Senior Scientist (IRHC), Head of the laboratory INRAE, Centre de GRANDEST Nancy, UR 1138, Forest Ecosystem Biogeochemistry Route d'Amance, 54280 Champenoux, France   0033 (0)3 83 39 40 77 0033 (0)3 83 39 40 69 bernhard.zeller@inrae.fr

Research

For millions of years forests have provided essential services to mankind. Although, the impact of humans on forests has widely varied over the last millenaries, it always results in an export of matter and nutrients. Nutrient cycling in forests is closely related to the turnover of organic matter i.e the transformation and mineralization of plant litter. This essential process is still not fully understood, especially the fate of litter N in soils varies according to local or global drivers. Recently, I contributed to this topic using 15N or 15N and 13C labelled litter, showing that trees take up only a minor part of litter released N while the major part remains in the soil either as particles or after microbial transformations. Another aspect of the N cycle in forests is how different tree species affect or control N mineralization and nitrification. Here, Douglas fir was identified as a tree species which directly promote nitrification thus often resulting in leaching of nitrate and cations (Ca, Al). I am the PI of the MOS network, a network dedicated to study the effects of enhanced export (bioenergy use) of harvest residues, on biodiversity, soil properties and tree growth. Finally, I manage the mobile platform (MPOETE) of ANAEE – France. The aim of this platform is to give all users access to state of the art equipment in the field of ecology, microbiology, plant science and soil science.

Publications (2016 - )

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Lafitte A., Florio A., Andrianarisoa S., Ndaw S.M., Commeaux C., Hai B., Ndaw S.M., Periot C., Schloter M., Zeller B., Poly F., Le Roux X. (2020) Biological inhibition of soil nitrification by forest tree species through knock out of Nitrobacter. Environmental Microbiology in press

Bredoire F., Kayler Z.E., Dupouey J.-L., Derrien D., Zeller B., Barsukov P.A., Rusalimova O., Nikitich P., Bakker M.R., Legout A. (2020) Limiting factors of aspen radial growth along a climatic and soil water budget gradient in south-western Siberia. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agrformet.2019.107870Zeller B., Legout A., Bienaime S., Gratia B., Saintenoise Ph., Bonnaud P., Ranger J. (2019) Douglas fir stimulates nitrification in French forest soils. Scientifc Reports 9:10687, DOI 10.1038/s41598-019-47042-6

Brédoire F., Zeller B., Kayler Z.E., Barsukov P.A., Nikitich P., Rusalimova O., Bakker M.R., Bashuk A., Saint-Marie J., Didier S., Legout A., Derrien D. (2019) The fate of leaf-litter N under contrasting pedo-climatic conditions in south-western Siberia. Soil Biology & Biochemistry 135: 331-342Chuste P.A., Massonnet C., Gérant D., Zeller B., Levillain J., Hossann C., Angeli N., Wortemann R., Bréda N., Maillard P. (2019) Short-term nitrogen dynamics are impacted by defoliation and drought in Fagus sylvatica L. branches. Tree Physiology https://doi.org/10.1093/treephys/tpz002

Maillard F., Leduc V., Bach C., Reichard A., Fauchery L., Saint-André L., Zeller B., Buée M. (2019) Soil microbial functions are affected by organic matter removal in temperate deciduous forests. Soil Biology & Biochemistry 133: 28-36

Akroume E., Maillard F., Bach C., Hossann Ch., Brechet C., Angeli N., Zeller B., Saint-André L., Buée M., (2019) First evidences that the ectomycorrhizal fungus Paxillus involutus mobilizes nitrogen and carbon from saprophytic fungus necromass. Environmental Microbiology 21: 197-208

Elie F., Vincenot L., Berthe T., Quibel E., Zeller B., Saint-André L., Normand M., Chauvat M., Aubert M. (2018) Soil fauna as bioindicators of organic matter export in temperate forest. Forest Ecology and Management, 429: 549-557

Lallemand F., Figura T., Damesin C., Fresneau C., Griveau C., Fontaine N., Zeller B., Selosse M.A. (2018) Mixotrophic orchids do not use photosynthates for perennial underground organs. New Phytol. 221: 12-17, doi.org/10.1111/nph.15443

Kayler ZE., Brédoire F., Reickh H., Barsukov PA., Rusalimova O., Nikitich P., Bakker MR., Zeller B., Fontaine S., Derrien D (2018) Soil evaporation and organic matter turnover in the Sub-Taiga and Forest-Steppe of southwest Siberia. Scientific Reports 8:10904 DOI:10.1038/s41598-018-28977-8

Agapit C., Gigon A., Puga-Freitas R., Zeller B., Blouin M. (2018) Plant-earthworm interactions: influence of age and proportion of casts in the soil on plant growth, morphology and nitrogen uptake. Plant & Soil 424: 1-13

Andrianarisoa S., Zeller B., Siegenfuhr H., Bienaimé S., Dambrine E. (2017) Root colonization and nitrate availability in forest soils. Soil Use & Management 33: 45-53

Nguyen Tu, T.T., Egasse C., Anquetil Ch. Zanetti F., Zeller B., Huon S., Derenne S. (2017) Leaf lipid degradation in soils and surface sediments: A litterbag experiment. Organic Geochemistry 104: 35-41

Akroume E., Zeller B., Buée M., Santenoise P., Saint – André L. (2016) Improving the design of long-term monitoring experiments in forests: a new method for the assessment of local soil variability by combining infrared spectroscopy and dendrometric data. Ann. For. Sci. 73(4): 1005-1013

Versini A., Laclau J.P., Mareschal L., Plassard C., Diamesso L. K., Ranger J., Zeller B. (2016) Nitrogen dynamics within and between decomposing leaves, bark and branches in Eucalyptus planted forests. Soil Biology & Biochemistry 101: 55-64

Bredoire, F., Nikitich P., Barsukov P.A., Derrien D., Litvinov A., Rieckh H., Rusalimova O., Zeller B., Bakker M.R. (2016) What is the P value of Siberian soils? Soil phosphorus status in south-western Siberia and comparison with a global dataset. Biogeosciences, 13, 2493-2509

Weise, L., Ulrich A., Moreano, M., Gessler A., Kayler Z., Steger K., Zeller B., Rudolph K., Knezevic-Jaric J., Premke  K. (2016) Desiccation and rewetting of lake sediments causes enhanced carbon turnover and shifts in microbial community composition. FEMS DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/femsec/fiw035

Bredoire, F., Nikitich P., Barsukov P.A., Derrien D., Litvinov A., Rieckh H., Rusalimova O., Zeller B., Bakker M.R. (2016) Distributions of fine root length and mass with soil depth in natural ecosystems of southwestern Siberia. Plant & Soil 400: 315–335

Andrianarisoa, K., S., Dufour L., Talbot G., Bienaimé S., Zeller B., Dupraz C. (2016) Introduction of hybrid walnut trees in arable systems: which impact on soil nitrogen status in the presence of fluctuating water table? Agroforestry Systems 90: 193-205