Lukas Hörtnagl

Dr. Lukas Hörtnagl is a Researcher at ETH Zurich's Department of Environmental Systems Science (D-USYS), affiliated with the Professorship for Grassland Sciences. He holds a Ph.D. in Terrestrial Ecology and Limnology from the University of Innsbruck (2011), with postdoctoral research focused on biogenic volatile organic compound fluxes. Since 2018, he has served as a Data Scientist at ETH Zurich.

His expertise centers on ecosystem-atmosphere gas exchanges, including CH4, N2O, CO2, and VOC fluxes. He contributes to major projects like ICOS-CH (Integrated Carbon Observation System Switzerland) and SwissFluxNet, leading long-term monitoring of carbon and water fluxes across ecosystems. His work integrates field measurements, remote sensing, and modeling to understand climate-ecosystem interactions.

Key research themes include drought impacts on forest ecosystems, agricultural greenhouse gas mitigation, and methodological advancements in eddy covariance systems. He has published extensively on topics such as ecosystem respiration, carbon sequestration dynamics, and the physiological responses of plants to environmental stressors.

Dr. Hörtnagl collaborates globally on initiatives like FLUXCOM-X and the FLUXNET network, emphasizing standardized data collection and cross-site comparisons. His research bridges applied and theoretical ecology, with implications for climate policy and sustainable land management.