University of Belgrade - Institute for Multidisciplinary Research

+381(11)3555258
office@imsi.bg.ac.rs

Nina Nikolić

PhD in Agricultural sciences

Research Professor

Department of Plant-Soil and Nano Systems

Address: Kneza Višeslava 1, 11030 Belgrade

E-Mail:

nina@imsi.bg.ac.rs

Links:

ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-4214-3291

Scopus ID: 56264788100

ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Nina_Nikolic

Research area

I study processes of spontaneous restoration on marginal lands, in particular on those degraded by industrial activities. The aim of my research is to bring closer together vegetation ecology and plant nutrition (e.g. functional traits and ecophysiological adaptations to mineral stresses, from individual species to vegetation level), in a search for general principles of importance for the efficient and “greener” management of degraded ecosystems. The special focus of my work is the role of silicon as a stress mediator in these processes.

  • Biography
  • Projects
  • Selected publications
  1. Work experience: .

2019-2024: Research Professor, University of Belgrade, Institute for Multidisciplinary Research.

2014-2019: Research Assistant Professor, University of Belgrade, Institute for Multidisciplinary Research.

2005-2014: Research Assistant, University of Belgrade, Institute for Multidisciplinary Research.

2003-2005: Research Associate, University of Hohenheim (Germany), Institute for Plant Production and Agroecology in the Tropics and Subtropics.

2003-2007: Senior research fellow, University of Belgrade, Institute for Multidisciplinary Research.

1999-2000: Teaching Assistant, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Belgrade.University of Belgrade, Faculty of Agriculture.

 

  1. Education:

2013: PhD (magna cum laude) in Agricultural Sciences (Plant Ecology), University of Hohenheim.

2002: MSc in Agricultural Sciences, Food Security and Natural Resource Management in the Tropics and Subtropics, University of Hohenheim.

1998: Graduate engineer degree (B.Sc. with honours) in Agriculture, University of Belgrade, Faculty of Agriculture.

 

  1. Awards and certificates:
  • Hans Ruthenberg award of the Eiselen Foundation (Germany) for the M.Sc. thesis (2003)
  • Research scholarship of the Eiselen Foundation (Germany) for research work in Vietnam (2002).
  • Student scholarships, Richard Winter Foundation and DAAD-Hohenheim University (2001-2002).
  • DAAD (Germany) award for the best foreign student at the University of Hohenheim (2001).
  • IAESTE internship grant, Sementes Agroceres – Monsanto in Brazil (1996).

 

  1. Other professional activities:

 

Editorial and Reviewer’s activity (journals, books, projects):

  • Editorial Board member of the scientific journal The University Thought – Publication in Natural Sciences (2019-present).
  • Review editor of the international scientific journal Frontiers in Plant Science (2022-present).
  • External reviewer for the following international scientific journals:

Agronomy for Sustainable Development (IF 7,3), Applied Microbiology and Biothechnology (IF 5.0), Environmental Monitoring and Assesment (IF 3,0), Environmental Science and Pollution Research (IF 5,8), Frontiers in Plant Science (IF 5,6), Geoderma (IF 6,1), Journal of Applied Ecology (IF 5,7), Land Degradation and Development (IF 4,7), Pedosphere (IF 5,7),  Plant and Soil (IF 4,9), Scienece of the Total Environment (IF 9,8), SN Applied Sciences (IF 2,6).

 

Memberships:

  • Memeber of the Еuropean Society for Ecological Restoration (2012-present). https://chapter.ser.org/europe/
  • Member of the International Society for Silicon in Agriculture and Related Disciplines (2022-present)

https://issag.org

Current

  • “Characterisation and technological procedures for recycling and reusing of the Rudnik mine flotation tailings (PRISMA 7522)”, Science Fund of the Republic of Serbia (from 2024).

https://reasoning.rgf.bg.ac.rs

Past:

  • “Plant Adaptations to Mineral Stress on Marginal Agricultural Soils (ON-173028)”; funded by Serbian Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development; total budget: about 90,000 EUR yearly; duration 2011-2019.
  • “Mechanisms of Silicon-mediated Plant Adaptations to Abiotic Stress”, exchange project between Serbia and China; co-funded by the Serbian Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development; duration 2012-2013.
  • “Rhizosphere Interactions and Functional Adaptive Mechanisms During Spontaneous Re-vegetation of Mining-Waste Degraded Soil (153002)”; funded by the Serbian Ministry of Science; duration 2008-2010.
  • “Photochemical, photocatalytical and microbial decomposition of organic pollutants in soil and waters”  funded by the Serbian Ministry for Science and Environmental Protection (grant # TP-6923B): duration: 2005-2008.
  • “Ecological assessment of barren hills using vegetation classification for subsequent rehabilitation strategies” subproject of the “Sustainable land use and rural development in mountainous regions of Southeast Asia”project financed by the German Research Foundation (#SFB 564 grant to Prof. Rainer Schultze-Kraft and Prof. Reinhard Böcker from the Hohenheim University, Germany); duration: 2003-2005; https://tropen.uni-hohenheim.de/en/111685
  1. Pang Z, de Tombeur F, Hartley SE, Zohner CM, Nikolic M, Violle C, Mo L, Crowther TW, Guan DX, Luo Z, Zhu YG, Wang Y, Zhang P, Peng H, Strömberg CAE, Nikolic N, Liang YC. 2025. Convergent evidence for the temperature-dependent emergence of silicification in terrestrial plants. Nature Communications 16: 1155.
  2. Pang Z, Mei Y, Nikolic, N, Nikolic M, Li T, Peng H. Liang Y. 2023. From promoting aggregation to enhancing obstruction: A negative feedback regulatory mechanism of alleviation of chromium toxicity by silicon in rice. Journal of Hazardous Materials 457: 131720.
  3. Kostic I, Nikolic N, Milanović S, Milenkovic I, Pavlovic J, Paravinja A, Nikolic M. 2023. Silicon modifies leaf nutriome and improves growth of oak seedlings exposed to phosphorus deficiency and Phytophthora plurivora  Frontiers in Plant Science 14: 1265782
  4. De Jager A, Peláez S, Belle JA, Blauhut V, Krausmann E, Nikolic N, Pilli-Sihvola K, La Notte A, Cortina J. Environment and ecosystem services. In: Casajus Valles A, Marin Ferrer M, Poljanšek K, Clark I (eds.) Science for Disaster Risk Management 2020: Acting Today, Protecting Tomorrow. Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg. ISBN 978-92-76-18182-8, doi:10.2760/571085, JRC114026. pp. 437-470.
  5. Stanojevic M, Trailovic M, Dubljanin T, Krivošej Z, Nikolic M, Nikolic N. Sewage pollution promotes the invasion-related traits of Impatiens glandulifera in an oligotrophic habitat of the Sharr Mountain (Western Balkans). Plants 10: 2814.
  6. Nikolic N, Kostic Lj, Nikolic M. 2018. To dam, or not do dam? Abolishment of further flooding impedes the natural revegetation processes after long-term fluvial deposition of copper tailings. Land Degradation and Development 29: 1915-1924.
  7. Nikolic N, Böcker R, Nikolic M. 2016. Long-term passive restoration following fluvial deposition of sulphidic copper tailings: nature filters out the solutions. Environmental Science and Pollution Research 23: 13672-13680.
  8. Nikolic N, Böcker R, Kostic-Kravljanac Lj, Nikolic M. 2014. Assembly processes under severe abiotic filtering: adaptation mechanisms of weed vegetation to the gradient of soil constraints. PLOS ONE 9: e114290.
  9. Nikolic N, Schultze-Kraft R, Nikolic M, Böcker R, Holz I. 2008. Land degradation on barren hills: a case study in Northwest Vietnam. Environmental Management 42: 19-36.
  10. Nikolic M, Nikolic N, Liang Y, Kirkby EA, Römheld V. 2007. Germanium-68 as an adequate tracer for silicon transport in plants. Characterization of silicon uptake in different crop species. Plant Physiology 143: 495-503.
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University of Belgrade

Institute for Multidisciplinary Research

Kneza Višeslava 1, 11030 Beograd

(+381) 11 3555-258

office@imsi.bg.ac.rs

http://imsi.bg.ac.rs