University of Basel

Department of
Environmental Sciences

Physiological Plant Ecology

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New publication in Applied Soil Ecology

In alpine ecosystems, winter monitoring of soil functioning is compromised by limited access and harsh conditions. Yet this period is crucial, as the insulating snowpack keeps soils unfrozen, allowing for belowground activity. Snow removal…

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PPE at ASI Meeting in Freiburg

This years ASI meeting was organized by Christian Werner and Markus Weiler at the University of Freiburg. Members from the PPE group participated actively to this exciting meeting and shared their latest work with the stable isotope…

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New review: Cold-soil-effects on tree hydraulics as a potential driver for the cold range limits of temperate trees

Günter Hoch published a new review in the annual book series Progress in Botany that summarizes the current state of knowledge about the consequences of low root temperatures for water uptake and hydraulic relations of temperate trees.…

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Daniël Rikkers joins the PPE group as a new PhD student

We are happy to announce that Daniël Rikkers has joined our team as a new PhD student. Daniël holds a double master’s degree in Biology and Earth and Environment from Wageningen University and Research. For his PhD, he will perform research…

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Radio Basilisk

Kids ask, experts answer. Radio Basilisk broadcasts this popular feature in their daily morning show. This time, 9 year old Lenny asks Ansgar Kahmen: “Can trees communicate?”. Listen what Ansgar has to say about…

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New Paper: Artefacts Associated With Cryogenic Vacuum Distillation Do Not Compromise Plant Source Water Extraction From Soil and Xylem for Isotope Analysis

Tracing tree water uptake with stable isotopes depends on accurately characterizing the isotopic composition of plant source water in both oxygen and hydrogen. Cryogenic vacuum distillation (CVD) is the standard extraction method, but…

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Canary Islands Excursion 2026

We returned from a wonderful botanical excursion to La Palma of the Canary Islands.  Despite inclement weather, road closures and flight cancellations, fifteen students were able to experience one of the most diverse and intact macaronesian…

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New SNFS project funded

We are pleased to announce that the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) will support a new project in our group. The project, CoolRoots, builds on our recent work on how low root temperatures affect the hydraulic functioning and growth…

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New paper: Similar relative carbon costs for construction and storage of sun and shade branches in mature temperate trees

Large trees experience strong microclimatic gradients within their crowns, particularly in irradiance, which decreases exponentially from the top canopy downwards. Light availability affects the morphology, photosynthesis, and construction…

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Simon Grichting and Salome Klingenstein successfully graduated!

Congratulations to Simon and Salome for successfully completing their Master's theses and passing their exams! Both theses addressed unresolved questions in tree water relations.Simon asked to what extent water stored in the trunks of trees…

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TreeNet Annual Meeting in Basel on January 13th

30 Scientists gathered yesterday at the University of Basel for the annual TreeNet meeting. The meeting was a great success with exciting talks and discussions about the latest TreeNet related research. For specific topics see the list…

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Pathway to proxy: new Tansley review outlines how to advance the interpretation of hydrogen isotope variability in plant carbohydrates as a proxy for plant C metabolism

A large international team of researchers led by Meisha Holloway-Phillips and other PPE members Ansgar Kahmen, Daniel Nelson, Selina Hugger and Jochem Baan recently published a comprehensive Tansley Review in New Phytologist, which…

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New paper on efficient preparation of plant sugars for compound-specific hydrogen isotope analysis

The ability to measure stable hydrogen isotope values in a multitude of compounds is beneficial for various research fields, such as plant and aquatic ecology, biogeochemistry, paleoclimatology, and food forensics. Plant sugars are…

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Congratulations to Anupa for a successful defense!

Anupa Mathew successfully defended her PhD thesis last Thursday. In her thesis, she examined the role of common mycorrhizal fungi for mediating plant-plant interactions in natural and agroecological ecosystems. Specifically, Anupa was…

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New large-scale phylogenomic study advances cactus classification

We recently published a complete, revised classification for the cactus family, based on new phylogenomic data for 170 species. The paper — JM de Vos, U. Eggli, et al., Phylogenomics and classification of Cactaceae based on hundreds of…

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