Univ.-Prof. Dr. Andreas Richter

 

 

   

 

 

Head of the Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science
Head of the Division of Terrestrial Ecosystem Research

☎ +43 1 4277 91260

✉ andreas.richter@univie.ac.at 

Microbial communities are key components of all global biogeochemical cycles and play a central yet poorly understood role in climate change biology. Andreas Richter’s group investigates how growth and turnover of microbial communities control the deconstruction and mineralisation of organic matter in terrestrial ecosystems in current and future climates. The group has redefined and expanded the concept of microbial carbon and nitrogen use efficiency, linking it to ecological stoichiometry theory.

Andreas also pioneered the development of methods to estimate microbial growth and carbon use efficiency based on stable oxygen isotopes. Andreas’ research group has extensively worked on soil organic matter storage in arctic ecosystems and permafrost-climate feedback, as well as in deep soils from the tropics to arctic. They also explore the interactive effects of future climate conditions and climate extremes on microbial processes, community composition, and plant-microbe interactions.

Research Topics

  • Carbon use efficiency, growth and turnover of microbial communities
  • Arctic soil carbon storage and the permafrost-climate feedback
  • Microbial communities, SOM composition and the breakdown of organic matter
  • Ecological stoichiometry and nitrogen and phosphorus cycling
  • Effect of climate change and elevated CO2 on soil processes

Join the Team

If you are interested in joining our team, explore our open positions and learn more about available PhD and postdoc stipends here.

Teaching

To explore Andreas' teaching activities at the University of Vienna, visit u:find.

Research Projects

If all microbial life disappeared from Earth, our world would change dramatically. Microorganisms are essential for nutrient recycling, decomposing...

The Arctic is warming more rapidly than any other region in the world. There, permafrost soils cover ~25% of terrestrial surface and hold the world's...

Permafrost coasts in the Arctic make up 34% of the world's coasts and represent a key interface for human-environmental interactions. These coasts...

Collaboration with other international projects

Group Members


 Publications

Peguero, G., Ferrin, M., Sardans, J., Verbruggen, E., Ramirez-Rojas, I., Van Langenhove, L., Verryckt, L. T., Murienne, J., Iribar, A., Zinger, L., Grau, O., Orivel, J., Stahl, C., Courtois, E. A., Asensio, CREAF., Gargallo-Garriga, A., Llusia, J., Margalef, O., Ogaya, R., ... Penuelas, J. (2022). Decay of similarity across tropical forest communities: integrating spatial distance with soil nutrients. Ecology, 103(2), [e03599]. https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.3599

Gavazov, K., Canarini, A., Jassey, V. E. J., Mills, R., Richter, A., Sundqvist, M. K., Vaisanen, M., Walker, T. W. N., Wardle, D. A., & Dorrepaal, E. (2022). Plant-microbial linkages underpin carbon sequestration in contrasting mountain tundra vegetation types. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 165, [108530]. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2021.108530

Dao, T. T., Mikutta, R., Sauheitl, L., Gentsch, N., Shibistova, O., Wild, B., Schnecker, J., Barta, J., Capek, P., Gittel, A., Lashchinskiy, N., Urich, T., Santruckova, H., Richter, A., & Guggenberger, G. (2022). Lignin Preservation and Microbial Carbohydrate Metabolism in Permafrost Soils. Journal of Geophysical Research-Biogeosciences, 127(1), [e2020JG006181]. https://doi.org/10.1029/2020JG006181

Séneca Cardoso Da Silva, J., Söllinger, A., Herbold, C., Pjevac, P., Prommer, J., Verbruggen, E., Sigurdsson, B. D., Peñuelas, J., Janssens, I. A., Urich, T., Tveit, A., & Richter, A. (2021). Increased microbial expression of organic nitrogen cycling genes in long-term warmed grassland soils. ISME Communications, 1, [69]. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43705-021-00073-5