Expertise
- Developing indicators for estimating decomposable part of SOM, using hot water extractable C (HWC)
- Isolation of relevant SOM fractions of different stability / stabilization degree (decomposable and stable / stabilised fractions)
- kinetics of carbon transformation processes
- Linking abiotic state variables of SOM to biological processes of the microbial utilization of carbon sources
Techniques
- Cold and hot water extraction for isolating readily decomposable SOM fractions
- Size -density fractionation of soil to isolate fractions representing different functional SOM pools
- Characterization of SOM pools by elemental analysis (C, H, N, DOC, DON) and spectroscopic methods (UV-VIS, FTIR, Fluorescence)
- Respiration measurements (RESPICOND) of soils, soil amendments and SOM fractions for C transformation processes and SIR-BMC
- Use of shifts in natural 13C isotopic signature (IRMS) during microbial decay of SOM and soil amendments to distinguish between different carbon sources for microbial utilization
- using PLFA pattern for characterizing the structural composition of the microbial community
- measuring enzymatic activities of microbial community as functional characteristics