Welcome at the Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry

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. 

Graduate school IMPRS: Call for applications

Graduate school IMPRS: Call for applications

The International Max Planck Research School for Global Biogeochemical Cycles (IMPRS-gBGC) offers a PhD program specializing in global biogeochemistry and related Earth system sciences. We welcome applications from well motivated and qualified students from all countries. We offer scholarships for 4 years and full-time contracts for 3 years within an international and multidisciplinary working environment. The starting date is flexible.
Please apply by January 13th, 2025.

We support the initiative Weltoffenes Thüringen!

We support the initiative Weltoffenes Thüringen!

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

News

Groundwater threatened by droughts and heavy rainfalls

Groundwater threatened by droughts and heavy rainfalls

January 17, 2025
AquaDiva Climate Extremes Gerd Gleixner soils
Extreme climate events endanger groundwater quality and stability, when rain water evades natural purification processes in the soil. This was demonstrated in long-term groundwater analyses using new analytical methods.
more
Clouds hide how extreme rainfall intensifies with temperature

Clouds hide how extreme rainfall intensifies with temperature

December 19, 2024
Axel Kleidon Climate Change Climate Extremes Tropical Rainforests
Extreme precipitation should increase with warmer temperatures.  Data from tropical regions show that this correlation is obscured by the cooling effect of clouds. When cloud effects are corrected, the increase in extreme precipitation with rising temperatures becomes apparent.
more
Windthrow events in the Amazon increased since 1985

Windthrow events in the Amazon increased since 1985

November 27, 2024
Amazon Rainforest Climate Change Climate Extremes Forest Dieback Susan Trumbore
More frequent strong storms are destroying ever larger areas of the Amazon rainforest. Storm damage was mapped between 1985 and 2020. The total area of affected forests roughly quadrupled in the period studied.
more
More news and press releases

Events

Scientific events

Workshop 'Speak Up! Asserting yourself in colloquium, conference & panel'

Feb 18, 2025
Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry

IMPRS retreat 2025

Feb 25, 2025 - Feb 26, 2025

IMPRS Selection Symposium

Mar 12, 2025 - Mar 13, 2025
⇒ More scientific events

Public events

There are currently no events planned.
⇒ More public events

Seminars & colloquia

Kolloquium: Henrik Hartmann

Digital forest twins – breaking the glass dome of forest vegetation models
Jan 23, 2025 02:00 PM (Local Time Germany)
Hörsaal (C0.001)

Seminar: Markus Reichstein

(t.b.a.)
Jan 30, 2025 02:00 PM (Local Time Germany)
Hörsaal (C0.001)

Seminar: Yimian Ma

Assessing the effects of insect disturbances on forest biogeochemical cycles using the Quincy Terrestrial Biosphere Model
Jan 30, 2025 02:30 PM (Local Time Germany)
Hörsaal (C0.001)

Seminar: Sung-Ching Lee

Influence of unconventional water inputs
Feb 6, 2025 02:00 PM (Local Time Germany)
Hörsaal (C0.001)
⇒ More seminars/colloquia

Recent Publications

Chebbo, S.; Violle, C.; Mahaut, L.; Kattge, J.; Peaucelle, M.; Choler, P.; Viovy, N.: Unveiling the role of spatial functional trait variations on grassland primary productivity at france scale. Journal of Biogeography (2025)
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Poehls, J.; Alonso, L.; Koirala, S.; Carvalhais, N.; Reichstein, M.: Downscaling soil moisture to sub-km resolutions with simple machine learning ensembles. Journal of Hydrology 652, 132624 (2025)
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Testani, N.; Cappelletti, L. M.; Díaz, L. B.; Prudente, C.; Rabanal, V.; Mindlin, J.; Börner, R.; T, D. D.; Diallo, I.; Leyba, I. M. et al.; Osman, M.; Tangarife-Escobar, A.: Balancing earth science careers in an unequal world. Communications Earth & Environment 6, 22 (2025)
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Li, P.; Sun, M.; Xiao, J.; Luo, Y.; Zhang, Y.; Li, X.; Zhou, X.; Peng, C.: Rising atmospheric CO2 alleviates drought impact on autumn leaf senescence over northern mid-high latitudes. Global Ecology and Biogeography 34 (1), e13954 (2024)
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Montero, D.; Kraemer, G.; Anghelea, A.; Aybar, C.; Brandt, G.; Camps-Valls, G.; Cremer, F.; Flik, I.; Gans, F.; Habershon, S. et al.; Ji, C.; Kattenborn, T.; Martínez-Ferrer, L.; Martinuzzi, F.; Reinhardt, M.; Söchting, M.; Teber, K.; Mahecha, M. D.: Earth System Data Cubes: Avenues for advancing Earth system research. Environmental Data Science 3, e27, pp. 1 - 31 (2024)
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Hennecke, J.; Bassi, L.; Albracht, C.; Amyntas, A.; Bergmann, J.; Eisenhauer, N.; Fox, A.; Heimbold, L.; Heintz-Buschart, A.; Kuyper, T. W. et al.; Lange, M.; de Souza, Y. P. A.; Rai, A.; Solbach, M. D.; Mommer, L.; Weigelt, A.: Plant species richness and the root economics space drive soil fungal communities. Ecology Letters 28 (1), e70032 (2025)
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