Chargé de Recherche   INRA, Centre de Nancy, Biogéochimie des Ecosystèmes Forestiers Route d'Amance, 54280 Champenoux, France   0033 (0)3 83 39 73 40 0033 (0)3 83 39 40 69 gregory.van-der-heijden@inrae.fr

My education and career have been driven by the complexity of the extensively managed forest ecosystems and by the essential role they will play, through the production of wood and the variety of goods and services they provide, in the human society of the future. After my engineering degree in forest management at AgroParisTech-ENGREF in Nancy (France), I felt that my best contribution to this goal was through scientific research. I obtained in 2009 a 5-year junior-scientist position “INRA-CJS” which enable me to build and carry out both my PhD and my post-doctoral projects in the field of soil sciences, biogeochemical cycling and forest nutrition. In 2013, I applied for and obtained a permanent research position at the Forest Ecosystem Biogeochemistry lab (INRA). Since, my research has been primarily focused on the biogeochemical processes and interactions at the solid and liquid interphase of the soil, and understanding and quantifying the bioavailability of nutrient cations ranging over different time (hour to years) and spatial (soil aggregate to soil profile) scales. In order to conduct my research, in addition to my background in forest management, biology, chemistry, geology and mathematics, I have developed many skills in the field of biogeochemical cycling in forest ecosystems (multi-elemental and multi-scale approaches), numerical modeling (development and application models simulating water flow in the soil, geochemically reactive transport of ions in the soil profile and biogeochemical cycling, 2013 Agreenskills mobility fellowship at Lunds Universitet in Sweden).

2009-2013  PhD (Defended February, 4^th2013)

Title :         « A multi isotopic tracing experiment (²⁶Mg, ⁴⁴Ca et ²H) to betterunderstand nutrient cycling in forest ecosystems »

Supervisor : EtienneDAMBRINE, INRA, UMR   CARRTEL –Université de Savoie

Laboratory : Biogéochimie des Ecosystèmes Forestiers, UR 1138, INRANancy Grand-Est

University: AgroParisTech, France

2008-2009  Master « Geosciences and civil engineering » speciality « Soil and Water Management », Université de Lorraine,  France

2006-2009  Forest management master’s andengineering degree,AgroParisTech-ENGREF, France

Since 2014  Permanent scientific research position at the French National Institute for Agricultural Research (INRA) – Forest ecosystem biogeochemistry unit (UR 1138),  Champenoux, France

2013-2014  Post-doctoral fellowship INRA-CJS (Junior scientist contract) at the University of Lund in Sweden, supervisor Salim Belyazid: Modelling nutrient cycling and stable isotope cycling in forest ecosystems – Development of the NUTSFor model.

2013-2014  Marie Curie Fellowship (FP7 COFUND People) “International mobility programme to strengthen skills and excellence in research for Agriculture (Agreenskills).

2013           Albert Demolon Grant, AFES, France

2009-2014  Contrat Jeune Scientifique grant, INRA, France

• Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST), Luxemburg
• Washington State University, USA
• Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
• BECC-CEC, Lunds Universitet, Sweden
• The James HuttonInstitute, Scotland, UK

2013-2019  Referee for peer reviewed journals: Environmental Science and Technology, Chemical Geology, Geochimica Cosmochimica acta, Biogeochemistry, Forest Ecology and Management, Geoderma, Science of the Total Environment, European Journal of Soil Science, Soil Research, Hydrogeology Journal, Journal of Hydrology, Forests, Annals of forest science, Waters, CATENA

Since 2016  Chairman of the “Forest Water” axis of the Zone Atelier Moselle scientific network and member of the advisory board of the Zone atelier Moselle

Since 2018  Review Editor of the Editorial Board of Forest Soils, a specialty of Frontiers in Forests and Global Change

2013-2018  Member of the Swedish QWARTZ program (Quantifying the uncertainty in weathering rate estimates)

2011-2019  4 PhD students (Université de Lorraine, France ;Lunds Universitet, Sweden), 7 Master students (Université de Lorraine, France ; AgroParisTech-Nancy,France) and 1 bachelor student (Freiburg University,Germany)

PhD supervision

2019-2022  Margaux CLESSE "Multi-site study of the response and resilience of the chemical fertility of forest ecosystems in the context of global change (atmospheric deposition and tree species change)", Université de Lorraine, France.

2016-2019  Jérémie BEL "Sources and plant-availability of calcium, magnesium and potassium in forest ecosystems: fine scale identification and quantification of bioavailability processes by stable isotopic dilution", Université de Lorraine, France.

2014-2018  Mélanie COURT "Effects of Calcium and Magnesium liming practices on the cycling of these two element in five European beech (Fagus silvatica L.)" forests in Northern France: combining conventional and stable isotope (δ²⁶Mg/²⁴Mg, δ⁴⁴Ca/⁴⁰Ca, ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr) approaches, Université de Lorraine", France.

2011-2015  Lin YU "Integrating the phosphorus cycle in the numerical model ForSAFE", Lunds Universitet, Sweden.

Teaching activities

Since 2018  Nutrient Cycling, soil fertility and soil acidification in forest ecosystems (6h/yr), Environment management and engineering degree, AgroParisTech-Nancy, France

Since 2011  The sustainability of the chemical fertility of forest soils in the sandstone area of the Vosges Mountains as a function of atmospheric deposition and silvicultural practices (9h/yr), Environment management and engineering degree, AgroParisTech-Nancy, France

Since 2013  Modelling biogeochemical cycling in forest ecosystems – implications for their management (5h/yr), European master program Forests and their Environment, Université de Lorraine & AgroParisTech, France

Since 2014  Nutrient plant-availability in forest ecosystems – novel isotopic approaches (4h/yr), European master program Forests and their Environment, Université de Lorraine & AgroParisTech, France

2015-2018  Uptake and allocation of nutrients in trees (2h/yr), European master program Forests and their Environment, Université de Lorraine & AgroParisTech, France

Since 2012  Unconventionnal isotopes in environmentalstudies (1h/yr), SIFER-SIBAE, ETH Zürich, Switzerland & Université de Lorraine, France

PUBLICATION LIST

Scientific articles published in international journals

[20] Rosenstock NP, Stendahl J, van der Heijden G, Lundin L, McGivney E, Bishop K, Löfgren S (2019) Base cations in the soil bank. Non-exchangeable pools may sustain centuries of net loss to forestry and leaching. SOIL Discuss. 2019: 1-23

[19] van der Heijden G, Hinz A, Didier S, Nys C, Dambrine E, Legout A (2019) Quantifying the Uncertainty in Modeled Water Drainage and Nutrient Leaching Fluxes in Forest Ecosystems. Ecosystems 22(3): 677-698


[18] Kalcsits L, van der Heijden G, Waliullah S, Giordani L (2019) S-ABA-induced changes in root to shoot partitioning of root-applied 44Ca in apple (Malus domestica Borkh.). Trees 33(2): 433-442

[17] van der Heijden G, Bel J, Craig C-A, Midwood A, Mareschal L, Ranger J, Dambrine E, Legout A (2018) Measuring Plant-Available Mg, Ca, and K Pools in the Soil—An Isotopic Dilution Assay. ACS Earth and Space Chemistry 2(4): 292-313

[16] Court M, van der Heijden G, Didier S, Nys C, Richter C, Pousse N, Saint-André L, Legout A (2018) Long-term effects of forest liming on mineral soil, organic layer and foliage chemistry: Insights from multiple beech experimental sites in Northern France. Forest Ecol Manag 409: 872-889

[15] Bedel L, Legout A, Poszwa A, van der Heijden G, Court M, Goutal-Pousse N, Montarges-Pelletier E, Ranger J (2018) Soil aggregation may be a relevant indicator of nutrient cation availability. Ann For Sci 75(4): 103

[14] van der Heijden G, Legout A, Mareschal L, Ranger J, Dambrine E (2017) Filling the gap in Ca input-output budgets in base-poor forest ecosystems: The contribution of non-crystalline phases evidenced by stable isotopic dilution. Geochim Cosmochim 209: 135-148

[13] van der Heijden G, Belyazid S, Dambrine E, Ranger J, Legout A (2017) NutsFor a process-oriented model to simulate nutrient and isotope tracer cycling in forest ecosystems. Environmental Modelling & Software 95: 365-380

[12] Kirchen G, Calvaruso C, Granier A, Redon P-O, van der Heijden G, Bréda N, Turpault M-P (2017) Local soil type variability controls the water budget and stand productivity in a beech forest. Forest Ecol Manag 390: 89-103

[11] Kalcsits L, van der Heijden G, Reid M, Mullin K (2017) Calcium Absorption during Fruit Development in ‘Honeycrisp’ Apple Measured Using 44Ca as a Stable Isotope Tracer. Hortscience 52(12): 1804-1809

[10] Legout A, van der Heijden G, Jaffrain J, Boudot J-P, Ranger J (2016) Tree species effects on solution chemistry and major element fluxes: A case study in the Morvan (Breuil, France). Forest Ecol Manag 378: 244-258

[9] Bedel L, Poszwa A, van der Heijden G, Legout A, Aquilina L, Ranger J (2016) Unexpected calcium sources in deep soil layers in low-fertility forest soils identified by strontium isotopes (Lorraine plateau, eastern France). Geoderma 264, 103-116

[8] Yu L, Belyazid S, Akselsson C, van der Heijden G, Zanchi G (2016) Storm disturbances in a Swedish forest—A case study comparing monitoring and modelling. Ecol Model 320: 102-113

[7] van der Heijden G, Dambrine E, Pollier B, Zeller B, Ranger J, Legout A (2015) Mg and Ca uptake by roots in relation to depth and allocation to aboveground tissues: results from an isotopic labeling study in a beech forest on base-poor soil. Biogeochemistry 122(2-3): 375-393

[6] van der Heijden G, Legout A, Pollier B, Ranger J, Dambrine E (2014) The dynamics of calcium and magnesium inputs by throughfall in a forest ecosystem on base poor soil are very slow and conservative: evidence from an isotopic tracing experiment (26Mg and 44Ca). Biogeochemistry 118(1-3): 413-442

[5] van der Heijden, G., Legout, A., Pollier, B., Brechet, C., Ranger, J., Dambrine, E., 2013. Tracing and modeling preferential flow in a forest soil - Potential impact on nutrient leaching. Geoderma 195, 12-22.

[4] van der Heijden, G., Legout, A., Midwood, A., Craig C-A., Pollier, B., Ranger, J., Dambrine, E., 2013. Mg and Ca root uptake and vertical transfer in soils assessed by an in situ ecosystem-scale multi-isotopic (26Mg & 44Ca) tracing experiment in a beech stand (Breuil-Chenue, France). Plant Soil 369(1-2): 33-45.

[3] van der Heijden, G., Legout, A., Pollier, B., Mareschal, L., Turpault, MP., Ranger J, Dambrine, E., 2013. Assessing Mg and Ca depletion from broadleaf forest soils and potential causes - A case study in the Morvan Mountains. Forest Ecol Manag 293: 65-78

[2] van der Heijden, G., Legout, A., Nicolas, M., Ulrich, E., Johnson, D.W., Dambrine, E., 2011. Long-term sustainability of forest ecosystems on sandstone in the Vosges Mountains (France) facing atmospheric deposition and silvicultural change. Forest Ecol Manag 261, 730-740.

[1] Gandois, L., Nicolas, M., van der Heijden, G., Probst, A., 2010. The importance of biomass net uptake for a trace metal budget in a forest stand in north-eastern France. Science of The Total Environment 408(23): 5870-5877

Scientific articles published in national journals

van Der Heijden G, Henneron L, Dreyer E (2014) Is the management of forest soil fertility at a turning point? A brief conclusion. Rev. For. Fr. Hors-Série 2014 - REGEFOR 2013:

Saint Andre L, Sainte-Marie J, Leguedois S, Ferry B, Lafolie F, Marsden C, van der Heijden G, Dufrene E, Bontemps JD, Legout A (2014) Advances in modeling interactions between soils and trees. Rev. For. Fr. Hors-Série 2014 - REGEFOR 2013:

Legout A, Richter C, Pousse N, van der Heijden G, Morel J-L, Charnet F, Simonnot M-O, Ranger J (2014) Compensating for the export of nutrients and restoration of degraded soils, Workshop 3. Rev. For. Fr. Hors-Série 2014 - REGEFOR 2013:

Legout A, Hansson K, van der Heijden G, Laclau JP, Augusto L, Ranger J (2014) Chemical fertility of forest soils: basic concepts. Rev. For. Fr. LXVI(Hors série): 21-31

Conferences (speaker underlined)

Bel J, Legout A, Laclau JP, Löfgren S, Hall, S, Saint-André L,  van der Heijden G, (2019) Quantifying plant-available pools of Ca, Mg and K in forest soils by stable isotopic dilution . Goldschmidt 2019, Barcelona, Spain (2019-08-18 - 2017-08-23) [Oral presentation].

van der Heijden G, (2018) Quantifying the uncertainty in modeled water drainage and nutrient leaching fluxes in forest ecosystems. Functional Ecology Conference 2018, Nancy, France (2018-12-10 - 2018-12-13) [Oral presentation].

Court M, van der Heijden G, Louvat P, Bolou-Bi E, Nys C, Saint-André L & Legout A (2018) Tracing the Fate of Mg and Ca Originating from Liming in Beech Forest Ecosystems of Northern France over 40 Years, Zone atelier Moselle Seminar, Reims, France (2018-05-22 - 2018-05-23)[Oral presentation]

Court M, van der Heijden G, Louvat P, Bolou-Bi E, Nys C, Saint-André L & Legout A (2017) Tracing the Fate of Mg and Ca Originating from Liming in Beech Forest Ecosystems of Northern France over 40 Years: Ecosystem Nutrient Budgets and 26Mg/24Mg and 87Sr/86Sr Natural Isotope Ratio Variations. Goldschmidt 2017, Paris, France (2017-08-13 - 2017-08-18) [Oral presentation].

van der Heijden G, Bel J, Pollier P, Ranger R, Dambrine E, Belyazid S, Legout A (2017) Bioavailability of major nutrients (Mg and Ca) in forest ecosystems - Tools and their application in and ex-situ, GISFI Seminar, Nancy, France (2017-03-03) [Oral presentation].

van der Heijden, G, Legout A, Mareschal L, Ranger J, Dambrine E (2017) Non-Crystalline phases are sources of Mg, Ca and K in the soil and actively contribute to geochemical equilibrium processes – Evidence from a stable isotopic dilution assay. 9th International Symposium on Ecosystem Behavior: Biogeomon 2017, Litomyšl, Czech Republic (2017-08-20 - 2017-08-24) [Oral presentation]

van der Heijden G, Legout A, Hansson K, Laclau J-P, Augusto L, Vennetier M, Versini A, Ranger J (2016). Sustainability issues related to forest soils - Forest soil fertility definition and management. Presented at Sustainable Intensification of Planted Forests: How far can we go?, Biarritz, FRA [Oral presentation].

Saint-André, L, Sainte-Marie, J, Leguédois, S, Ferry, B, Lafolie, F, Marsden, C, van Der Heijden, G, Dufrene, E, Bontemps, JD, Legout, A (2013). Les avancées de la recherche dans le domaine de la modélisation des interactions sol-plante en forêt. In: Quatrième atelier REGEFOR : La gestion de la fertilité des sols forestiers est-elle à un tournant ? (p. 27 p.). Presented at 4. Atelier REGEFOR. La gestion de la fertilité des sols forestiers est-elle à un tournant ?, Champenoux, FRA (2013-06-10 - 2013-06-12) [Oral presentation].

van der Heijden, G, Ranger, J, Dambrine, E, Legout, A (2015). Dynamics of calcium and magnesium in forest ecosystems assessed by a multi-isotopic tracing experiment. Presented at ACID RAIN 2015, Rochester, USA (2015-10-19 - 2015-10-23) [Oral presentation].

van der Heijden, G, Legout, A, Dambrine, E, Belyazid, S (2015). NUTSFOR a process oriented numerical model to simulate biogeochemical cycling and tree nutrition in forest ecosystems – Model development and testing using data from a multi-isotopic (26Mg 44Ca) tracing experiment. Presented at Acid Rain 2015, Rochester, USA (2015-10-19 - 2015-10-23). [Poster]

van der Heijden G, Pollier B, Legout A (2015) Traçage du cycle du calcium et du magnésium dans un écosystème forestier par ICP-MS, Isotrace 2015, Aix en Provence, France (2015-09-08 - 2015-09-09).

Hansson, K, Legout, A, van der Heijden, G, Ranger, J (2014). Redéfinition du concept de fertilité minérale des écosystèmes forestiers. In: 12e Journées d’Étude des Sols : le sol en héritage. 30 juin - 4 juillet 2014 Université de Savoie, Campus scientifique, 73370 Le Bourget du Lac (p. 262). Presented at 12. Journées d'Etude des Sols (JES), Le Bourget du Lac, FRA (2014-06-30 - 2014-07-04) [Oral presentation].

van der Heijden, G, Legout, A, Ranger, J, Dambrine, E (2013). Reactive transport of stable isotope tracers (26Mg and 44Ca) in a Forest soil profile – role of the soil organic matter in the biogeochemical cycles of magnesium and calcium. Presented at Applied isotope Geochemistry, Budapest, HUN (2013-09-22 - 2013-09-27) [Oral presentation].

van der Heijden, G, Legout, A, Pollier, B, Zeller, B, Ranger, J, Dambrine, E (2012). An in situ ecosystem-scale multi-isotopic (26Mg, 44Ca, 15N and 2H) tracing experiment. Presented at 7th International Symposium on Ecosystem Behavior: Biogeomon 2012, Northport, Maine, USA (2012-07-15 - 2012-07-20) [Oral presentation].

van der Heijden, G, Legout, A, Midwood, AJ, Craig, CA, Pollier, B, Zeller, B, Ranger, J, Dambrine, E (2012). An in situ ecosystem-scale multi-isotopic (26Mg, 44Ca, 15N and 2H) tracing experiment to study nutrient fluxes in forest ecosystems. Presented at 4. International Congress Eurosoil 2012 - Soil Science for the Benefit of Mankind and Environment, Bari, Italy (2012-07-02 - 2012-07-06) [Poster].

van der Heijden, G, Legout, A, Nicolas, M, Ulrich, E, Johnson, DW, Dambrine, E (2012). Long-term sustainability of forest soil fertility assessed by nutrient input-output budgets and a modeling approach. Presented at 4. International Congress Eurosoil 2012 - Soil Science for the Benefit of Mankind and Environment, Bari, Italy (2012-07-02 - 2012-07-06) [Poster].

van der Heijden, G, Legout, A, Ranger J, Dambrine, E (2010). Analyse isotopique ²⁶Mg/²⁴Mg et ⁴⁴Ca/⁴⁰Ca d’échantillons environnementaux dans le cadre d’une expérience de multi-traçage isotopique, 5^ème Journées Jeunes Chercheurs de la SFIS 2010, Brest, France (2011-10-12 - 2011-10-13) [Oral Presentation].

van der Heijden, G, Legout, A, Ranger J, Dambrine, E (2010). Modélisation et traçage des flux hydriques dans un sol forestier, JEMP 2010, Nancy, France (2010-10-20 - 2010-10-21) [Oral Presentation].

Invited Speaker

van der Heijden G, Tracing and modeling water fluxes in forest soils – 3 approaches, "Chloride Workshop" Sigtuna, Sweden (2016-11-22).

van der Heijden G, Legout A, Hansson K, Laclau JP, Augusto L, Vennetier M, Versini A, Ranger J, Sustainability issues related to forest soils Forest soil fertility: definition and management, European Forest Institute seminar "Sustainable Intensification of planted forests: How far can we go?", Biarritz, France (2016-06-13).

van der Heijden G, Legout A, Utilisation des isotopes stables pour étudier les cycles biogéochimiques du magnésium et du calcium dans les sols et les écosystèmes forestiers, AFES & SFIS symposium, Paris, France (2015-12-01)

van der Heijden G, Dynamics of calcium and magnesium in forest ecosystems assessed by a multi-isotopic (²⁶Mg, ⁴⁴Ca and ²H) tracing experiment, University os Saskatchewan symposium, Saskatoon, Canada (2015-10-27).

van der Heijden G, A multi-isotopic (²⁶Mg, ⁴⁴Ca and ²H) tracing experiment to better understand  nutrient cycling in forest ecosystems, Université de Strasbourg symposium, Strasbourg, France (2015-01-29).

van der Heijden G, Introduction, Eco&Sol symposium "Isotopic tracers and tools in Ecology" , Montpellier, France (2015-01-15).

van der Heijden G, An in situ multi-isotopic (²⁶Mg/²⁴Mg, ⁴⁴Ca/⁴⁰Ca, ²H/¹H and ¹⁵N/¹⁴N) tracing experiment, CIRAD Eco&Sol symposium, Montpellier, France (2015-01-15).

van der Heijden G, A multi-isotopic (²⁶Mg, ⁴⁴Ca and ²H) tracing experiment to better understand  nutrient cycling in forest ecosystems, Swedish University of Agricultural Science QWARTZ seminar, Uppsala, Sweden (2014-05-09).

Academic Manuscripts

van der Heijden G, PhD Manuscript, A multi-isotopic (²⁶Mg, ⁴⁴Ca and ²H) tracing experiment to better understand nutrient cycling in forest ecosystems, AgroparisTech 2013. Download link