemes additionally “imitates” global change at these sites.
 
Co-Operation
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Dr. Mariet Hefting, Bas Dingemans; Utrecht University, Department of Biology, Section of Landscape Ecology, The Netherlands
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Dr. Levente Bodrossy, Dr. Guy Abell; CSRIO, Australia
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Dr. Rannveig Guicharnaud; Agricultural University of Iceland, Iceland
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Bjarni D. Sigurðsson, Agricultural University of Iceland, , Iceland
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