Geosciences Colloquium
at the Department of Environment and Biodiversity
Presentations by collegues from research and industry on topics in the geosciences and related subject areas, followed by a plenary discussion. The colloquium takes place during semester time. Everyone is welcome!
5pm, Tuesday, 12th May 2026
HS 434, (3rd Floor) NLW, PLUS, Hellbrunnerstraße 34, Salzburg
Biodiversity and nutrient cycling in ecosystems: unidirectional relationships and feedback loops
Prof. Dr. Yvonne Oelmann, University of Tübingen
Biodiversity depends on nutrient availability in soil but also acts as a its control. This dual role of biodiversity on nutrient cycling might lead to feedback loops between the bio- and geosystems. Experimental evidence shows that plant diversity results in increased biomass production associated with an increased uptake of nitrogen (N) from soil. Consequently, litter input facilitates the storage of organic matter containing N in soil in diverse mixtures over time resulting in a replenishment of N availability in soil (positive feedback). While such experiments pinpoint the controlling role of biodiversity, the dual role of plant diversity in established grasslands might also create feedback loops. Plant diversity is higher at sites with low phosphorus (P) availability in soil. High plant and mycorrhizal diversity lead to a more efficient exploitation of P resources, maybe resulting in a negative feedback on P availability in soil. While numerous experiments provided insights into the effect of biodiversity on the geosystem, hardly any experiment exists on the effect of geodiversity on biodiversity and its stability. To fill this knowledge gap, a large field experiment manipulating geodiversity will be established in the framework of the newly funded cluster of excellence TERRA (University of Tübingen). Further efforts are required to join biodiversity and geodiversity experiments as well as experimental and real-world approaches to tackle the complex geo-/bio-interactions.
Online participation via Teams
Upcoming Presentations:
16th June 2026 Natural hydrogen exploration: Challenges and opportunities (David Misch, Head of the Chair of Energy Geosciences, Technical University of Leoben)
Contact for further Information:
