Prof. Dr. Georg Guggenberger

30419 Hannover

Focus in research and teaching
- Transformation and stabilisation processes of soil organic matter
- Impact of land use and climate change on soil organic matter
- Mineral-organic associations
- Plant-mycorrhizal soil interface
- Carbon balance of permafrost soils
- Nitrogen-carbon interactions in soil
My work focuses on basic and applied research on the transport and storage of organic matter in the soil and the preservation of soil fertility. In soils of many regions of the world, from the Arctic to boreal and temperate and steppe zones to the subtropics and tropics, I investigate fundamental processes of biotic and abiotic factors on the formation and stabilization of soil organic matter and its effects on ensuring various soil functions. Selected field experiments along gradients (e.g. land use, climate, time) are accompanied by laboratory and field manipulation experiments to identify the underlying mechanisms. Methodological expertise includes stable isotope approaches, biomarker analyses, (micro)spectroscopic techniques (e.g. XPS, ESEM, NMR, NanoSIMS) and more recently molecular biological methods. An important aspect of my work is to integrate the results into a system-oriented approach and to overcome disciplinary boundaries. This basic research is also prerequisite to identify and adopt sustainable land use practices.