PD Dr. Anita Christina Risch

Function

Groupleader, Senior Scientist

Community Ecology

Plant-Animal Interactions

Contact

anita.risch(at)wslto make life hard for spam bots.ch

+41 44 739 23 46+41 44 739 23 46

Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL
Zürcherstrasse 111
8903 Birmensdorf

Site

Birmensdorf Bi MG D 40

Education

2010: Habilitation, ETH Zurich, Department of Environmental Sciences
Supervisor: Peter J. Edwards

2004 - 2006: Post-doc in Ecosystem Ecology, Department of Biology, Syracuse University,
Supervisor: Douglas A. Frank

2003: Ph.D. Degree in Forest Ecology, WSL, ETH Zurich
Thesis: Successional patterns and processes following land use change in subalpine forests of the Central European Alps.
Supervisor: Martin Schütz, Harald Bugmann

2000: Masters Degree in Forestry, School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, USA
Thesis: Vegetation - environment relationships within small tributary watersheds of an old-growth forest in Upper Michigan, USA.
Supervisor: Kurt S. Pregitzer, Margaret R. Gale, Martin F. Jurgensen, Casey F. Huckins

1999: Masters Degree in Ecology and Systematics, ETH Zurich, Switzerland
Thesis: Raum-Zeit-Modell der Vegetationsentwicklung auf zwei subalpinen Kleinweiden im Schweizerischen Nationalpark.
Supervisor: Martin Schütz, Bertil O. Kruesi

Professional experience

01/2011 - present: Head of Plant-Animal Interactions research group within research unit Community Ecology, WSL, Switzerland

09/2009 - present: Adjunct Associate Professor and member of the graduate faculty, School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, Michigan Tech, USA

09/2008 - present: Lecturer, Department of Environmental Sciences, ETH Zürich, Switzerland

10/2006 - 05/2009: Adjunct Assistant Professor, School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, Michigan Tech, USA

07/2006 - 12/2010: Head of Animal Ecology research group within research unit Community Ecology, WSL, Switzerland

03/2006 - 06/2006: Research scientist, WSL, Switzerland

03/2004 - 01/2006: Research associate, Departement of Biology, Syracuse University, USA

11/2000 - 02/2004: Research scientist, WSL, Switzerland

05/2000 - 10/2000: Research scientist, School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, Michigan Tech, USA

1996 - 1999: Graduate research assistant ETH Zurich, Switzerland

1994 - 1999: Part time assistant and secretary at UBS Zurich, Switzerland

Current collaborations

Prof. Dr. Jennifer Firn, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia
Prof. Dr. T. Michael Anderson, Wake Forest University, NC, USA
Prof. Dr. Douglas A. Frank, Syracuse University, Department of Biology, Syracuse NY, USA
Prof. Leena Finér, Finnish Forest Research Institute (METLA), Joensuu Research Centre, Joensuu, Finland
Dr. Debbie Page-Dumroese, USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Forestry Science Lab, Moscow ID, USA
Dr. Matt Busse, USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research Station, Silviculture Lab, Redding, CA, USA
Prof. Dr. Joseph Bump, Prof. Dr. Martin Jurgensen, Prof. Dr. Andrew Storer, Mike Hyslop, Michigan Technological University, School of Forestry and Wood Products, Houghton MI, USA
Prof. Dr. Mizue Ohashi, University of Hyogo, Japan
Prof. Dr. Wim van der Putten, NIOO-KNAW, Wageningen, Netherlands
Dr. Xiaowei Wang, Chinese Acacemy of Sciences, Institute of Applied Ecology, Shenyang, China
Dr. Dariusz J Gwiazdowicz, Poznan University, Poland
Dr. Raul Ochoa-Hueso, The University of Western Sydney, Australia
over 150 researchers worldwide involved in the Nutrient Networt (NUTNET): A global research cooperative
Dr. Ruedi Haller, Dr. Flurin Filli, Dr. Pia Anderwald, Swiss National Park, Zernez, Switzerland
Dr. Luca Bragazza,Prof. Dr. Alexander Buttler, , Dr. Beat Frey, Dr. Constant Signarbieux, Dr. Beat Wermelinger, Dr. Stephan Zimmermann, several reserachers from LFI, WSL, Switzerland

Main external funding sources

Swiss National Science Foundation
Swiss Federal Office for the Environment
Finnish Academy of Sciences

FURTHER INFORMATION

Projects

Species interactions in beaver engineered habitats

The overarching goal of this project is to assess how habitat heterogeneity caused by beaver engineering influences the diversity, strength and nature of interactions within and between aquatic and terrestrial communities, and how changes in species assemblages relate to ecosystem processes.

Polytunnel Greenhouse Experiment

Das Projekt untersucht, wie gut zukunftsfähige Baumarten während der Verjüngungsphase in einem Klima mit wärmeren Wintern und heiss-trockenen Sommermonaten wachsen, wie sie sich gegenseitig beeinflussen und welche Auswirkungen ihre Präsenz auf den Boden und die darin lebenden Organismen hat.

Restoration of species rich grasslands

Restoration of species rich grasslands from species poor agricultural sites was successful in several projects and studies. However, the existing vegetation including the roots and the nutrient enriched topsoil had to be removed in most of the successful examples. The impact of such radical disturbances on soil organisms and soil functions has not yet been assessed. Our study aims on shedding more light into these aspects.

How ungulates move nutrients

Ungulates can move nutrients over long distances. In this project we study the importance of such nutrient movements for soil diversity and soil processes across the landscape in collaboration with Joseph Bump (University of Minnesota).

Distribution of red wood ants

We investigate the requirements and distribution of red wood ants in Switzerland. On each plot of the Swiss National Forest Inventory presence/absence and size of the nest mounds are recorded.

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Publications WSL

Scientific publication article peer reviewed

Li, T.; Zhong, Z.; Pearson, D.E.; Ortega, Y.K.; Li, W.; Li, Y.; Zhu, H.; Risch, A.C.; Wang, D., 2023: Parasites as ecosystem modulators: foliar pathogens suppress top-down effects of large herbivores. New Phytologist, doi: 10.1111/nph.18912

Risch, A.C.; Zimmermann, S.; Schütz, M.; Borer, E.T.; Broadbent, A.A.D.; Caldeira, M.C.; Davies, K.F.; Eisenhauer, N.; Eskelinen, A.; Fay, P.A.; Hagedorn, F.; Knops, J.M.H.; Lembrechts, J.J.; MacDougall, A.S.; McCulley, R.L.; Melbourne, B.A.; Moore, J.L.; Power, S.A.; Seabloom, E.W.; ... Ochoa-Hueso, R., 2023: Drivers of the microbial metabolic quotient across global grasslands. Global Ecology and Biogeography, doi: 10.1111/geb.13664

Daleo, P.; Alberti, J.; Chaneton, E.J.; Iribarne, O.; Tognetti, P.M.; Bakker, J.D.; Borer, E.T.; Bruschetti, M.; MacDougall, A.S.; Pascual, J.; Sankaran, M.; Seabloom, E.W.; Wang, S.; Bagchi, S.; Brudvig, L.A.; Catford, J.A.; Dickman, C.R.; Dickson, T.L.; Donohue, I.; ... Hautier, Y., 2023: Environmental heterogeneity modulates the effect of plant diversity on the spatial variability of grassland biomass. Nature Communications, 14, 1: 1809 (11 pp.). doi: 10.1038/s41467-023-37395-y

Frey, B.; Moser, B.; Tytgat, B.; Zimmermann, S.; Alberti, J.; Biederman, L.A.; Borer, E.T.; Broadbent, A.A.D.; Caldeira, M.C.; Davies, K.F.; Eisenhauer, N.; Eskelinen, A.; Fay, P.A.; Hagedorn, F.; Hautier, Y.; MacDougall, A.S.; McCulley, R.L.; Moore, J.L.; Nepel, M.; ... Risch, A.C., 2023: Long-term N-addition alters the community structure of functionally important N-cycling soil microorganisms across global grasslands. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 176: 108887 (11 pp.). doi: 10.1016/j.soilbio.2022.108887

Gill, A.L.; Adler, P.B.; Borer, E.T.; Buyarski, C.R.; Cleland, E.E.; D'Antonio, C.M.; Davies, K.F.; Gruner, D.S.; Harpole, W.S.; Hofmockel, K.S.; MacDougall, A.S.; McCulley, R.L.; Melbourne, B.A.; Moore, J.L.; Morgan, J.W.; Risch, A.C.; Schütz, M.; Seabloom, E.W.; Wright, J.P.; ... Hobbie, S.E., 2022: Nitrogen increases early-stage and slows late-stage decomposition across diverse grasslands. Journal of Ecology, 110, 6: 1376-1389. doi: 10.1111/1365-2745.13878

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Further scientific publications

Conedera, M.; Risch, A.; Grossiord, C.; Bebi, P., 2021: Research Unit Community Ecology. In: Ferretti, M.; Fischer, C.; Gessler, A. (eds), 2021: Towards an advanced inventorying and monitoring system for the Swiss forest. Towards an advanced inventorying and monitoring system for the Swiss forest, Birmensdorf. 43-44.

Schütz, M.; Risch, A.C., 2020: Synthese. In: Schütz, M.; Anderwald, P.; Risch, A.C. (eds), 2020: Nahrungsnetze im Schweizerischen Nationalpark. Von Produzenten, Konsumenten und Destruenten. Bern, Haupt. 145-153.

Schütz, M.; Risch, A.C., 2020: Interaktionen zwischen Produzenten, Konsumenten und Destruenten. In: Schütz, M.; Anderwald, P.; Risch, A.C. (eds), 2020: Nahrungsnetze im Schweizerischen Nationalpark. Von Produzenten, Konsumenten und Destruenten. Bern, Haupt. 103-116.

Schütz, M.; Risch, A.C., 2020: Einfluss von Herbivoren auf die pflanzliche Artenvielfalt. In: Schütz, M.; Anderwald, P.; Risch, A.C. (eds), 2020: Nahrungsnetze im Schweizerischen Nationalpark. Von Produzenten, Konsumenten und Destruenten. Bern, Haupt. 89-102.

Schütz, M.; Risch, A.C., 2020: Einfluss von Herbivoren auf die Vegetationsdynamik. In: Schütz, M.; Anderwald, P.; Risch, A.C. (eds), 2020: Nahrungsnetze im Schweizerischen Nationalpark. Von Produzenten, Konsumenten und Destruenten. Bern, Haupt. 73-88.

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Magazine article and brochures

Speich, S.; Ahles, P.; Allgaier Leuch, B.; Righetti, D.; Risch, A.C., 2022: Interaktive Karten auf www.lfi.ch zeigen das potenzielle Vorkommen von Waldameisen. Infoblatt Arbeitsgruppe Waldplanung und -management, 1-3.

Schütz, M.; Risch, A.C., 2020: Huftiere und Wirbellose spielen verschiedene Rollen. Cratschla, 12-13.

Schütz, M.; Risch, A.C., 2020: ... und die im Boden lebenden Fadenwürmer ebenfalls. Cratschla, 10-11.

Schütz, M.; Risch, A.C., 2020: Warum Zikaden und Spinnen auf Hirsche reagieren .... Cratschla, 8-9.

Schütz, M.; Risch, A.C., 2020: Nahrungsnetze im Schweizerischen Nationalpark. Cratschla, 4-5.

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