Hi, my name is Yichen Zhou, a new postdoc working with Professor Johannes Rousk. In my project, I will study the impact of climate changes (warming, drought, and other extreme weather) on microbial growth rate and biogeochemistry. I will also focus on the role of plants on the soil microbe under these environmental changes.
I’m originally from China and completed my PhD at the University of Manchester, UK. During my PhD, I studied the mechanisms of plant-soil feedback in tree mixtures and how they vary under different environmental conditions, such as nitrogen gradients and drought frequencies. Through this research, I developed a deeper understanding of how plants influence soil nutrients and microbial communities under environmental changes, as well as how plants respond to altered soil conditions in return. In the future, at Lund, I will explore plant–soil microbial relationships under different environmental changes from multiple perspectives, such as root exudation and microbial growth.
Outside of research, I enjoy hiking, crafting, reading, and traveling. I’m deeply curious about different cultures and really look forward to meeting people from all over the world here.
