Andrea Watzinger

Andrea Watzinger is a Senior Scientist at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, affiliated with the Institute of Soil Research under the Department of Forest- and Soil Sciences. With a habilitation in soil ecology (2015), she leads multidisciplinary projects on stable isotope applications for understanding biogeochemical processes in terrestrial and aquatic systems.

• Education: PhD in 2000 (BOKU), Erasmus Fellowship (1996-1997, Oxford Brookes University), MSc in Biology/Ecology (1999, University of Salzburg)

Research Focus: Her work integrates stable isotope techniques to trace nutrient fate in soils, assess climate change impacts on agroecosystems, develop biochar-based remediation technologies, and quantify urban carbon footprints. Recent studies examine drought effects on forest carbon dynamics, microbial processes in contaminated soils, and drone-based gas monitoring systems.

Scientific Contributions: Key projects include the Vienna Urban Carbon Laboratory (2021-2025), ISO-2-DRONE (2022), and Heavy Metal City-Zen (2019-2021). Her publications span groundwater remediation, isotope ecology, and sustainable soil management.

• Awards: Wissenschaftspreis Land Niederösterreich (2015), Förderpreis Wien (2004), Stiftung 120 Jahre BOKU (2002), Wissenschaftsagentur Salzburg (2000)

Collaborative Networks: She collaborates with the Austrian Institute of Technology, European Geosciences Union, and Stable Isotope Network Austria, supervising interdisciplinary teams in hydrology, microbial ecology, and environmental engineering. Her outreach includes citizen science initiatives like Heavy Metal City-Zen for urban soil safety.