Dr. Lucia Fuchslueger

Plant-Soil-Microbe Interactions as Ecosystem Drivers. At the heart of my research is understanding how interactions among plants, soil microorganisms, and their environment regulate ecosystem functioning—from belowground carbon allocation to root-microbe feedbacks. This integrative approach, combining field experiments, isotope tracing and molecular techniques, shows that belowground interactions actively shape ecosystem-level responses to nutrient availability and climate stress.

Nutrient Limitation and Acquisition Strategies. With my team, we investigate how plants and microorganisms acquire limiting nutrients, particularly phosphorus and nitrogen, in resource-poor ecosystems. Working in tropical forests and temperate grasslands, we examine strategies from fine root trait plasticity and exudate composition to microbial enzyme production, revealing how nutrient scarcity shapes microbial community and ecosystem responses to global change.

Climate Change Impacts on Belowground Processes. We study how drought, warming, and elevated CO₂ alter soil carbon and nutrient cycling through plant-soil-microbe interactions. Our work demonstrates that past environmental conditions can create "ecological memory" that modifies subsequent stress responses. Tracking these dynamics across biomes reveals mechanisms underlying ecosystem resilience and vulnerability to climate change.