Exterior view of the institute

Welcome at the Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry


Focus on the Earth

Our research is dedicated to the study of global biogeochemical cycles describing the interactions between the biosphere, the atmosphere, the geosphere and the entire climate system. We aim to better understand how living organisms - including humans - exchange basic resources such as water, carbon, nutrients, and energy with their environment and how this affects ecosystems and climate at regional to global scales. 

We stand for a Thuringia open to the world

We support the initiative Weltoffenes Thüringen!

We are committed to ensuring that people from different backgrounds live and work together respectfully.

News

Graphic with green globes

Global greening: The Earth’s green wave is shifting

February 24, 2026
Biodiversity Climate Change Sophia Walther
A team of scientists led by the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), and Leipzig University has developed a new method to track the Earth’s greenness – a key indicator of vegetation health and activity – by calculating its centre of mass.
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Morning mist over the Amazon rainforest.

Amazon rainforest turned into carbon source during the extreme drought in 2023

February 16, 2026
Amazon Rainforest Carbon Cycle Drought Research project ATTO Santiago Botia Sönke Zaehle Susan Trumbore
The Amazon rainforest experienced unusually high temperatures and atmospheric dryness in 2023. Observations from ATTO and further data revealed that the vegetation’s uptake of carbon was above average early in the year, but drastically reduced during the drought season, leading from a carbon sink into a source.
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Directors of MPI for Biogeochemistry

Nominations sought for the position of Director at the Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry

January 01, 2026
Personalia
The Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry in Jena, Germany, expects to have an opening for a director and scientific member of the Max Planck Society (MPG) in the general field of ecosystem ecology and biogeochemical cycles in the Earth System and related areas.
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More news and press releases

Events

Scientific events

Joint module Meeting in Offenbach

Apr 14, 2026 12:00 PM (Local Time Germany) - Apr 16, 2026 02:00 PM
German Weather Service

BGC Scientists at European Geosciences Union General Assembly (EGU26)

May 3, 2026 01:09 PM (Local Time Germany) - May 8, 2026 01:10 PM
Vienna, Austria

Workshop 'Working in an International Research Group: Successful Interpersonal Communication and Conflict Prevention'

Jun 4, 2026 - Jun 5, 2026
Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Room: B0.002
⇒ More scientific events

Public events & Presentations

Tracing the Breathing Earth

Apr 16, 2026 12:40 PM (Local Time Germany)
German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina Jägerberg 1 06108 Halle (Saale) | Germany

Forsche Schüler Tag 2026

Apr 23, 2026 09:00 AM - 02:00 PM (Local Time Germany)
Max-Planck-Institut für Biogeochemie

Best Practice-Konzepte der Wissenschaftsvermittlung

Podiumsdiskussion im Rahmen des Festivals „Science Utopias“
Jun 6, 2026 06:00 PM (Local Time Germany)
Frankfurt/Main
⇒ More public events

Seminars & colloquia

Seminar: Xu Shan

How Plant Hydraulic Scheme Constrains Carbon Turnover Processes in Terrestrial Biosphere Model: model-data integration experiments using Earth Observation and FLUXNET measurements
Apr 16, 2026 02:00 PM (Local Time Germany)

Seminar: Axel Kleidon

How to save the world with entropy
Apr 16, 2026 02:30 PM (Local Time Germany)

Colloquium: Eliza Harris

Isotopic measurements of greenhouse gases at mountain sites: Opportunities and challenges
Apr 30, 2026 02:00 PM (Local Time Germany)
⇒ More seminars/colloquia

Recent Publications

Magh, R.-K.; Paligi, S. S.; Papastefanou, P.; Klosterhalfen, A.; Ammer, C.; Beyer, M.; Dubbert, M.; Haberstroh, S.; Rohde, C.; Werner, C. et al.; Hildebrandt, A.: Continuous stem water potential measurements with microtensiometry reveal species identity and soil matric potential control of stem water potential in temperate forests. Ecohydrology 19 (3), e70197 (2026)
MPG.PuRe
DOI
Zhao, Y.; Lu, N.; Trumbore, S. E.; Goebel, Martin, M.; Kübler, K.; Wang, H.; Schrumpf, M.; Wang, K.; Wang, C.; Fu, B. et al.; Huang, J.: Tracing soil CO2 fluxes under drying-rewetting cycles: Isotopic insights from an automatic soil incubation system. Environmental Science & Technology 60 (11), pp. 8482 - 8493 (2026)
MPG.PuRe
DOI
Ellerbrok, J.; Sporbert, M.; Schreiner, V.; Ristok, C.; Farwig, N.; Hähn, G. J. A.; Klenke, R.; Seidler, G.; Marx, J. M.; Schmidt, A. et al.; Settele, J.; Wirth, C.; Albert, C.; Bässler, C.; Braunisch, V.; Brunken, H.; Conze, K.-J.; Eichenberg, D.; Eisenhauer, N.; Ellwanger, G.; Ferenczy, J.; Gerlach, B.; Haase, D.; Harpke, A.; Herder, F.; Jansen, F.; Kamp, J.; Katzenberger, J.; Keil, P.; Kühn, E.; Mascarenhas, A.; Müller, J.; Musche, M.; Nguyen, H. H.; Pogoda, P.; Ssymank, A.; Suhling, F.; Vatterrott, H.-R.; Wellmann, T.; Bruelheide, H.: Determinants of terrestrial and limnic species richness in Germany. Diversity and Distributions 32 (3), e70170 (2026)
MPG.PuRe
DOI
ZIP
Hanggara, B. B.; El-Madany, T. S.; Carrara, A.; Moreno, G.; Gonzalez-Cascon, R.; Burchard-Levine, V.; Martin, P.; Metzger, S.; Hildebrandt, A.; Reichstein, M. et al.; Lee, S.-C.: Non‐abrupt vegetation changes due to altered nutrient balance make complex scale‐dependent warming and cooling effects. Global Change Biology 32 (3), e70782 (2026)
MPG.PuRe
DOI
All publications
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