Dr Katarzyna Wasak-Sęk is an Assistant Professor (research staff equivalent) at the Department of Geoenvironmental Research, Institute of Geography and Spatial Organization of the Polish Academy of Sciences (PAN) in Kraków, Poland. Since 2017 she has held a permanent research position, advancing from junior documentary filmmaker (2016–2017) to assistant researcher. She previously served as an independent administrative officer at the Institute of Geography and Spatial Management, Jagiellonian University, where she completed her PhD in Earth Sciences in 2017. Education 2002–2008 – Master’s degree (Inter-Faculty Studies in Environmental Protection), University of Warsaw, with specialization in physical geography. Master’s thesis: Development of initial soils in the foreland of the Fláa glacier (SE Iceland) . 2017 – PhD in Earth Sciences (physical geography), Institute of Geography and Spatial Management, Jagiellonian University. Doctoral thesis: The influence of vegetation and soil parent material on the properties of organic matter in the lower montane zone soils in the Western Tatra Mountains . Research Interests Dr Wasak-Sęk’s work centres on soil organic matter dynamics , mountain soil formation and evolution , and environmental change impacts on soil properties. Her studies integrate field sampling, laboratory analyses and modelling to understand how vegetation, lithology and disturbances (windthrow, deforestation, snowmelt) control carbon and nitrogen cycling in high-altitude and high-latitude ecosystems. Key themes include: Biogeochemistry of organic matter in montane soils Effects of windthrow and forest disturbance on soil chemistry and microbial activity Nitrogen transformations and acidification processes in alpine catchments Headwater chemistry responses to vegetation and climate gradients Publication Profile & Trends Between 2018 and 2025 she has authored or co-authored more than 20 peer-reviewed articles in leading journals such as Science of The Total Environment , Journal of Environmental Management , Catena , Geomorphology , Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems , and Journal of Soils and Sediments , plus numerous book chapters and conference abstracts. Her output displays a clear trajectory from reviews and methodological papers on carbon sequestration (2018–2019) toward integrative studies coupling soil–vegetation–atmosphere interactions in mountain and sub-arctic environments (2020–2025). Grants & Projects While explicit grant titles are not listed, her extensive publication record and editorial roles indicate sustained funding for projects on: Soil organic carbon stability in rendzina soils Effects of windfall events on soil buffering capacity and chemical denudation Nitrate dynamics during snowmelt and rain-on-snow episodes in the Tatra Mountains Microbiome responses to wet-meadow translocation and habitat reconstruction Editorial & Outreach Activities Dr Wasak-Sęk has served as co-editor of the 1st National Scientific Conference "Geośrodowisko – Climate, Nature, Man" (2024) and as editorial board member for the Przegląd Geograficzny . She contributes to popular-science magazines ( Bez Pługa ) and field-session guides, demonstrating commitment to knowledge transfer beyond academia.

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