Dr. Ivano Brunner - Personal Homepage

Dr. Ivano Brunner Organisational unit: Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research Forest Soils and Biogeochemistry Phone: +41 44 7392 284 Fax: +41 44 7392 215 Room: Bi LG B 25 E-Mail: Address: Swiss Federal Institute WSL Zürcherstrasse 111 8903 Birmensdorf

Research interests

• Biochemical and physiological reactions of tree fine roots to alterations in soils and after experimental treatments (soil acidification, heavy metals, irrigation, addition of wood ash, nitrogen)
• Fine root growth and turnover and the aspect of 'global change'
• Molecular identification of tree roots on species and individuum level
  
• Establishement and maintenance of a steril poplar clone as a model for 'soil-root interaction'
  
• Experimental treatments of sterile poplars to investigate biochemical and molecular reactions of the roots (formation of callose, exudation of organic acids)
• Ecology of fungi
  

International activities

• Vice-chair of the former COST Action E38 (http://www.cost38.net) "Woody Root Processes"
• Chair of the COST Action FP0803  "Belowground carbon turnover in European forests"

COST Action FP0803: Belowground carbon turnover in European forests COST Action FP0803 chaired by WSL soil scientist Ivano Brunner. Focusing on the four key areas: fine root turnover, mycorrhizal mycelia turnover, soil C stocks, and biogeochemical modelling, with the intention of linking the different research fields involved, evaluating the potential of new and innovative methodologies, and developing new process-based descriptions of belowground C dynamics within biogeochemical models. Available languages: English

Teaching

ETH-Zürich

• "Biology and ecology of the fungi in forest " (Bachelor course, together with Daniel Rigling and Simon Egli)
• "Selected Topics in Forest Mycology" (Master lecture, together with Daniel Rigling and Simon Egli)

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Education

• 1978-82: Study of biology ETH Zurich, dipl. Natw. ETH
• 1983-87: PhD at Geobotanical Institute ETH Zurich, Dr. sc. nat. ETH
• 1987-89: PostDocs at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks, and at Virginia Polytechnic Institute, Blacksburg, USA

Newest publications

• Brunner I, Graf Pannatier E, Frey B, Rigling A, Landolt W, Zimmermann S, Dobbertin M. 2009. Morphological and physiological responses of Scots pine fine roots to water supply in a climatic dry region in Switzerland. Tree Physiology 29, 541–550.

• Brunner I, Luster J, Günthardt-Goerg MS, Frey B. 2008. Heavy metal accumulation and phytostabilisation potential of tree fine roots in a contaminated soil. Environmental Pollution 152, 559-568.
  

• Brunner I, Godbold DL. 2007. Tree roots in a changing world. Journal of Forest Research 12, 78-82.

• Finér L, Helmisaari H-S, Lõhmus K, Majdi H, Brunner I, Børja I, Eldhuset TD, Godbold DL, Grebenc T, Konopka B, Kraigher H, Möttönen M-R, Ohashi M, Oleksyn J, Ostonen I, Uri V, Vanguelova E. 2007. Variation in fine root biomass of three European tree species: Beech (Fagus sylvatica L.), Norway spruce (Picea abies Karst.) and Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.). Plant Biosystems 141, 394-405.

• Godbold DL, Brunner I. 2007. The platform of European root science, COST action E38: an introduction and overview. Plant Biosystems 141, 390-393.

• Hirano Y, Mizoguchi T, Brunner I. 2007. Root parameters of forest trees as sensitive indicators of acidifying pollutants: a review of Japanese research. Journal of Forest Research 12, 134-142.

• Ostonen I, Püttsepp U, Biel C, Alberton O, Bakker MR, Lõhmus K, Majdi H, Metcalfe D, Olsthoorn A, Pronk A, Vanguelova E, Weih M, Brunner I. 2007. Specific root length as indicator of environmental change. Plant Biosystems 141, 426-442.

• Qin R, Hirano Y, Brunner I. 2007. Exudation of organic acid anions from poplar roots after exposure to Al, Cu and Zn. Tree Physiology 27, 313-320.

• Richter AK, Walthert L, Frossard E, Brunner I. 2007. Does low soil base saturation affect the vitality of fine roots of European beech? Plant and Soil 298, 69-79.

• Richter AK, Frossard E, Brunner I. 2007. Polyphenols in the woody roots of Norway spruce and European beech reduce TTC. Tree Physiology 27, 155-16.

• Vanguelova E, Hirano Y, Eldhuset TD, Sas-Paszt L, Bakker MR, Püttsepp U, Brunner I, Lõhmus K, Godbold DL. 2007. Tree fine root Ca/Al molar ratio – Indicator of Al and acidity stress. Plant Biosystems 141, 460–480.