Assoz. Prof. Dr. Carsten W. Müller

is Associate Professor at the Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management, University of Copenhagen.

Abstract

Soils represent the largest terrestrial carbon reservoir, thus by far exceeding the amount of carbon stored in plant biomass. However, plants are the dominating primary source for soil organic matter. Plant litter and roots form distinct hot spots for interactions between microbiota, organic matter and mineral particles that are thought to control the long-term fate of soil carbon. The detritusphere and rhizosphere thus represent soil volumes that host the complex interplay of biological, chemical and physical soil processes that determine the fate of soil organic matter. The presentation will highlight the intricate connection between the transformation of plant derived organic matter via microbial processing and soil structure formation that lead to the build-up of persistent soil organic matter.

Webex-Details