Education

MSc Global Change Ecology, University of Bayreuth, Germany
Focus: environmental geochemistry and ecosystem services, Master thesis: “how silica drives ecosystem services of peatlands”

BSc Geoecology, University of Bayreuth, Germany
Focus: environmental geochemistry, Bachelor thesis: “molybdenum transformation driven by the sulphur redox chemistry at Lake Rogoznica”

Research interests / background

Although mangroves cover only a small area globally (<0.03%), they play an important role in the global carbon cycle. Large shares of the terrestrially derived carbon are stored in or pumped through mangroves before entering the ocean. Furthermore, mangroves are supposed to deliver alkalinity, primarily organic alkalinity, to the ocean buffering the ocean acidification. However, organic alkalinity production and export in mangroves is so far poorly understood. Therefore, my PhD project aims to examine alkalinity dynamics in order to develop next generation carbon budgets.

Main objectives are to:

• measure (organic) alkalinity production and export rates in mangroves
• examine short-term and seasonal drivers of alkalinity dynamics
• quantify the potential of mangroves to buffer ocean acidification
• assess the effects of mangrove loss on alkalinity, costal carbon cycling and greenhouse gas budges
• evaluate the role mangroves play in global greenhouse gas inventories by developing next generation blue carbon budgets that integrate alkalinity, dissolved carbon exports and greenhouse gas fluxes

Supervisors: Dr Damien Maher & Prof Scott Johnston

Publications

Reithmaier, G. M. S., Knorr, K. H., Arnhold, S., Planer-Friedrich, B., & Schaller, J. (2017). Enhanced silicon availability leads to increased methane production, nutrient and toxicant mobility in peatlands. Scientific Reports, 7(1), 8728.   

Lohmayer, R., Reithmaier, G. M. S., Bura-Nakić, E., & Planer-Friedrich, B. (2015). Ion-Pair Chromatography Coupled to Inductively Coupled Plasma–Mass Spectrometry (IPC-ICP-MS) as a Method for Thiomolybdate Speciation in Natural Waters. Analytical chemistry, 87(6), 3388-3395.  

Conferences

Education conference - global learning
Organized by: One World Organization, 2016, observer

Bonn climate change conference SB 44,
Organized by: United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), 2016, observer

French - German - Polish conference water and climate change
Organized by: Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), 2015, observer

Good live beyond growth
Organized by: Kolleg Postwachstumsgesellschaften, 2015, observer

Intergovernmental platform on biodiversity and ecosystem services (IPBES)
Organized by: United Nation Environmental Programme (UNEP), 2015, volunteer

International biogeography society
Organized by: Department of Biogeography, University of Bayreuth, 2015, assistant

Science schools

Participation of children, youth and adults in social change
Organized by: Working group of nature and environmental education (ANU) Bayern, 2016, Germany Theory and methods of participation in education for sustainable development                        

Science meets practice      
Organized by: Competence Center Environment and Sustainability (CCES), ETH Zürich, 2016, Switzerland
Organization of a participative multi stakeholder workshop with the topic "Future Landscapes"

Patterns of vegetation in water controlled ecosystems
Organized by: Department of civil, environmental and architectural engineering, University of Padua, 2016, Italy
Mathematical modelling of ecological patterns depending on environmental factors

Sustainable water management in urban areas     
Organized by: Indo-German Centre for Sustainability, Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT), 2015, India
Expert talks about water supply in Indian metropolises, fieldtrips and the group project "River Restauration"