معرفی
Dr. Michaela Zeiter is a Researcher in the Department of Plant Ecology at the University of Bern's Institute of Plant Sciences. Her work focuses on climate and land-use change impacts on grassland biodiversity and ecosystem functions. Key projects include SNSF-funded studies on drought legacy effects and invasibility, as well as international collaborations like the SIGNAL and Drought-Net initiatives. She investigates how extreme drought, land-use intensification, and invasive species interact to alter grassland dynamics across global and European scales.
Her research employs field experiments in Swiss hay meadows and coordinates global drought experiments to assess ecosystem sensitivity. Notable contributions include understanding seed availability dynamics, plant functional group roles in drought resistance, and legacy effects of climate extremes in alpine regions. Zeiter's work bridges local-scale field observations with large-scale ecological patterns, emphasizing the need for adaptive management strategies in the face of climate change.
Collaborations span institutions such as the Bern University of Applied Sciences and involve interdisciplinary teams addressing global environmental challenges. Her findings highlight the underestimated impacts of extreme drought on grassland ecosystems and the critical role of biodiversity in maintaining ecosystem resilience.
