Bernhard Schmid, Prof. Dr.
Research interests
Plant decision making; Plant growth and competition; Invasion biology; Ecology and genetics of small populations; Life-history evolution of clonal organisms; Transgene x environment interactions; Evolutionary plant genetics and epigenetics
Mechanisms of plant competition and coexistence; Plant–animal interactions; Plant–soil feedback; Community assembly; Community genetics and evolution
Biodiversity–ecosystem functioning relationships
Research projects
- Aboveground primary productivity in forest ecosystems as a function of species richness and composition (DFG, EU IDP-Bridges) BEF-China
- Climate, environment, and phylogeny as drivers of leaf traits across Chinese grassland biomes
- Community history and ecosystem functioning (SNF, URPP GCB)
- Competition among three predator species
- Decision-making in plants: resource allocation to mycorrhizal hyphal networks (Syngenta)
- Effects of forest biodiversity and climate on ecosystem carbon flux (Sino-Swiss joint project, SNSF)
- Epigenetic contributions to hybrid vigor in apomictic offspring (Syngenta)
- Influence of abiotic and biotic environment on the ecological performance of GM and non-GM wheat (NFP-59, SNSF)
- Mechanisms underlying plant community productivity, assembly and stability (The Jena Experiment)
- Plant Interaction Networks
- Transgenic wheat and non-target impacts on insect herbivores and food webs
- URPP Evolution in Action: Project 3 – Investigating the importance of epigenetics in adaptation and co-evolution (UZH)
- URPP GCB: Project 4 – Quantification and predictions of ecosystem services at policy-relevant scales (UZH)
- URPP GCB: Project 5 – Ecological genomics of plastic and evolutionary responses to environmental changes (UZH)
- URPP GCB: University Research Priority Program Global Change and Biodiversity (UZH)
CV
Education and professional positions
| since 2022 | Professor Emeritus |
| 2019 - present | Adjunct Professor, Institute of Ecology, Peking University, Beijing |
| 2018 - 2022 | Professor of Environmental Sciences, Department of Geography, University of Zurich, Switzerland |
| 2014 - 2016 | Dean of the Faculty of Science, University of Zurich, Switzerland |
| 2013 - 2019 | Co-director of University Research Priority Program “Global Change and Biodiversity” |
| 2010 - 2018 | Professor of Environmental Sciences, Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Switzerland |
| 2009 - 2014 | Guest professor Peking University, Beijing, Republic of China |
| 2009 - 2013 | Vice Dean of the Faculty of Science, University of Zurich, Switzerland |
| 2007 - present | Editor Journal of Plant Ecology |
| 2004 - 2012 | Member of the Research Council, Division III, Swiss National Science Foundation, Switzerland |
| 1997 - present | Visiting professor at several foreign Universities |
| 1994 - 2009 | Professor of Environmental Sciences, Head of the Institute of Environmental Sciences, University of Zurich, Switzerland |
| 1992 - 1994 | Professor of Conservation Biology, NLU, University of Basel, Switzerland |
| 1987 - 1992 | START-fellow (career development award of the Swiss NSF), University of Basel, Switzerland |
| 1984 - 1987 | PostDoc, Harvard University, Cambridge (with F.A. Bazzaz) |
| 1983 - 1984 | Research Associate, University of Zurich, Switzerland |
| 1981 - 1983 | PostDoc, University College of North Wales, Bangor (with J.L. Harper) |
| 1977 - 1981 | PhD.-studies at Institute of Systematic Botany, University of Zurich, Switzerland (with C.D.K. Cook) Teacher in Biology, High-school Baden, Switzerland |
| 1976 - 1977 | Teacher in Biology and Chemistry, High-school Sargans, Switzerland |