Institute of Geography

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Soil Science Group

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28.06.2024

Congratulations Noël!

On June 13th, Noël successfully defended his master's thesis on the topic of «Dynamic Evolution of Hg Methylation in a Polluted Agricultural Floodplain». Congratulations Noël, the Soil Science Group wishes you all the best for your future endeavours!

14.06.2024

Welcome Thomas Wassermann!

Thomas Wassermann has started his PhD in the Soil Science group under the supervision of Dr. Markus Steffens and in collaboration with the Research Institutes of Organic Agriculture FiBL. Thomas completed his Bachelor's degree in Agricultural Sciences at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU) in Vienna, followed by two degree programmes in Agricultural and Food Economics (Dipl.-Ing.) and in Crop Science (Dipl.-Ing.), also at the BOKU in Vienna. In his PhD project, Thomas will focus on soil health and its monitoring using infrared spectroscopy. The aim is to gain potential for measurement, reporting and verification systems and to derive ecosystem services / soil functions. In the course of this project, Thomas will fulfil a spectroscopy task in two EU Horizon projects: InBestSoil and BioServicES.

06.06.2024

Can Effective Microorganisms Influence Green-Manure Decomposition?

A collaborative study by Agroscope, FiBL and the University of Bern has been published at Agrarforschung Schweiz (Swiss Agricultural Research). Although effective microorganisms (EM) are frequently used to shallowly incorporate green manures (cover crops) in the field, almost no scientific research has been conducted on them to date. This study simulated the decomposition of green manures with EM in the laboratory.

17.05.2024

New MSc thesis topic: "Potentially Toxic Trace Elements (PTTEs) profiles in the varved sediments of the Faulenseemoos"

We propose a collaborative Master thesis project between the groups of Prof. Willy Tinner (Paleoecology, IPS) and of Prof. Adrien Mestrot (Soil Science, GIUB) on the topic of "Potentially Toxic Trace Elements (PTTEs) profiles in the varved sediments of Faulenseemoos". Faulenseemoos, a bog in the Bernese Oberland, provides with its seasonally layered deposits a natural archive. Preserved in these varves are proxies such as pollen, diatoms and insect remains, as well as elements and stable isotopes that provide information about the history of vegetation, plants, animals, water quality, temperatures, precipitation, and intensity and type of agriculture practiced by our ancestors. Using PTTEs (commonly known as heavy metals) as proxies, one can also retrace the economic development and pollution history of a catchment. For more information on this MSc thesis topic, please download the flyer.

MSc thesis Faulenseemoos (PDF, 79KB)

07.05.2024

Group event at the Engehalbinsel

On May 1st, the Soil Science group had a group event at the Engehalbinsel to clean and restore the six soil profiles. These profiles are representatives of Swiss soils and are used by different educational institutions to teach the formation of soils. A website (Berner Böden) providing further information on the six soil profiles, their formation and properties will soon be available. The fun group event was rounded off with dinner at the restaurant Zehendermätteli im Glück. Thank you to everyone who came to help!

02.05.2024

Guest speaker 07.05.2024

In our next colloquium (Tuesday, 07.05. at 16h15 in Mittelstrasse 43, Seminarraum 234), Dr. Matthias Wiggenhauser, "Oberassistent" in the Group of Plant Nutrition at the Insitute of Agricultural Sciences, ETH Zurich, will give a talk entitled "Leveraging Isotope Tools to Determine the Fate of Trace Metals in Agroecosystem". He will present how novel isotope tools can be used to precisely quantify fluxes of trace metals and to identify the underlaying biogeochemical processes that control these pathwas along the soil-crop-human continuum. For more information, please dowload the flyer.

Guest speaker 07.05.2024 (PDF, 884KB)

18.04.2024

Guest speaker 23.04.2024

In our next colloquium (Tuesday, 24.03. at 16h15), Dr. Olena Melnyk, Senior Researcher at the Department of Environmental Systems Science at ETH Zurich, will give a talk entitled "Environmental Effects of the War in Ukraine: Spotlight on Soil Damage Assessment and Mapping". She will present a project that aims at enhancing the capacity for mapping, environmental monitoring, and managing the effects of war-induced damage on Ukraine's agricultural land, utilizing existing networks of scientists and field-based analysis to safeguard food security. For more information, please dowload the flyer.

Guest speaker 23.04.2024 (PDF, 867KB)

05.04.2024

New collaborative paper out in PNAS!

A new paper coming out of the Interfaculty Research Collaboration “One Health” has just been published in PNAS. This work led by Dr Veronica Caggìa of the Institute of Plant Sciences reveals a mechanism by which a dominant class of plant secondary metabolites, namely benzoxazinoids, can reduce plant arsenic accumulation and toxicity. This work expands the available genetically encoded resistance strategies to stabilize crop productivity in polluted agroecosystems. Congrats to all those involved!

13.03.2024

Guest speaker 19.03.2024

In our next colloquium (March 19th at 16h15), Prof. Britta Planer-Friedrich from Bayreuth University will give a talk entitled "Hidden to most, a potential threat to many – on the environmental occurrence and mobility of thioarsenates and their uptake in food." For more information, please download the flyer.

Guest speaker 19.03.2024 (PDF, 125KB)

16.02.2024

The Soil Science colloquium of the spring semester 2024 starts soon

The Colloquium will take place on Tuesdays from February 20th to May 28th from 16h15 to 18h00. Interested people are welcome to attend in person in room 002 of the GIUB (Hallerstrasse 12). For more information, please download the flyer. Looking forward to meeting you there!

Soil Science Colloquium Spring Semester 2024 (PDF, 794KB)

16.02.2024

Winter event at KaWeDe

The Soil Science winter event took place on February 15th. First we met for ice skating on the Ka-We-De artificial ice rink. After having dinner at the Ka-We-De Bistro with burgers and fries, we tried out the winter sport "Eisstockschiessen". After a few attempts, everybody was more or less successful 😉 and we played three rounds. Thank you Adrian, Luzia and Dominik for organising this fun event.

16.02.2024

Livia defended her MSc thesis

On February 14th, Livia successfully defended her master's thesis entitled "Historical Atmospheric Gaseous Elemental Mercury Reconstruction using European Larch Tree Rings in Switzerland". Congratulations Livia and all the best for your future endeavours!

 

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