Prof. Dr. Richard L. Peters
Academic Career and Research Areas
Prof. Peters (1987) field of research is the area of tree physiology, with a strong foundation in wood formation science. He is deeply fascinated by the intricate relationships between forests and the Earth's climate system. His work requires an interdisciplinary approach that integrates forest ecology, forestry, dendrochronology, forest dynamics, wood science, and ecophysiology. These obtained insights are vital for making informed forest management decisions and implementing conservation actions to enhance forest resilience to climate change.
Richard L. Peters studied biology at the University of Utrecht and was a visiting scientist at Wageningen University. He earned his PhD (summa cum laude) from the University of Basel in collaboration with the Swiss WSL in 2018. After a Postdoc at the WSL, he secured a prestigious SNSF grant for a Postdoc at Ghent University. In 2021, he returned to Basel as the scientific coordinator of the Swiss Canopy Crane II site. In 2024, he was appointed Associate Professor and Head of the Chair of Tree Growth and Wood Physiology at TUM.
Awards
- Early Postdoc.Mobility Fellowship of the SNSF: Swiss National Science Foundation TREEFLOW Project (2019)
- PhD summa cum laude: Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Basel (2018)
Key Publications (all publications)
Peters RL, Steppe K, Pappas C, Zweifel R, …, Kahmen A. 2023. Daytime stomatal regulation in mature temperate trees prioritizes stem rehydration at night. New Phytologist 239: 533–546.
AbstractSalomon RL, Peters RL*, Zweifel R, Sass-Klaassen U, Lerink BJW, …, Steppe K. 2022. The 2018 European heatwave led to stem dehydration but not to consistent growth reductions in forests. Nature Communications 13: 28.
*equally contributing first author
Peters RL, Steppe K, Cuny HE, de Pauw DJW, Frank DC, …, Fonti P. 2021. Turgor ‐ a limiting factor for radial growth in mature conifers along an elevational gradient. New Phytologist 229: 213–229.
AbstractBabst F, Friend A, Karamichalaki M, Wei J, von Arx G, Papale D, Peters RL. 2021. Modeling ambitions outpace observations of forest carbon allocation. Trends in Plant Science 3: 210–219.
AbstractPeters RL, Groenendijk P, Vlam M, Zuidema PA. 2015. Detecting long-term growth trends using tree rings: a critical evaluation of methods. Global Change Biology 21: 2040–2054.
AbstractIf you wish your profile to be changed or updated please contact Franz Langer.