Mario Pesendorfer

Mario Pesendorfer is a Professor in Forest Ecology at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU), affiliated with the Institute of Forest Ecology within the Department of Forest and Soil Sciences. His research spans behavioral ecology, life-history strategies, population/community dynamics, and conservation ecology, with a focus on mast seeding and volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions in temperate forests of North America and Europe. He integrates long-term ecological research, field/laboratory experiments, and statistical/theoretical modeling in his work.

• Education: Ph.D. in Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior (University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2014); Mag. rer. nat. in Biology and Behavioral Ecology (University of Vienna, 2007).

His recent publications analyze masting mechanisms under climate change, rodent-seed interactions, and stress-induced VOC emissions in urban trees. He serves on editorial boards for journals like Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B and has reviewed for 25+ peer-reviewed journals. He supervised three Master’s theses on topics such as seed dispersal and mast dynamics.

Scientific Awards:

• Smithsonian Predoctoral Fellow (2012)

He actively contributes to science communication and inclusion in ecology, with media appearances and knowledge transfer initiatives.