Experimental Plant Ecology


Meline Brendel

PhD Student

Research Focus

In my PhD project, I am working on paludiculture, i.e. the agricultural use of wet peatlands. I investigate the effects of different water levels on the above- and belowground biomass production as well as on the biomass decomposition of cattails and reeds. The results obtained can then be applied to conclude what the peat-forming potential of cattails and reeds is under the different conditions. I investigate this on the one hand in mesocosm experiments and on the other hand in field experiments.

 

Since 2022: PhD student – University of Greifswald, Project Paludi-PROGRESS

2019 – 2022: Master of Science – University of Hamburg

Master thesis: “Environmental Drivers for Plant Species Composition on Quartz Islands and the Surrounding Matrix”

2015 – 2019 Bachelor of Science – University of Hamburg

Bachelor thesis: “Applying the Tea Bag Index to assess the effects of higher temperatures on decomposition processes in Salt Marshes”