Research

The professorship for Agroecology deals with environmental topics related to the function and use of agricultural ecosystems. Plants alter biological, chemical and physical processes in the soil surrounding their roots – in the rhizosphere. Our research focus is on biogeochemical processes in the rhizosphere of crops and the driving forces for carbon turnover and nutrient fluxes in arable soils.

A second focus is on the interaction between plants and fungi, the mycorrhiza. Our research deals with mycorrhiza as a key link for plant-soil-microorganism interactions. At different temporal and spatial scales, we investigate the importance of mycorrhiza for carbon and nutrient fluxes in arable, grassland and forest ecosystems.