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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.

News

Dry grassland stretches across a gently rolling landscape as far as the eye can see. A few researchers are scattered across the steppe, collecting samples.

Dryland soils store carbon up to thousands of years, much longer than expected

April 22, 2026

Researchers used radiocarbon to show that organic carbon in dryland topsoils is much older than previously estimated, averaging about 2,000 years. However, when dry soils are wetted, even old carbon is decomposed and respired by microbes.

4 persons with one person holding the certificate

Markus Reichstein is new member of the Leopoldina

April 20, 2026

Markus Reichstein

As a newly elected member of the Leopoldina, Prof. Markus Reichstein receives his certificate during this year’s Life Sciences symposium.

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.

More news and press releases

Events

Scientific events

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

Workshop 'Souveräner Umgang mit Konflikten'

Jun 10, 2026 - Jun 11, 2026

Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Room: B0.002

⇒ More scientific events

Public events & Presentations

Best Practice-Konzepte der Wissenschaftsvermittlung

Podiumsdiskussion im Rahmen des Festivals „Science Utopias“

Jun 6, 2026 06:00 PM (Local Time Germany)

Frankfurt/Main

Flora Incognita & PollenNet

Flora Incognita & PollenNet bei der Ilmenauer Wissenschaftsnacht

Jun 20, 2026 05:00 PM - 11:00 PM (Local Time Germany)

Lange Nacht der Wissenschaften 2026

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

MPI-BGC

⇒ More public events

Seminars & colloquia

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

Maracahipes, L.; Brando, P. M.; Silvério, D. V.; Maracahipes-Santos, L.; Silveiro, A. C.; Verona, L.; Macedo, M. N.; Trumbore, S. E.; Lenza, E.; Starinchak, B. et al.; Potter, N.; Herrera-Ramírez, D.; Barros, F. d. V.; Uribe, M. d. R.; Byrnes, L.; Andrade, A. F. A.; Rocha, E. X.; Rattis, L.; Nunes, T. F.; Oliveira, R. S.: Forest recovery pathways after fire, drought, and windstorms in southeastern Amazonia. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 123 (17), e2532833123 (2026)

MPG.PuRe

DOI

Moreno-Martínez, Á.; Muñoz-Marí, J.; Adsuara, J. E.; Dechant, B.; Kattge, J.; Kattenborn, T.; Sabatini, F. M.; Schneider, F. D.; Duveiller, G.; van Bodegom, P. M. et al.; Butler, E. E.; Mahecha, M. D.; Izquierdo-Verdiguier, E.; Peñuelas, J.; Boenisch, G.; Pavlick, R.; Townsend, P. A.; Carvalhais, N.; Lusk, D.; Camps-Valls, G.: Leveraging remote sensing and crowd-sourced biodiversity data for enhanced plant functional trait mapping. Nature Communications (2026)

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DOI

ZIP

Ruiz-Vásquez, M.; O, S.; Brenning, A.; Reichstein, M.; Balsamo, G.; Orth, R.: Land surface information from satellites boost near-surface temperature forecast skill. Communications Earth & Environment 7, 245 (2026)

MPG.PuRe

DOI

Kunz, A.-K.; Hammer, S.; Aigner, P.; Bignotti, L.; Borchardt, L.; Chen, J.; Coletta, J. D.; Emmenegger, L.; Eritt, M.; Gutiérrez, X. et al.; Hashemi, J.; Hilland, R.; Holst, C.; Jordan, A.; Kljun, N.; Kneißl, R.; Lan, C.; Legendre, V.; Levin, I.; Loubet, B.; Mauder, M.; Molinier, B.; Preunkert, S.; Ramonet, M.; Stagakis, S.; Christen, A.: ¹⁴C-based separation of fossil and non-fossil CO₂ fluxes in cities using relaxed eddy accumulation: results from tall-tower measurements in Zurich, Paris, and Munich. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics 26 (7), p. 4967–5003 - 4967–5003 (2026)

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DOI

Pinheiro-Oliveira, D.; van Asperen, H.; Caetano, M. G.; Robin, M.; Edtbauer, A.; Zannoni, N.; Byron, J.; Williams, J.; Demarchi, L. O.; Piedade, M. T. F. et al.; Schöngart, J.; Wittmann, F.; Duvoisin-Junior, S.; Batista, C.; de Souza, R. A. F.; Alves, E. G.: Forest diversity and environmental factors shape contrasting soil-litter fluxes of biogenic volatile organic compounds and methane in three central Amazonian ecosystems. Biogeosciences 23 (7), pp. 2451 - 2476 (2026)

MPG.PuRe

DOI

You, S.; Ma, J.; Zheng, H.; Liu, X.; Tian, H.; Wu, Y.; Zaehle, S.; Wang, Y.; Shi, H.; Li, R. et al.; Shi, H.: Human activities dominate global trends in terrestrial phosphorus deposition. Environmental Science & Technology 60 (14), pp. 10850 - 10860 (2026)

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All publications