Sebastian Wolf

Postdoctoral Researcher

Education

Ph.D. Ecosystem Sciences, ETH Zurich, 2010

M.Sc. Geography, Dresden University of Technology, 2006

Research Description

My research is focused on the biosphere-atmosphere exchange of carbon dioxide, water vapour and energy in terrestrial ecosystems. I am specifically interested in the effects of land use change and extreme events (e.g. drought) on carbon sequestration, and on ecosystem processes such as photosynthesis and transpiration. Further interests are the partitioning of ecosystem carbon dioxide and water vapour fluxes, carbon-water interactions, and the upscaling of ecosystem fluxes to regional and global scales.

In order to answer these questions, I use the eddy covariance technique, chamber based measurements, 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 regionally (Swiss FluxNet) and globally (FLUXNET).

Selected Publications

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)

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, 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)

Honors and Awards

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