P13 - WSL Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research

Zürcherstrasse 111
9803 Birmensdorf
SWITZERLAND
http://www.wsl.ch

WSL has a long-standing expertise in research on biodiversity at all levels, from ecosystems to genes. Descriptive and experimental approaches complement the study of neutral and adaptive genes in terrestrial ecosystems. Likewise, long-term monitoring of environmental changes and their effects on forest ecosystems and processes combines with modelling scenarios of community changes. Study organisms include all trophic levels in forest species (plants, herbivores, mycorrhizal and pathogenic fungi, and insects).


The key persons involved in the NoE are:

Felix Gugerli centers his research on using neutral molecular markers for elucidating population processes in space and time. Trees and other forest species serve as model organisms. Current activities are directed towards the analysis of multi-species genetic and taxonomic diversities in relation to environmental variation.

Simon Egli is a forest mycologist, focussing on ectomycorrhizal fungal communities, combining molecular methods for describing mycorrhizal diversity at the root level with the more traditional methods of morphotyping and sporocarp inventory.

Norbert Kräuchi is program manager of the Swiss Long-term Forest Ecosystem Research Network, which contributes to ICP Forests. His research addresses global change impacts on mountain environments and the effect of air quality (e.g., ozone) on forest ecosystems.

Daniel Rigling has extensive experience in studying the population biology and genetics of fungal tree pathogens. His main interest is the genetic variability of tree pathogens at different scales and its impact on tree–pathogen interactions.

Christoph Sperisen applies genetic and genomic approaches to studying evolutionary processes in trees. He participated in several EU projects in which he mainly analysed population genetic processes. His current research focuses on the identification of genes involved in the response of trees to environmental change.