My research is based on a fundamental understanding of ecosystem processes, aboveground and belowground communities, and their interactions particularly in grassland and forest ecosystems. Understanding these interactions are essential to better assess and predict how global change drivers affect ecosystem functions and services such as nutrient cycling and net primary productivity. To accomplish this, I combine several disciplines, including ecosystem ecology, community ecology, ecological stoichiometry and global change biology. Working at the interface of different disciplines allow me to get a better understanding on how organisms and ecosystems respond to global change drivers such as anthropogenic nitrogen deposition, biodiversity loss and biological invaders. Finally, I aim to use this new knowledge about terrestrial ecosystem functioning and global change to inform the large public and decision makers.
Urban ecology
- Vegetation types and soil properties (LK0393 Utemiljö – kvalitet och uppföljning)
- Microorganisms and symbiosis - linkage with storm water management and plant well-being (RISE)
Root Ecology & plant-soil interactions
- Root ecology (MV0192 Markvetenskap för miljö och vatten)
- Roots and nutrient uptake (BL1350 Växtproduktion - mark och grödor)
Soil ecology
- Trophic Interactions (BL1322 Soil biology and biogeochemical cycles)
- Microbes (BL1419 Träd och skogsekologi)
- Ecosystem services in grassland ecosystems in the context of global change (The importance of biodiversity for sustainability course EJP soil)
- Soil biodiversity and ecosystem services (The importance of biodiversity for sustainability IPS, UniBE)
- Soil ecology (Advanced course in Community Ecology IPS, UniBE)
- Soil ecology (SG0171 Ekologi)
Global change ecology
- Impacts of nitrogen deposition on boreal forests (SG0171 Ekologi)
- Impacts of nitrogen on Soil Organisms (SG0171 Ekologi)
2022-present Importance of plant-soil interactions in urban ecology: potential to promote sustainable cities.
In collaboration with Lena Neunkamp (Uni. Münster, DE)
2021-2023 Belowground biodiversity of grasslands – conservation needs and potential to promote sustainable agriculture. FORMAS (co-PI)
(PI: Karina Clemmensen, SLU)
2019-2023 Land-use intensification alters ecosystem functions in grasslands: insights from the soil fungal community. FORMAS (PI)
2019-2022 Impact of global change on phyllosphere microbiomes in grasslands. SNF (PI)
2017- 2019 The effect of ecosystem engineers on soil functioning in agricultural and forest habitats
I am involded in the AgroMixNorth project: Climate-smart resilience through diversified cropping systems - Identifying springboards in Nordic and Baltic agriculture led by Prof. Anke Herrmann (2023-2027)
EDUCATION
2023-current M.B.A. in Sustainability and Management. SUMAS, Gland, CH.
2016 Ph.D. in Biology defended the 21st of October 2016. Department of Forest Ecology and Management. SLU, Umeå.
2011 M.Sc. in Biology, Ecology for Forest, Agronomy and Environment. Specializing in ecosystems functioning & management University of Lorraine, FR.
2009 B.Sc. in Biology. Specializing in Biology of Organisms and Ecosystems University of Lorraine, FR.
MAIN-SUPERVISOR
2023
Bachelor student Kris Hebeisen. Inst. of Plant Science. Bern University, CH.
Project: Root Colonization Measurements of Beneficial Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi and Dark Septate Endophytes.
2022
Bachelor student Alice Lavarenne. Inst. of Plant Science. Bern University, CH.
Project: Legacy effects of ley diversity on germination rate and growth of cereal crops.
Master student Joseph Volery, Inst. of Plant Science. Bern University, CH.
Project: Direct and indirect effects of nitrogen addition on keystone species in grasslands.
Bachelor student Lisa Gurtner, Research practical. Inst. of Plant Science. Bern University, CH.
Project: Effects of nitrogen addition on soil nematodes in grasslands.
2021
Bachelor student Sina Aregger, Research practical. Inst. of Plant Science. Bern University, CH.
Project: Project: Impacts of plant diversity loss on soil nematodes in grasslands.
2020
Bachelor student Vanessa Fricker, Research practical. Inst. of Plant Science. Bern University, CH.
Project: Impacts of nitrogen addition and plant diversity on soil fauna in grassland ecosystems.
CO-SUPERVISOR
2023-present
PhD student Bradley Sparkes, Dept. of Soil and Environment. SLU, Uppsala, SE
project: Diversified cropping systems: Synergies and trade-offs of soil carbon and nitrogen cycling.
Main supervisor: Anke Herrmann, SLU, Uppsala, SE
2022-present
PhD student Vestine Mukamparirwa, University of Rwanda, Kigali, RW
project: Potential of organic inputs from agroforestry tree biomass to improve soil nutrient content in two contrasting regions of Rwanda.
Main Supervisor: Aida Bargués Tobella, SLU, Umeå, SE; Salim Maliondo, Sokoine University of Agriculture, Tanzania; Canisius Mugunga, University of Rwanda
Previous supervision
2020-2023 PhD student Kaisa Torppa, Dept. of Ecology. SLU, Uppsala
project: Interactions between earthworms, nematodes and AM fungi and their role in the functioning of agricultural soils.
Main supervisor: Astrid Taylor
2019 -2023 PhD student Thu Zar Nwe, Inst. of Plant Science. Bern University, CH.
project: Direct and indirect effects of nitrogen addition on soil fauna and soil functioning in grasslands.
Main supervisor: Eric Allan
2021-2023 PhD student Yikang Chen, Bern University, CH and Hainan University, CN
project: Effects of nitrogen addition on plant and root-associated arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal communities and their underlying mechanisms in an alpine meadow.
Main supervisor: Shurong Zhou
Nwe T.Z., Handa T., Kempel A., Soliveres S., Maaroufi N.I., Raymond-Léonard L., Pichon N., Cappelli S., Allan E. Collembola feeding traits respond strongly to plant community characteristics. In review
Cheng Y., Rutten G., Liu X., Ma M., Maaroufi N.I.*, Zhou S* (2023). Host plant height explains the effect of nitrogen enrichment on arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal communities. New Phytologist
*Shared last authorship