The seventh “Rhine-Waal Soil and Plant Ecology Seminar” brought together soil and plant ecologists from various institutions in Germany, Switzerland and the Netherlands at the Klimahaus on the Kleve campus for a professional exchange.
What began as an internal meeting of PhD students from the Faculty of Life Sciences has since become a well-established event even beyond Rhein-Waal University of Applied Sciences. Once again, numerous international experts in soil and plant ecology accepted the invitation from soil scientist Professor Florian Wichern. Researchers from the Universities of Bonn, Kassel and Göttingen, as well as representatives from industry, travelled to Kleve for the two-day seminar. Researchers from Radboud University Nijmegen and the Netherlands Institute of Ecology in Wageningen also took part.
In a group of around 35 participants, the findings of research into soil and plant ecology – some of which are as yet unpublished – were presented and discussed in a series of lectures. Soils play a major role in carbon sequestration, but at the same time represent a source of greenhouse gases. The central theme was therefore how the interaction between plant roots, organic fertilisers and soil microorganisms influences emissions from the soil. It became clear that the intelligent management of organic fertilisers can have a positive impact on the soil’s role as a sink for greenhouse gases.
The seminar concluded with a visit to the Netherlands Institute of Ecology in Wageningen. “The seminar offers an excellent platform for professional exchange with established researchers, practitioners and interested students in a small-group setting,” said Professor Wichern.
