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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.

A hand holds a cardboard sign into the air. "Equality in Diversity" is written on it in capital letters.

Equal Opportunities

Equal opportunities for all - this principle is upheld both in the Max Planck Society and at our institute. We promote employees regardless of gender, nationality, religion, disability, age, cultural origin and sexual identity, because their diversity is the basis for cutting-edge research.

News

The Collaborative Project “Integrated Greenhouse Gas Monitoring System for Germany (ITMS)” met for its 4th General Assembly to present and discuss recent scientific progress and results. The meeting concluded with the official kick-off of Phase 2, which marks the next step towards the operational monitoring of Germany’s greenhouse gas sources and sinks.
In 2024, wild ruminants emitted approximately 2.95 million metric tons of methane, primarily in the United States, Canada, and Africa. Ten species account for 75% of the emissions. Information on the spatial distribution of emissions improves methane modeling.
The CoMet 3.0 Tropics campaign successfully conducted 18 flights over Brazil and Bolivia using the German research aircraft HALO to measure greenhouse gases such as methane and CO2. The data supports the validation of satellite missions and helps distinguish between natural and anthropogenic sources of methane, which is crucial for global climate models.

Events

For scientists

IMPRS retreat 2027

Mar 4, 2027 - Mar 5, 2027

For all

Lange Nacht der Wissenschaften 2026

Nov 20, 2026 06:00 PM - 11:55 PM (Local Time Germany)
MPI-BGC

Flora incognita – mehr als Pflanzenbestimmung

Nov 26, 2026 06:00 PM - 07:30 PM (Local Time Germany)
Online

Harald Lesch & Axel Kleidon: Die Natur ist kein Parteimitglied

Harald Lesch & Axel Kleidon: Die Natur ist kein Parteimitglied
Dec 2, 2026 07:00 PM (Local Time Germany)
München

Seminars & colloquia

No events

Recent Publications

Vehlken, L.; Wolf, J.; López Serrano, D.; Gröbner, M.; Rolo, V.; Moreno, G.; Martín, M. P.; Carrara, A.; Lee, S.-C.; Bareth, G. et al.; Jenal, A.: Teleoperated quadruped robot-based SLAM LiDAR for standardized tree stem diameter derivation in spanish mediterranean savanna-like woodlands: A field feasibility study. Robotics 15 (9), 176 (2026)
Reuss, J.; Gikalo, E.; Körner, M.: DirPA: Addressing prior shift in imbalanced few-shot crop-type classification. ISPRS Journal of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing 242, pp. 585 - 606 (2026)
Djahangard, M.; Yousefpour, R.; Zhang, H.; Berninger, F.; Brazaitytė, G.; Brazaitis, G.; Bugmann, H.; Coll, L.; Curtu, A. L.; Halalisan, A. F. et al.; Hartmann, H.; Jactel, H.; Khanam, T.; Krsnik, G.; Kukobat, L.; Leskinen, L.; Manton, M.; Marjanović, Ž.; Pantera, A.; Selkimäki, M.; Šušić, N.: Economic incentives for conifers may limit broadleaf expansion in climate-adaptive European forests. Communications Earth & Environment 7, 792 (2026)
Hixon, S.; Phelps, L.; Rakotozafy, L.; Crossland, Z.; Prendergast, M. E.; Radimilahy, C.; Wright, H.; Amano, N.; Boivin, N.; Crowther, A. et al.; Douglass, K.; Garbaras, A.; George, R.; Hüsges, S. W.; Janzen, A.; Kennett, D. J.; Randrianatoandro, H.; Schirmer, S.; Steinhof, A.; Fernandes, R.: Past rapid spread of introduced livestock coincided with vegetation clearance on Madagascar. Proceedings of the Royal Society B 293 (2079), 20260668 (2026)
San-Emeterio, L. M.; Sierra, C.; Spohn, M.: Long-term soil organic phosphorus dynamics: evidence from 14C time series. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 223, 110316 (2026)
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