MUltiscale Spatially explicit modeling of coupled carbon, nitrogen and Energy flows in soil systems (MUSE)

• Applicants: Professor Dr. Holger Pagel; Professor Dr. Thilo Streck
• Subject Area: Soil Sciences
• Term: since 2021
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 465121465

The turnover and stabilization of soil organic matter (SOM) is the key to highly productive agriculture and climate change mitigation. MUSE aims to analyze and predict coupled carbon, nitrogen, and energy flows and microbial community dynamics in aggregated soils by integrating experimental data on the soil microbiome, substrate chemistry, metabolic pathways, and thermodynamics using multiscale spatially explicit process-based modeling. We will combine modeling with a novel calorimetric measurement system to analyze the dynamics of coupled carbon, nitrogen, and energy flow under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. MUSE is expected to foster process-based knowledge synthesis to better understand soil organic matter turnover and thermodynamically controlled stabilization mechanisms.

• DFG Programme: Priority Programmes
• Subproject of: SPP 2322: Systems ecology of soils – Energy Discharge Modulated by Microbiome and Boundary Conditions (SoilSystems)
• International Connection: Sweden
• Cooperation Partner: Professor Stefano Manzoni, Ph.D.