Prof. Dr. Francisco Matus | Environmental Science | Best Researcher Award

Prof. Dr. Francisco Matus | Environmental Science | Best Researcher Award | Full professor | Universidad de La Frontera | Chile

Prof. Dr. Francisco Matus is a distinguished agronomist-soil scientist whose academic training began with an Agronomist degree from Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, followed by an M.Sc. in Soil Fertility and Plant Nutrition, and a Ph.D. in Agriculture and Environmental Sciences at Wageningen University. He has held senior academic appointments including full professor and Director of the Laboratory of Conservation and Dynamics of Volcanic Soils at Universidad de La Frontera in Temuco, Chile. His professional experience includes postdoctoral research at Carleton University (Canada) and leadership of doctoral programmes in Natural Resources Sciences, supplemented by advisory roles in national committees on soil fertility, nutrient dynamics, and climate-soil interactions. His research interests focus on pedogenesis, biogeochemistry, soil carbon and nitrogen cycles, and nutrient dynamics in volcanic soils and extreme ecosystems (including high-altitude and Antarctic environments). His technical skills include isotope-based soil-plant studies, experimental design and precision agriculture statistics, crop-soil modelling, and the application of advanced soil physical-chemical methods. He has received honours such as an invitation to the Intergovernmental Technical Panel of Soil Experts (FAO) and keynote recognition at international soil-biogeochemistry conferences, and he serves on editorial boards of major journals in soil science and nutrient cycling. In conclusion, Francisco Matus’s sustained record of leadership in research, high-impact publication, international collaboration and professional service positions him as a global authority in soil biogeochemistry and conservation, with strong potential to advance sustainable soil management, carbon sequestration and nutrient-cycling research at the international forefront.

Profile: Scopus | Google Scholar

Featured Publications 

1. Matus, F. J. (2021). Fine silt and clay content is the main factor defining maximal C and N accumulations in soils: A meta-analysis. Scientific Reports, 11(1), 6438.

2. Matus, F., Rumpel, C., Neculman-Cerdá, R., Panichini, M., & Mora, M. L. (2014). Soil carbon storage and stabilisation in andic soils: A review. Catena, 120, 102-110.

3. Merino, C., Nannipieri, P., & Matus, F. (2015). Soil carbon controlled by plant, microorganism and mineralogy interactions. Journal of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition.

4. Merino, C., Godoy, R., & Matus, F. (2016). Soil enzymes and biological activity at different levels of organic matter stability. Journal of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition.

5. Orrego, R., Ávila, A., Meza, F., & Matus, F. (2014). Using a crop simulation model to select the optimal climate grid cell resolution: A study case in Araucanía Region. Journal of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition.

6. Matus, F. (2014). Producing isotopically enriched plant, soil solution and rhizosphere soil materials over a few hours. Communication in Soil Science and Plant Analysis.

7. Hidalgo-Moreno, C., Paz-Pellat, F., Báez, A., Etchevers, J. D., Velázquez, A. S., & Matus, F. (2022). Patrones de la distribución del carbono orgánico por fracciones de partículas primarias del suelo. Revista Terra Latinoamericana.