Gerhard Schmied
| Function |
| Scientist, PhD candidate |
| Contact |
| Email: gerhard.schmied(at)tum.de / Tel: +49 8161 71 4724 / Room: 1.3.2.08 |
| Links |
| ResearchGate / ORCID / Google Scholar |
Biography |
| Gerhard Schmied grew up in the Alps, where a deep connection with nature initially inspired a pursuit of becoming a forester. After studying forestry, Gerhard transitioned into scientific research focusing on dendrochronology, tree physiology, and wood anatomy, driven by the urgent need to understand the effects of climate change on forest ecosystems. The severe droughts of 2018 and subsequent years profoundly shaped Gerhard’s research interests, particularly in tree mortality, tree responses, and adaptation under drought stress. Currently, Gerhard investigates the causes and consequences of epigenetic diversity in trees (project epiSOMA) and leads a project on the mechanisms behind rapid European beech dieback under recurrent drought stress (project beechGPT). |
Research interests |
| Tree mortality / Wood anatomy / Tree Physiology / Forest management / Drought stress |
Key publications |
Schmied G, Pretzsch H, Ambs D, Uhl E, …, Hilmers T. 2023. Rapid beech decline under recurrent drought stress: Individual neighborhood structure and soil properties matter. Forest Ecology and Management 545: 121305. Schmied G, Hilmers T, Mellert KH, Uhl E, …, Pretzsch H. 2023. Nutrient regime modulates drought response patterns of three temperate tree species. The Science of the Total Environment 868: 161601. Zhou M, Schmied G*, Bradatsch M, Resente G, …, Johannes F. In review. Accelerated growth increases the somatic epimutation rate in trees. *equally contributing first author Hilmers T, Mehtätalo L, Bielak, K, Brazaitis G, …, Schmied G, …, Pretzsch H. 2024. Towards resource-efficient forests: Mixing species changes crown biomass allocation and improves growth efficiency. Plants People Planet: 1-16. Pretzsch H, Ahmed S, Jacobs M, Schmied G, Hilmers T. 2022. Linking crown structure with tree ring pattern: methodological considerations and proof of concept. Trees 36: 1349-1367. |
Education and professional experience |
| Since 2024 PhD student, Chair of Tree Growth and Wood Physiology, Technical University of Munich, DE |
| 2020-2024 PhD student, Chair for Forest Growth and Yield Science, Technical University of Munich, DE |
| 2023 Guest Scientist, Rocky Mountain Research Station Flagstaff, U.S. Forest Service, USA |
| 2017-2020 M.Sc. in Forestry and Wood Science, Technical University of Munich, DE |
| 2016-2019 Internships and student assistant positions in forest protection, forest management, dendroecology and forest dynamics in Germany, Slovenia and Bulgaria |
| 2013-2017 B.Eng. in Engineering in Forestry, University of Applied Sciences Weihenstephan-Triesdorf, DE |