Matti Barthel

Dr. Matti Barthel is a Researcher at ETH Zurich's Department of Environmental Systems Science, specializing in Sustainable Agroecosystems. His work focuses on biogeochemical processes in tropical ecosystems, particularly greenhouse gas dynamics in soils, wetlands, and agricultural systems. Affiliated with the Institute of Agricultural Sciences (D-USYS), he investigates climate change impacts using advanced methodologies like isotopic analysis and functional gene studies. Key locations of research include the Congo Basin, East African savannas, and urbanized river systems.

Research interests center on methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), and carbon dioxide (CO2) fluxes, with emphasis on tropical forest soils, aquaculture systems, and wetland ecosystems. Barthel’s studies address land-use change effects, hydrological drivers of carbon export, and microbial processes in nitrogen cycling. His work contributes to global carbon budgets and sustainable agricultural practices.

Recent publications highlight novel findings on methane emissions from central African wetlands, N2O hotspots in livestock enclosures, and the role of hydrology in tropical river carbon dynamics. Methodological innovations include isotopocule analysis and laser spectroscopy for precise gas flux measurements.

His research is conducted in collaboration with the Congo Biogeochemistry Observatory and spans interdisciplinary themes including climate adaptation, agroecology, and ecosystem resilience. Barthel’s studies often integrate field observations with modeling approaches to predict future environmental trajectories.