About
Annalena Ritter is a Researcher in the Functional Forest Ecology group at the Institute of Wood Sciences, University of Hamburg, within the Faculty of Mathematics, Computer Science and Natural Sciences. Her work focuses on biogeochemical processes in temperate forest ecosystems, examining landscape-scale nutrient and carbon dynamics.
Her core research interests include:
- Interactions between tree roots and mycorrhizal fungi
- Nutrient and carbon cycling mechanisms in forest soils
- Root exudation and decomposition processes of organic matter
- Microbial activity gradients in bulk soil versus rhizosphere
- Soil depth stratification effects on biogeochemical cycles
- Biodiversity impacts on ecosystem functionality
She specializes in comparative analyses of forest stands with distinct mycorrhizal associations (ectomycorrhizal vs. arbuscular mycorrhizal), investigating how symbiotic fungal networks regulate soil processes. Her research integrates field measurements across temperate forest landscapes to understand ecosystem-scale biogeochemical patterns.
Based at the University of Hamburg's Institute of Wood Sciences (Ohnhorststrasse 18, Room 3.011), she operates within the Functional Forest Ecology laboratory framework, utilizing controlled environmental studies and soil microbiological techniques to advance forest ecosystem science.
