Curriculum vitae

since 07/2013
Doctoral student at FU Berlin in cooperation with the Helmholtz Centre Potsdam GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences and the German Archaeological Institute (DAI); Project: Reconstruction of the last millennium African climate from tree-rings of Adansonia digitata as a key for modeling future climate dynamics

04/2013 & 08/2014           
Dendrochronologist (Freelance) at the German Archaeological Institute (DAI)

08/2012 – 12/2012
Student Assistant at the Helmholtz Centre Potsdam GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, Section 5.2 Climate dynamics and landscape evolution;

02/2010 – 11/2012
Master of Science, Geological Sciences, FU Berlin; Thesis: Das Potential des Afrikanischen Baobabs (Adansonia digitata) für die Paläoklimaforschung – The potential of the African baobab (Adansonia digitata) for palaeoclimatic research

05/2009 – 03/2013
Student Assistant at the Institute of Geological Sciences, Palaeontology, FU Berlin

10/2006 – 02/2010
Bachelor of Science, Geological Sciences, FU Berlin; Thesis: Paläopathologische Untersuchungen an oberdevonischen Ammonoideen vom Kattensiepen bei Warstein (Rheinisches Schiefergebirge) – Palaeopathological examinations on Late Devonian ammonoids from Kattensiepen (Rhenish Mountains)

Awards & achievements

06/2013 – 05/2015
Elsa-Neumann-Scholarship

05/2012
Award: ATR Best Poster Presentation

My main research focus is on

• reconstructing the past Southern African climate by using stable isotopes (δ¹³C, δ¹⁸O) of the African baobab tree (Adansonia spp.) as proxies for climate parameters;

• investigating the plant physiological reactions of African baobab trees (Adansonia spp.) to current weather conditions with the aid of dendrometers and wood anatomical analysis; and
• retracing the radiocarbon (¹⁴C) bomb curve progression in areas where its shape is so far uncertain.

Research articles

• Slotta, F. Helle, G., Heußner, K.-U., Shemang, E., Riedel, F. 2017. Baobabs on Kubu Island, Botswana – A dendrochronological multi-parameter study using ring width and stable isotopes (δ¹³C, δ¹⁸O). Erdkunde 71(1). DOI: 10.3112/erdkunde.2017.01.02
• Slotta, F., Korn, D., Klug, C., Kröger, B., Keupp, H. 2011. Sublethal shell injuries in Late Devonian ammonoids (Cephalopoda) from Kattensiepen (Rhenish Mountains). N. Jb. Geol. Paläont. Abh. 261(3): 321-336. DOI: 10.1127/0077-7749/2011/0173

Conference contributions

• Slotta, F., Helle, G., Tjallingii, R., Balanzategui, D., Heußner, K.-U., Riedel, F. 2016. Identifying annual growth rhythms of baobabs – An approach using wood anatomy, stable isotopes and μ-XRF scanning. TRACE 2016 - Tree Rings in Archaeology, Climatology and Ecology, Bialowieza, Poland. 11-15 May 2016.
• Slotta, F., Helle, G., Heußner, K.-U., Woodborne, S., Riedel, F. 2015. On the wood anatomy of the stem succulent baobab tree. Wood science underpinning tropical forest ecology and management, Tervuren, Belgium. 26-29 May 2015.
• Slotta, F., Helle, G., Heußner, K.-U., Woodborne, S., Riedel, F. 2015. On the wood anatomy of the stem succulent baobab tree. TRACE 2015 - Tree Rings in Archaeology, Climatology and Ecology, Sevilla, Spain. 20-23 May 2015.
• Slotta, F., Helle, G., Heußner, K.-U., Woodborne, S., Riedel, F. 2014. Dendro-Ecophysiology of baobabs: Towards a better understanding via dendrometer and stable isotope studies. TRACE 2013 - Tree Rings in Archaeology, Climatology and Ecology, Aviemore, Scotland. 6-10 May 2014.
• Slotta, F., Riedel, F., Heußner, K.U., Woodborne, S., Helle, G. 2014. The African Baobab – A High-Resolution Archive for Climate Variability of Semi-Arid Africa? 9^th International Conference on Dendrochronology, Melbourne, Australia. 13-17 January 2014.
• Balanzategui, D., Copenheaver, C., Frank, D. Jin, L., Latte, N., Monteiro, M., Shang, Z., Slotta, F., Speer, J., Stine, A., Wilkinson, J. 2014. Dendroecology and dendroclimatology of a Tasmanian bog forest. 9^th International Conference on Dendrochronology, Melbourne, Australia. 13-17 January 2014.
• Slotta, F., Helle, G., Heinrich, I., Heußner, U., Shemang, E., Riedel, F. 2013. On the potential of the African baobab, Adansonia digitata, for palaeoclimatic studies. TRACE 2013 - Tree Rings in Archaeology, Climatology and Ecology, Viterbo, Italy. 8-11 May 2013.
• Slotta, F., Helle, G., Heinrich, I., Heußner, K.U., Shemang, E., Riedel, F., Tarasov, P. 2013. On the potential of baobab trees for high-resolution palaeoclimate studies in Africa – An approach using wood anatomy and stable isotopes. PAGES OSM 2013 – Past Global Changes 4^th Open Science Meeting, Goa, India. 13-16 February 2013.
• Slotta, F., Heinrich, I., Helle, G., Heußner, K.-U., Shemang, E., Tarasov, P. 2012. Baobabs - A new auspicious climate archive for the semi-arid tropics. In TRACE 2012 - Tree Rings in Archaeology, Climatology and Ecology, Potsdam and Eberswalde, Germany. 9-12 May 2012.