Projects
| Three-Gorges-Dam - Environmental Research at the Yangtze (BMBF funded)
Contact: Sarah Schönbrodt-Stitt, Thorsten Behrens, Thomas Scholten
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| The project focuses on the impact of climate change and human activities on the sensitive permafrost affected geoecosystems on the Tibetan Plateau. Main research topics of our work package are permafrost dynamics, pedogenesis and soil organic carbon stocks, variability and turnover. The project is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and done in collaboration with AWI Potsdam and Helmholtz Centre Munich.
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| The role of tree and shrub diversity for production, erosion control, element cycling and species conservation in Chinese subtropical forest ecosystems" (DFG-Forschergruppe 891, Data Portal of the BEF-China)
Contact: Christian Geißler, Peter Kühn, Thomas Scholten
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| iSOIL - Interactions between soil related sciences - Linking geophysics, soil science and digital soil mapping (EU funded) Keywords: Soil Functions and Threats, Soil-Landscape-Modeling, Digital Soil Property Mapping, Spatial Data Analysis, Geophysics |
Permafrost, Pedogenesis and Ecosystem Functioning: Feedbacks and Interactions across the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau
| (Graduation Scholarship of Baden Wuerttemberg (Landesgraduiertenförderung) Grant No. VI 4.2 - 7631.2/Baumann) This project is carried out together with Peking University, Beijing, China aiming to better understand the effects of climate change on permafrost influenced alpine grassland ecosystems on the Tibetan Plateau. In this context, soil carbon, nitrogen, and plant available nutrients contents are related to dependent variables, such as soil moisture, soil temperature, and pedological parameters. Particularly the feedback mechanisms between these dependent variables, climate warming, permafrost degradation and hence the change in nutrient supply for plants is in focus of this research project. As a result we target to get more insight knowledge about corresponding alterations of vegetation composition, biodiversity and adjustments of the whole ecosystem. Keywords: soil organic carbon and nitrogen, permafrost, ecosystem functioning, Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau Contact: Frank Baumann, Thomas Scholten, Peter Kühn
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Upper Palaeolithic environment of Kostiёnki and Borshchevo, Middle Russian Plain
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The project aims at a refinement of the existing pedostratigraphy of the famous Upper Palaeolithic sites Kostiёnki and Borshchevo excavated by Russian archaeologists. Recent archaeopedological investigations focus on the Gmelin and the Bryansk paleosol, and krotovina of different depths and various sediment fillings. Research is done on the typology and on the characteristics and age of these krotovina, which could help to find gaps in stratigraphy. Soil physical and geochemical analyses, and micromorphology are applied to find eroded paleosols which occur in the surrounding of the Paleolitihic sites only locally This ‘Initial bilateral cooperation project’ is currently financed by the German Research Foundation (DFG PI 452/4-1). A workshop was carried out in November 2011. Keywords: Upper Palaeolithic, paleosols and krotovina Contact: Dana Pietsch |
Pre-Aksumite environment of Northern Tigray, Ethiopia  |
In comparison to the palaeonvironment in Southern Arabia, soils and sediments of Yeha, Tigray are investigated. The project investigates the stratigraphy of paleosols and colluvial deposits of ancient origin and helps to decipher the cultural chronology, mainly of the Ethio-Sabaean period between 700 BC and 400 BC. Further the project helps to answer questions of Holocene climate change. Soil physical, soil chemical and geochemical analyses as well as micromorphology and AMS 14C dating are the applied methods. The project is currently financed by the German Archaeological Institute (DAI) and done in collaboration with the ARCCH and CTA in Ethiopia. Keywords: Pre-Aksumite environment Cooperation: Dr. Iris. Gerlach, German Archaeological Institute, Oriental Department. ARCCH http://www.mysc.gov.et/ARCCH.html Contact: Dana Pietsch
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Ancient oases of Yemen: Ma’rib and Sirwah
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Sediment and soil description, micromorphology, soil physical, soil chemical and geochemical analyses are applied to investigate the palaeoenvironment of ancient settlements at the Ar-Rub Al-Khali desert margin in Yemen. These archaeopedological investigations are carried out in the framework of archaeological research into the Sabaean culture occurring in Ma’rib and Sirwah about 1000 BC. The project is currently financed by the German Archaeological Institute (DAI), and was additionally funded by the German Research Foundation in 2008 (DFG, PI 453/2-3). Keywords: Landscape reconstruction Cooperation: Dr. Iris. Gerlach, German Archaeological Institute, Oriental Department Contact: Dana Pietsch, Peter Kühn, Thomas Scholten |
Soil degradation on Socotra Island | The project focuses on soil distribution and degradation on the Island of Socotra, including a "down-to-earth"-monitoring that is carried out in Homhil Protected Area since February 2007. Activities are accomplished in cooperation with the Socotra Governance and Biodiversity Project (SGBP), the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA)/Ministry of Water and Environment Sana'a, and the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE). The monitoring is supported by the Friends of Socotra Association (FOS). Keywords: Soil Monitoring Contact: Dana Pietsch
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Correlating soil classification systems | The project that is carried out together with BGR Hannover aims to classify WRB reference soils on the second level with KA5-conform field and lab data. Based on existent soil data bases as well as new field and lab data of "archetype profiles" the main goal is to create a manageable translation module can be used for any soil type is covered and classified with the KA5. FAO Guidelines for Soil Description and preliminary works will be taken into consideration.The project is financed by BGR. Keyword: Soil classification Contact: Dana Pietsch
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Collaborative Research Centre SFB299 | The main objective of the SFB 299 is the development of an integrated methodology towards the achievement and appraisal of economically and ecologically sustainable options for regional land use which are site-specific and economic differentiated. In cooperation with the Institute of Soil Science and Soil Conservation of the Justus-Liebig-University we are developing different regionalization approaches of soil properties and Pleistcene periglacial slope deposits, based on Ground Penetrating Radar surveys, Data Mining and techniques to derive representative sample and study sites. Keywords: Digital Soil Mapping, Landuse Concepts, Representativity Contact: Karsten Schmidt, Thorsten Behrens, Thomas Scholten
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Pedon | The Pedon project is part of the interdisciplinary research programme Biolog / Diva. Diva focusses on the relationship between Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning in Grassland Ecosystems. In PEDON the heterogeneity of site properties and water balance parameters within natural grassland stands is recorded and quantified. Keywords: Pedodiversity, Ecosystem functioning Contact: Ralf Gründling, Thomas Scholten |
Stoff
| The project STOFF project is also part of the interdisciplinary research programme Biolog / Diva focussing on processes controling interdependences between biodiversity, plant productivity, historical land use, and carbon storage as well as nitrogen mineralization. Keywords: Pedodiversity, carbon stroage Contact: Ralf Gründling, Thomas Scholten |
Digital Soil Mapping of the Elbe river | In cooperation with the Institute of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition at the University in Halle and the Geological Survey of Saxony-Anhalt we are developing a soil map of the Elbe river for flood-risk-management and environmental protection, based on special terrain analysis approaches, the German soil assesment and Data Mining approaches. Keywords: Digital Soil Mapping Contact: Thorsten Behrens, Karsten Schmidt
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Digital Soil Mapping of the Schwarze Elster river | A first test case for digitally mapping soils in flooding areas based on Learning Vector Quantization in the Data Mining approach. In cooperation with the Geological Survey of Saxony-Anhalt. Keywords: Digital Soil Mapping Contact: Thorsten Behrens
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Digital Soil Mapping of the L5031in Thuringia | A digital soil mapping project we recently finished in Thuringia comprising different soilscapes. In cooperation with the State Office of Environment and Geology of Thuringia. Keywords: Digital Soil Mapping Contact: Thorsten Behrens, Karsten Schmidt
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Environmental Reconstruction in Marocco | Environment and Prehistory in NE Morocco. A geoarchaeological Reconstruction. Keywords: Geoarchaeology and Micromorphology Organisation: J. Linstädter, C. Zielhofer (University of Osnabrück) Contact: Peter Kühn
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Landscape Reconstruction in Neolithic Southwest Germany | Pastures, Chert Sources, and Upland-Lowland Mobility in Neolithic Southwest Germany . Keywords: Landscape Reconstruction Organisation: L. Fisher (University of Illinois), C. Knipper (University of Tübingen). Contact: Thomas Scholten, Peter Kühn
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Station Truso, Poland | Pedology, geomorphology, and micromorphology at the station Truso. Keywords: Pedoarchaeology Organisation: Prof. Dr. S. Brather (University of Freiburg). Contact: Peter Kühn
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Geoarchaeology in Hesse | Geoarchaeology of the late middle-palaeolithic station Buhlen (Hesse). Micromorphology of sediments and soils. Keywords: Geoarchaeology and Micromorphology Organisation: Doris Walther (Frankfurt). Contact: Peter Kühn
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Settlement Strategies in the Midle Ages and the Modern Times | Multicausal patterns of explanation and settlement strategies in the Middle Ages and Modern Times in the Hessian Mountains. Geoarchaeological (geomorphology and soil science) investigations in the surrounding of the "Wüstung Baumkirchen" (Vogelsberg). Keywords: Geoarchaeology and Micromorphology Organisation: Dr. Udo Recker (LA Denkmalpflege Hessen). Contact: Peter Kühn
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The Roman Limes | Geoarchaeology in the surroundings of the Roman Limes wall at Holzheim (northern Wetterau) Comparison of both Roman and modern stages of soil development; potential of environmental inferences of Roman time soil data particularly micromorphology, heavy metals, and clay minerals. Keywords: Geoarchaeology Contact: Peter Kühn
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A soil map for the Murtensee catchment | In cooperation with the EAWAG (Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology) we are digitally mapping the Murtensee catchment in the Swiss Mittelland. Keywords: Digital Soil Mapping Contact: Thorsten Behrens, Karsten Schmidt
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