Terrestrial surfaces are covered by a great variety of biomes which are each composed of destinctive habitats. Understanding site-specific mechanisms of plant-environmental interaction and functional relations in plant communities is a necessary requirement for designing and adapting farming systems to local conditions.

Contributing in projects which interface agronomy with ecology is a major interest. I climb trees in natural habitats to understand their water use patterns which could be mimicked by adapted agroforestry systems. I apply ecophysiological analysing techniques in different agricultural contexts to quantify interactions between plants and their environments. I am involved in assessing the vulnerability and agricultural use of small wetland systems in East-Africa.

Modelling sharpens our understanding of functional dependencies in systems, promotes the formation of scientific theories, reveals uncertainities of prognoses, facilitates scenario analyses and leverages interdisciplinary communication.

My interest in modelling was initially risen in the contexts of energy balance studies in homogeneous and heterogeneous plant canopies which I will continue in the future. Within the framework of a collaborative research on patterns in soil-plant-atmosphere systems I am currently co-leading a project on understanding the effects of soil heterogeneity on crop ecophysiological processes at different scales. I also apply and test existing growth, soil carbon, nutrient uptake and soil water models. Quantifying plant-water relations with functional-structural modelling approaches is another interest. I also apply methods of systems analysis in wider contexts.

Climate change and increasing weather fluctuations have large impacts on the ecology of plants. Characterizing radiation interception in plant canopies and quantifying the effects on latent and sensible heat dissipation is an area I am involved in for a long time. Validating crop and tree transpiration models with thermoelectric methods of measuring sap-flow is another ongoing working area. Linking such models with methods for calculating plant carbon and nitrogen relations as well as primary production using functional-structural modelling is a future interest. Such activities will provide insights into the adaptive capacities of plants to climate change which has important implications for the design of future farming systems. I was involved in quantifying the effect of soil heterogeneity on soil water distribution, root and plant growth in a collaborative research on the application of precision agricultural techniques. Studying the potential effects of climate change on crop production is an area I recently became involved in.

Plant production methods have undergone several stages of evolution since the invention of agriculture during the neolithic revolution. One of the most successful developments took place during the green revolution which cannot be repeated, however. Methods of various scientific fields are increasingly applied in today's agronomic research. They provide new fascinating insights into the complexity of plant system functioning and will thereby lead to further refinements of plant production methods. Designing resource efficient and sustainable plant production systems requires, however, that the relative importances of processes and patterns at the plant, plot, farm and landscape levels are also well understood. Modelling and similarity analyses play an important role in this process and I have a rising interest in contributing to this area. I am also interested in collaborating with socio-economist in this context.

Water availability and quality are influenced by a multitude of human and natural factors. Contributing in understanding the complex interrelations between vegetation, landscapes, water, humans and climate is another interest. I previously analysed light transmission in small stream waters which is affected by growth patterns of the surrounding vegetation and influences the moving behavior of water organisms. I was involved in running and designing sprinkler and drip irrigation systems. Understanding the hydrology of ancient rainwater harvesting farms is an important interest. My current activities in ecohydrology focusses on forest-water relations. The biological regulation of plant water uptake is still only partially understood and I am currently also contributing to this research area.

The production of renewable energy is increasingly becoming relevant with decreasing availability of fossil energy. Bioenergy can be produced both locally and at larger scales. Various plant types and components can be used for biofuel production. The production of first-generation biofuels is based on a well established technology. New research is currently carried out on advanced biofuels which are more viable. Recent debates about food versus biofuel production and sustainability suggest that agronomists and aquaculturists should be involved in designing and optimizing biofuel production chains. My interest in this topic has risen considerably in recent times.