Stefan Mayr
Research Group Ecophysiology
Research group leader
Room number 105
“I study abiotic and biotic stress effects and responses of mountain plants, focusing on plant hydraulics, drought and frost effects, and underlying structure-function relationships. My interests also include applied aspects, such as on restoration techniques, fruit trees, forest pathogens, wildfires in alpine forests or the ecophysiology of urban trees. Scientific activities are based on cooperations with international and national partners and performed together with numerous bachelor, master and PhD students. I received awards for scientific, teaching and science communication activities. I am holding a full professorship at the University of Innsbruck and leading the university research area Mountain Regions.”
Projects
- Relevance of green stem tissues to hydraulics of urban trees, FWF, 2021-2025
- Acoufollow: Xylem refilling at the treeline, FWF, 2021-2024
- Legacy effects after summer and winter drought, FWF, 2019-2025
- Green roof: habitats facing climate change and biodiversity crisis, 2022-2025
- The Future of Mountain Forests, FWF doc.funds, 2022-2026
Selected Publications
- Mayr S, Schmid P, Beikircher B, Feng F, Badel E (2020) Die hard: timberline conifers survive annual winter embolism. New Phytologist 226, 13-20.DOI: 10.1111/nph.16304.
- Bär A, Michaletz ST, Mayr S (2019) Fire effects on tree physiology. New Phytologist 223, 1728-1741. DOI: 10.1111/nph.15871
- Losso A, Bär A, Dämon B, Dullin C, Ganthaler A, Petruzellis F, Savi T, Tromba G, Nardini A, Mayr S, Beikircher B (2019) Insights from in vivo micro-CT analysis: testing the hydraulic vulnerability segmentation in Acer pseudoplatanus and Fagus sylvatica seedlings. New Phytologist 221, 1831-1842. DOI: 10.1111/nph.15549
- Choat B, Jansen S, Brodribb TJ, Cochard H, Delzon S, Bhaskar R, Bucci SJ, Field TS, Gleason SM, Hacke UG, Jacobsen AL, Lens F, Maherali H, Martínez-Vilalta J, Mayr S, Mencuccini M, Mitchell PJ, Nardini A, Pittermann J, Pratt RB, Sperry JS, Westoby M, Wright IJ, Zanne AE (2012) Global convergence in the vulnerability of forests to drought. Nature 491, 752-755. DOI: 10.1038/nature11688
Taneda, Haruhiko; Ogasa, M. Y.; Yazaki, K.; Funayama-Noguchi, S.; Miyazawa, Y.; Mayr, Stefan; Maruta, E. (2022): Impact of freeze-thaw-induced pit aspiration on stem water transport in the subalpine conifer Abies veitchii. Plant Physiology 190/3, S. 1687 - 1698. DOI: 10.1093/plphys/kiac388
Additional research achievements
- Ars docendi – Staatspreis für exzellente Lehre 2015
- Scientific Award of the Princedom Liechtenstein 2012
- Wissenschaftskommunikationspreis FWF 2006
- APART-Stipendium, Austrian Academy of Sciences, 2004 to 2007
- Science Communication Prize FWF, 2006
Teaching
- Plant eco-physiology
- Alpine plant ecology
- Biophysics
- Nature protection and sustainability
- Science communication