Marie Curie Research Fellow
Marie Curie Research Fellow
Senior Scientist, Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zurich, since 2015
SNF & Marie Curie Research Fellow, UC Berkeley, 2011-2015
Postdoc, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, ETH Zurich, 2011
Visiting Scientist, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI), Panama, 2007-2010
Ph.D. Ecosystem Sciences, ETH Zurich, 2010
M.Sc. Geography, Dresden University of Technology, 2006
Biometeorology, Biosphere-Atmosphere Exchange, Ecosystem Ecology, Climate Change, Drought
My research is focused on the biosphere-atmosphere exchange of carbon dioxide, water vapor and energy in terrestrial ecosystems, and the interactions with climate, land use and ecophysiology. I am specifically interested in the effects of drought and climate change on carbon sequestration, and on ecosystem processes such as photosynthesis and transpiration. Further interests include the partitioning of ecosystem fluxes, carbon-water interactions, and the up-scaling of ecosystem fluxes to regional and global scales.
In order to answer these questions, I use the eddy covariance technique, chamber based measurements, remote sensing, and modelling approaches across various climates and spatial scales. Current and past projects include ecosystem flux studies in tropical (Sardinilla, Panama), subtropical (Tonzi Ranch, California) and temperate climates (Switzerland), as well as synthesis studies at regional (Swiss FluxNet), continental (US) and global scale (FLUXNET).
Apart from the biosphere-atmosphere exchange in terrestrial ecosystems, I have worked on the effects of land-use change on soil erosion and landscape fragmentation using modelling techniques and GIS, the detection of Mountain Pine Beetle infestations using remote sensing, and mapping expeditions to remote areas.
Parazoo NC, Barnes E, Worden J, Harper AB, Bowman KW, Frankenberg C, Wolf S, Litvak ME, Keenan TF (2015) Influence of ENSO and the NAO on terrestrial carbon uptake in the Texas-northern Mexico region. Global Biogeochemical Cycles 29(8): 1247-1265 (Web,PDF)
Wolf S, Eugster W, Ammann C, Häni M, Zielis M, Hiller R, Stieger J, Imer D, Merbold L, Buchmann N (2013) Contrasting response of grassland forest carbon and water fluxes to spring drought in Switzerland. Environmental Research Letters 8(3): 035007 (Web,PDF)
Wolf S (2013) Insight: forests use water more efficiently during spring drought. EnvironmentalResearchWeb (Web,PDF)
Wolf S, Koteen L, Tomelleri E (2012) Networking among Young Scientists. iLEAPS Newsletter: Future land-atmosphere observation platforms 12: 27-29 (PDF)
Wolf S, Koteen L, Zeeman MJ (2011) Growing the FLUXNET Community: The Young Scientists Network. FluxLetter 4(1): 4-5 (PDF)
Sprenger M, Oelmann Y, Weihermüller L, Wolf S, Wilcke W, Potvin C (2013) Tree species and diversity effects on soil water seepage in a tropical plantation. Forest Ecology and Management 309(0): 76-866 (Web,PDF)
Wolf S, Eugster W, Majorek S, Buchmann N (2011) Afforestation of tropical pasture only marginally affects ecosystem-scale evapotranspiration. Ecosystems 14(8): 1264-1275 (Web,PDF)
Wolf S, Eugster W, Potvin C, Turner BL, Buchmann N (2011) Carbon sequestration potential of tropical pasture compared with afforestation in Panama. Global Change Biology 17(9): 2763-2780 (Web,PDF)
Schneebeli M, Wolf S, Kunert N, Eugster W, Mätzler C (2011) Relating the X-Band opacity of a tropical tree canopy to sapflow, rain interception and dew formation. Remote Sensing of Environment 115(8): 2116-2125 (Web,PDF)
Wolf S, Eugster W, Potvin C, Buchmann N (2011) Strong seasonal variations in net ecosystem CO2 exchange of a tropical pasture and afforestation in Panama. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology 151(8): 1139-1151 (Web,PDF)
Potvin C, Manzilla L, Buchmann N, Monteza J, Moore T, Murphy M, Oelmann Y, Scherer-Lorenzen M, Turner, B.L., Wilcke W, Zeugin F, Wolf S (2011) An ecosystem approach to biodiversity effects: carbon pools in a tropical tree plantation. Forest Ecology and Management 261(10): 1614-1624 (Web,PDF)
Wolf S (2010) Carbon dioxide and water vapour fluxes of tropical pasture and afforestation: seasonal variations of net ecosystem exchange and carbon sequestration potentials. DISS. ETH NO. 19415, ETH Zurich, 163 p (PDF)
Wolf S, Eugster W, Buchmann N (2009) What happens with the carbon? STRI News - Newsletter of the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, 13.11.2009: 4 (Web,PDF)
Wolf S, Eugster W, Buchmann N (2009) CO2 fluxes of tropical ecosystems with different land-use in Panama. FluxLetter 2(3): 14-16 (PDF)
Wolf S, Walz U, Kleber A (2009) Effects of land-cover change on soil erosion in the Saxon Switzerland National Park Region. Die ERDE 140(2): 155-174 (PDF)
Schneebeli M, Matzler C, Wolf S, Eugster W (2008) X-band opacity of a tropical tree canopy and its relation to intercepted rain, eddy fluxes and other meteorological variables. Microwave Radiometry and Remote Sensing of the Environment, MICRORAD 2008. doi: 10.1109/MICRAD.2008.4579514 (Web,PDF)
Walz U, Wolf S, Neubert M (2008) Impact of Landscape Change on Landscape Functions in the Saxon Switzerland. In: Csaplovics E, Wagenknecht S, Seiler U (eds.): Spatial Information Systems for Transnational Environmental Management of Protected Areas and Regions in the Central European Space. Rhombus, Berlin. pp 105-117 (PDF)
GEWEX Poster Award, 7th International Scientific Conference on the Global Water and Energy Cycle, for presentation of 'Global Patterns of Biosphere-Atmosphere Energy Fluxes in Terrestrial Ecosystems', The Hague (The Netherlands), 7-2014
Marie Curie International Outgoing Fellowship (MC-IOF), European Commission, Postdoctoral research at UC Berkeley (USA) & ETH Zurich (Switzerland), 11-2012 to 10-2015
SNF Fellowship for Prospective Researchers, Swiss National Science Foundation (SNF), Postdoctoral research at UC Berkeley (USA), 11-2011 to 10-2012
Interdisciplinary Topics in Earth and Environment, Guest Lecturer, Wageningen University (The Netherlands), 6-2015
NFZ-Summer School 2015 FORESCALE, Climate change impacts on forest ecosystems, Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL) – in collaboration with ETH Zurich (Switzerland), 8-2015
Micrometeorological Field Course, University of Bern, Institute of Geography – in collaboration with ETH Zurich (Switzerland), 6-2015
Botanical Lecture Series, Guest Lecturer, University of Basel (Switzerland), 3-2015
Reviewer for: Agricultural and Forest Meteorology, Biogeosciences, Die ERDE, Ecological Applications, Global Change Biology, Global Ecology and Biogeography, Hydrology and Earth System Sciences, Journal of Geophysical Research (Biogeosciences & Atmospheres), Nature, Nature Climate Change, Plant and Soil
Contact details
Sebastian Wolf
CV Sebastian Wolf UC Berkeley
130 Mulford Hall #3114
Berkeley, CA 94720