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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

Leopoldina Discussion Paper, with the contribution of Director Markus Reichstein.
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.

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

Heather Throope

Scaling through space and time to constrain biogeochemical dynamics in globally extensive drylands
Oct 27, 2026 11:00 AM (Local Time Germany)

Recent Publications

Sloughter, T.; Nicholls, Z.; Tang, G.; Kleinen, T.; Zhang, Z.; Rogelj, J.: Natural methane emissions feedbacks in MAGICC v. 7.6. Geoscientific Model Development 19 (18), pp. 9063 - 9076 (2025)
Torresani, M.; Montali, M.; Da Re, D.; Da Ros, L.; Hakkenberg, C. R.; Rocchini, D.; Mina, M.; Waegeman, W.; Foody, G.; Menaa, M. et al.; Wingler, A.; Fraisl, D.; Andreoli, A.; Goethals, P.; Pasolli, E.; Borruso, L.; Perrone, M.; Stock, M.; De Baets, B.; Brunori, G.; Stritih, A.; Bottero, A.; Cherubini, P.; Ghidini, C.; Orlandini, A.; Poccianti, P.; Rossi, C.; Cotrina-Sanchez, A.; Urquiza-Muñoz, J. D.; Veneros, J.; Rodel Vouffo Nguimdo, V.; Andreo, V.; Altintas, I.; Satta, G. G. A.; Pitscheider, F.; Rozzoni, A.; Koyanagi, K.; Sterenczak, K.; Tognetti, R.: Opening ecological data to reduce bias and strengthen AI in ecology. Bioscience, biag147 (2026)
Emmert, L.; Trumbore, S. E.; dos Santos, J.; Simonetti, A.; Lima, A.; Higuchi, N.; Negrón-Juárez, R.; Dias-Júnior, C.; El-Madany, T. S.; Kolle, O. et al.; de Mello Ribeiro, G. H. P.; Marra, D. M.: Strong canopy wind gusts across a topographic gradient and associated rainfall conditions in a Central Amazon forest. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology 391, 111504 (2026)
Saiz, H.; Neuenkamp, L.; Penone, C.; Birkhofer, K.; Blüthgen, N.; Boch, S.; Bonkowski, M.; Buscot, F.; Felipe-Lucia, M.; Fiore-Donno, A.-M. et al.; Fischer, M.; Freitag, M.; Godoy, O.; Goldmann, K.; Gossner, M.; Hamer, U.; Hölzel, N.; Jung, K.; Kandeler, E.; Klaus, V.; Kleinebecker, T.; Leimer, S.; Marhan, S.; Oelmann, Y.; Overmann, J.; Prati, D.; Renner, S.; Rillig, M.; Seibold, S.; Schloter, M.; Schoening, I.; Sikorski, J.; Socher, S.; Solly, E.; Steffan-Dewenter, I.; Stempfhuber, B.; Westphal, C.; Wilcke, W.; Wubet, T.; Wurst, S.; Allan, E.: Land use intensification results in abrupt transitions between extensively and intensively managed grasslands. Functional Ecology (2026)
van den Berg, A.-W.; Hooghiem, J. J. D.; van der Woude, A. M.; Rijsdijk, P.; Vernooij, R.; Botia, S.; van der Werf, G. R.; Miller, J. B.; Luijkx, I. T.; Krol, M. C. et al.; Peters, W.: Fire carbon emission constraints from space-based carbon monoxide retrievals during the 2019 intense burning season in Brazil. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics 26 (19), pp. 13929 - 13958 (2026)
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