Research interests:

  • Tropical tree ring analysis
  • Ecological wood anatomy
  • Physiology of tropical trees
  • Projectcoordination and -management
  • Conference management


Professional background:

1996 to 1999 Bachelor of Science studies in Forestry at the University of Göttingen, Germany

1999 to 2001 Master of Science studies in Tropical and International Forestry at the University of Göttingen, Germany

2002 to 2011 PhD studies at University of Göttingen, Germany, financed by a scholarship of the German Environmental Foundation (DBU).
Title of the dissertation: "Ecological information of ring width, stable carbon isotope composition and wood anatomical variables in tropical tree rings - A contribution to dendrochronology in the tropics".

2012 to present Post-doc position, University of Göttingen, Department of Crop Sciences, Crop production Systems in the Tropics

Publications in peer reviewed journals and books:

2003 Fichtler, E, Clark, D. A. & M. Worbes. Age and long-term growth of trees in an old-growth tropical rain forest, based on analyses of tree rings and 14C. Biotropica 35: 306-317.

2004 Fichtler, E., Trouet, V., Beeckman, H., Coppin, P. & M. Worbes. Climate signals in tree rings of Burkea africana and Pterocarpus angolensis from semiarid forests in Namibia. Trees 18: 442-451.

2010 Fichtler, E., Helle, G. & M. Worbes. Stable carbon isotope time series from tropical tree rings indicate a precipitation signal. Tree Ring Research 66: 35-49.

2010 Poorter, L., McDonald, I., Alarcón, A., Fichtler, E., Licona, J.C., Peña-Claros, M., Sterck, F., Sass-Klaassen, U. & Z. Villegas. The importance of wood traits and hydraulic conductance for the performance and life history strategies of 42 rainforest tree species. New Phytologist 185: 481-492.

2010 Worbes, M. & E. Fichtler. Wood anatomy and tree-ring structure and their importance for tropical dendrochronology, book chapter pp. 329-346 IN: Central Amazonian Floodplain Forests: Ecophysiology, Biodiversity and Sustainable Management edited by Junk, W.J., Piedade, M.F.T., Parolin, P., Wittmann, F., Schöngart, J. (Eds.). Springer Ecological Studies.

2012 Fichtler, E. & M. Worbes. Wood anatomical variables in tropical trees and their relation to site conditions and individual tree morphology. IAWA Journal 33:19-40.

2013 Worbes, M., Blanchart, S., Fichtler, E. Relations between water balance, wood traits and phenological behavior of tree species from a tropical dry forest in Costa Rica - a multifactorial study. Tree Physiology (Advanced Access published)

2016 Morris, H., Plavcová, L., Cvecko, P., Fichtler, E., Gillingham, M., Martínez-Cabrera, H., McGlinn, D., Wheeler, E., Zheng, J., Zieminska, K. & Jansen, S. A global analysis of parenchyma tissue fractions in secondary xylem of seed plants New Phytologist 209, 1553-1565.

2016 van Holsbeeck, S., V. de Cauwer, M. de Ridder, E. Fichtler, H. Beeckman and J. Mertens Annual diameter growth of Pterocarpus angolensis (Kiaat) and other woodland species in Namibia Forest Ecology and Management 373, 1-8

2017 Fichtler, E., Dendroclimatology using tropical broad-leaved tree species - a review Erdkunde 71, 1

2017 De Cauwer, V., E. Fichtler, H. Beeckman, F. P. Graz, J. Mertens, S. Van Holsbeeck & B. Muys Predicting site productivity of the timber tree Pterocarpus angolensis. Southern Forests a Journal of Forest Science