Soil protection aims at sustaining or restoring soil functions. Soils - the "skin of the earth" - fulfill important functions at the interphase of atmosphere, biosphere, lithosphere, hydrosphere and anthroposphere:
- base for food production,
- habitat for soil fauna,
- filter for contaminants and groundwater,
- storage for water, carbon and nutrients,
- archive of cultural heritage.
Due to its composition of mineral and organic solids, water, air, and biota, soils are the most complex of all natural environmental media.
Recultivation deals with the restoration of disturbed soils, ecosystems and landscape, e.g. after mining.
Our research is focused on topics like soil functions, soil and ecosystem development, and sustainable land use - from fundamental research to applied projects.