Christian Körners ORCID ID: 0000-0001-7768-7638

Latest publications

Hobbie EA, Keel SG, Klein T, Rog I, Saurer M, Siegwolf R, Routhier MR, Körner C (2024) Tracing the spatial extent and lag time of carbon transfer from Picea abies to ectomycorrhizal fungi differing in host type, taxonomy, or hyphal development. Fungal Ecol 68:101315, doi: 10.1016/j.funeco.2023.101315

Hobbie EA, Siegwolf R, Körner C et al. (2024) Weather modifies the spatial extent of carbohydrate transfers from CO₂-supplied broad-leaved trees to ectomycorrhizal fungi. Plant Soil 494:717-730, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-023-06314-x

Körner C, Hiltbrunner E (2024) Rapid advance of climatic tree limits in the Eastern Alps explained by on-site temperatures. Reg Environ Change 24:98, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10113-024-02259-8

Körner C, Hiltbrunner E, Hoch G (2024) Experimental evidence, global patterns of treeline position and climate provide no substance for a lignin limitation hypothesis of tree growth. Alp Bot 134:81-85, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00035-023-00305-5

Meng F, Felton AJ, Mao J, Cong N, Smith WK, Körner C, Hu Z, Hong S, Knott J, Yan Y, Guo B, Deng Y, Leisz S, Dorji T, Wang S, Chen A (2024) Consistent time allocation fraction to vegetation green-up versus senescence across northern ecosystems despite recent climate change. Sci Adv 10:eadn2487,  doi: 10.1126/sciadv.adn2487

Urbach D, Körner C, Hilpold A (2024) Mountain biodiversity under change. In: Schneiderbauer et. al. (eds) Safeguarding Mountain Social-Ecological Systems, Elsevier, pp 11-15 Safeguarding Mountain Social-Ecological Systems. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-822095-5.00002-4

Dietrich L, Kahmen A, Hoch G, Körner C (2023) Reply to: The three‑dimensional structure of wood enables horizontal water transport needed to conduct water around lesions. Scientific Reports 13:15066, doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-41785-z

Körner C (2023) Concepts in alpine plant ecology. Plants: 12:2666, https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12142666

Körner C, Fajardo A, Hiltbrunner E (2023) Biogeographic implications of plant stature and microclimate in cold regions. Comms Biol 6: 663, https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-022-03732-y

Körner C, Hoch G (2023) Not every high-latitude or high-elevation forest edge is a treeline. J Biogeogr 50:838–845, https://doi.org/10.1111/jbi.14593

Körner C, Lenz A, Hoch G (2023) Chronic in situ tissue cooling does not reduce lignification at the Swiss treeline but enhances the risk of ‘blue’ frost rings. Alpine Bot 133: 63-67, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00035-023-00293-6

Körner C, Möhl P, Hiltbrunner E (2023) Four ways to define the growing season. Ecol Letters 26:1277-1292, https://doi.org/10.1111/ele.14260

Liu JM, DeVos JM, Körner C, Yang Y (2023) Phylogeny and phenotypic adjustments drive functional traits in Rhododendron across elevations in its diversity hot‑spot in W‑China. Alpine Bot 133:69-84, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00035-023-00294-5

Andreu-Hayles L, Levesque M, Guerrieri R, Siegwolf RTW, Körner C (2022) Limits and strengths of tree-ring stable isotopes. In: Siegwolf RTW, Brooks JR, Roden J, Saurer M (eds) Stable Isotopes in Tree Rings. Springer, Cham, p. 399-428

Bader MKF, Scherrer D, Zweifel R, Körner C (2022) Less pronounced drought responses in ring-porous than in diffuse-porous temperate tree species. Agr For Met 327:109184

Gurgiser W, Price MF, Juen IF, Körner C, Bahn M, Gems B, Meyer M, Nicolussi K, Tappeiner U, Mayr S (2022) Rising slopes—Bibliometrics of mountain research 1900–2019. PLoS One 17:e0273421, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0273421

Körner C (2022) The forest’s nutrient cycle drives its carbon cycle. Tree Physiol 42:425-427

Körner C, Berninger UG, Daim A, Eberl T, Fernandez Mendoza F, Fureder L, Grube M, Hainzer E, Kaiser R, Meyer E, Newesely C, Niedrist G, Niedrist GH, Petermann JS, Seeber J, Tappeiner U, Wickham S (2022) Long-term monitoring of high-elevation terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems in the Alps – a five-year synthesis. Eco Mont 14:48-69

Körner C (2022) A global framework of mountain ecology. Napalese Journal of Zoology 6: 42-44

Jiang N, Shen M, Ciais P, Campioli M, Penuelas J, Körner C, Cao R, Piao S, Liu L, Wang S, Liang E, Delpierre N, Soudani K, Rao Y, Montagnani L, Hörtnagl L, Paul-Limoges E, Myneni R, Wohlfahrt G, Fu Y, Sigut L, Varlagin A, Chen J, Tang Y, Zhao W (2022) Warming does not delay the start of autumnal leaf coloration but slows its progress rate. Glob Ecol Biogeogr 31:2297-2313

Snethlage MA, Geschke J, Ranipeta A, Jetz W, Yoocuz NG, Körner C, Spehn SM, Fischer M, Urbach D (2022) A hierachical inventory of the world’s mountains for global comparative mountain science. Nature.com/Scientific Data 9:149, https://doi.org//10.1038/s41597-022-01256-y

Key Publications

Körner C (2003, 2021) Alpine plant life. 2nd and 3rd edition; Springer, Berlin and Cham

Körner C, Basler D, Hoch G, Kollas C, Lenz A, Randin CF, Vitasse Y, Zimmermann NE (2016) Where, why and how? Explaining the low-temperature range limits of temperate tree species. J Ecol 104:1076-1088

Klein T, Bader MKF, Leuzinger S, Mildner M, Schleppi P, Siegwolf RTW, Körner C (2016) Growth and carbon relations of mature Picea abies trees under 5years of free-air CO2 enrichment. J Ecol 104:1720-1733

Körner C (2015) A paradigm shift in plant growth control. Curr Opin Plant Biol 25:107-114

Paulsen J, Körner C (2014) A climate-based model to predict potential treeline position around the globe. Alp Bot 124:1-12

Körner C (2013) Plant ecology (Chapt 11-14). In: Bresinsky et al. (eds) Strasburger's plant sciences. Springer, Berlin

Bader MKF, Leuzinger S, Keel SG, Siegwolf RTW, Hagedorn F, Schleppi P, Körner C (2013) Central European hardwood trees in a high-CO2 future: synthesis of an 8-year forest canopy CO2 enrichment project. J Ecol 101:1509-1519

Körner C (2012) Alpine treelines. Springer, Berlin

Scherrer D, Körner C (2011) Topographically controlled thermal-habitat differentiation buffers alpine plant diversity against climate warming. J Biogeogr 38:406-416

Körner C (2006) Plant CO2 responses: an issue of definition, time and resource supply. New Phytol 172:393-411

Körner C (2003) Carbon limitation in trees. J Ecol 91:4-17

Körner C, Farquhar GD, Wong SC (1991) Carbon isotope discrimination by plants follows latitudinal and altitudinal trends. Oecologia 88:30-40

Körner C, Scheel JA, Bauer H (1979) Maximum leaf diffusive conductance in vascular plants. Photosynthetica 13:45-82

All publications