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Overview

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© Thünen-Institut

In the Thünen topic “Soils”, we have three main fields of research:

  • We analyze the state of soils throughout Germany. Currently we are preparing repeat inventories for agricultural and forest soils. We are also setting up a monitoring system for peatland soil.
  • We are developing concepts for improved soil protection. Our main focus is on preventing soil compaction.
  • We are investigating how soil functions can be preserved and improved. Here, our main focus is on carbon storage (humus), the reduction of nutrient pollution, and soil fertility.

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Monitoring: National Soil Surveys in Forests and Agricultural Land

Soils provide plants with nutrients and water, they are a habitat for a variety of organisms and affect our climate. Only those who know the condition of their soils can use them sustainably and protect their diverse functions. The status of soils in ...

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Ein Hubschrauber fliegt über ein Waldgebiet und verstreut Kalk.
Against acid soil: What forest liming does

Since the early 1980s, more than 3.2 million hectares of forest have been limed in Germany. This was intended to counteract further area-wide soil acidification and loss of soil quality. As the findings of the second forest soil condition survey ...

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Zwei Hände sind zusammengelegt und halten wie in einer Schale mehrere Regenwürmer mit ein bisschen Erde
Soil organisms: The universe under our feet

What role do soil organisms play in healthy, fertile soils? What measures promote these organisms and how can farmers make use of them? This is what we are researching at the Thünen Institute.

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Fusariose an Weizen
Soil animals decimate harmful fungi and toxins

The aim of our research is to understand and analyse ecologically significant processes that soil animals control through their activity in laboratory and field experiments. With the knowledge gained, we can evaluate the services of soil animals for ...

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Computeranimierte Darstellung
Exploring the soil metagenome

We want to understand how microbial diversity and ecosystem functions are linked and change through agriculture. That is why we are studying the genetic material (DNA) of the soil, the so-called metagenome.

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Monitoring
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Ein Bild von einem Getreidefeld überlagert von einer Grafik, die andeutet was alles im Boden sein kann: u.a. Kleidung, Reifen, Plastikflaschen, Müllbeutel
Plastic in soil

To what extent is plastic in soil? And how does it act there? Because little research has been done on the topic in the past, these questions remain largely unanswered.

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Ein Symbolbild, die Erde liegt in einer schwarzen Plastiktüte
Plastic in the environment – a research topic at the Thünen Institute

At the Thünen Institute, research is being conducted at several specialised institutes on the topic of "Plastics in the Environment". This involves the analysis of microplastics in soils, transport processes from soils via rivers into the sea and ...

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