Cloud forests without clouds
Understanding the climate sensitivity of a global biodiversity hotspot.
Overall research question is: how is the plant – soil nitrogen cycle in Montaine cloud forest in Peru affected by lack of rain and clouds;
- Are plants and microbes in ground soil and in canopy soil N limited ?
- Does drought by rain removal decrease or increase gross N mineralization ?
- Does drought by cloud removal have stronger impact in the epiphytes N uptake than in ground-living herbs ?
- Are drought effects on litter turn-over controlled by nutrient availability or decomposer changes ?
- What are the consequences for carbon sequestration ?
Funding: FORMAS the Swedish research council
Project partners: Umeå University (Prof. Dan Metcalfe), Lund University, University of Gothenburg
Start: 2024
BodenOrg
Improving soil quality on marginal sites in Lusatia using soil amendments from iron hydroxide sludge
Iron hydroxide sludge (EHS) is produced in large quantities in Lusatia during the treatment of mine water and nationwide during the treatment of drinking water. They vary in composition depending on their origin and are only used commercially to a limited extent (e.g. as a desulphurization agent in biogas plants) and are mostly disposed of as waste. As a soil additive, however, they are a potentially valuable resource. The research project will investigate and quantify the effect of EHS as a soil amendment on plant growth and biomass production in greenhouse experiments.
Project staff: Dr. Lydia Pohl
Duration: 01.03.2024 - 31.12.2025
Funding: WIR!: BMBF (Projektträger PtJ)
SEBAS
Stabilisierung und Erhöhung von biologischer Vielfalt und Ökosystemleistungen auf Agrarflächen durch Schaffung vielfältiger agroforstlicher Nutzungsstrukturen
Im Projektvorhaben SEBAS arbeiten Landwirtschaftsbetriebe, Verbände sowie Forschungseinrichtungen eng zusammen, um die Auswirkungen von Agroforstsystemen auf die biologische Vielfalt zu untersuchen. Mittels eines transdisziplinären Projektansatzes greift SEBAS erstmalig und umfassend die Wechselwirkungen zwischen Agroforstgehölzen und Artenvielfalt bzw. Abundanz von Insekten auf. Gemeinsam mit vier Landwirtschaftsbetrieben in Brandenburg, dem Deutschen Verband für Landschaftspflege (DLV) e.V. und der BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg ist der DeFAF e.V. maßgeblich an der Umsetzung des Projektes beteiligt.
Projektleitung und -bearbeitung: apl. Prof. Dr. habil. agr. Dirk Freese; Dr. Christian Böhm
Laufzeit: 01.09.2022 - 31.08.2027
Mittelgeber: BMBF
Collaborative research project: Strategies for developing pyrophobic and climate resilient forests at burned areas (PYROPHOB); Subproject 3: Soil conditions and soil fauna
The collaborative project investigates the effects of different forest management strategies of forest fire areas on the ecosystemic development. Using permanent observation plots, areas with a history of fire are analysed and the potential and effectiveness of natural regeneration processes in the ecosystem are recorded in order to formulate recommendations for dealing with fire-damaged areas. The PYROPHOB subproject 3 "Soil conditions and soil fauna" (BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg) includes includes the sub-task "Soil". The subproject focuses on soil characterization as basis for the overall site assessment and on matter translocation processes in burned forest soils.
Project staff: apl. Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Schaaf, Prof. Dr. Thomas Raab, Dr. Werner Gerwin, Dr. Frank Repmann
Duration: 01.05.2020 - 30.04.2025
Funding: Waldklimafonds: BMEL / BMU (Projektträger: FNR)