Felix Witing

Main research interests

• Land-use change and its impacts on ecosystem services and -processes and biodiversity
  
• Trade-off anlysis and spatially dependent optimization of ecosystem services (especially in the context of bioenergie use).
• Integrated ecohydrologial modeling using SWAT
• Modeling soil-carbon and nitrogen dynamics using CCB

Research projects

OPTAIN - OPtimal strategies to reTAIN and re-use water and nutrients in small agricultural catchments across different soil-climatic regions in Europe. EU H2020

CROSSLINK - Understanding cross-habitat linkages between blue and green infrastructure to optimize management of biodiversity, ecosystem services and multiple human uses. Subproject: Opimization procedure and learning environment. Project Website .

Dynamische Bilanzierung von Humushaushalt und Nährstoffaustrag im regionalen Maßstab im Kontext von Landnutzungs- und Klimawandel. Project Website ; final report . In cooperation with Gesellschaft für Angewandte Landschaftsforschung ( GALF ) bR and LfULG Sachsen .

Professional background

Publications (peer-reviewed)

Burdon, F. J., Ramberg, E., Sargac, J., Forio, M. A. E., de Saeyer, N., Mutinova, P. T., Moe, T. F., Pavelescu, M. O., Dinu, V., Cazacu, C., Witing, F., Kupilas, B., Grandin, U., Volk, M., Rîşnoveanu, G., Goethals, P., Friberg, N., Johnson, R. K. & B. G. McKie (2020): Assessing the Benefits of Forested Riparian Zones: A Qualitative Index of Riparian Integrity Is Positively Associated with Ecological Status in European Streams. Water 12(4): 1178. doi

Bartkowski, B., Beckmann, M., Drechsler, M., Kaim, A., Liebelt, V., Müller, B., Witing, F., & M. Strauch (2020): Aligning Agent-Based Modeling With Multi-Objective Land-Use Allocation: Identification of Policy Gaps and Feasible Pathways to Biophysically Optimal Landscapes. Frontiers in Environmental Science 8:103. doi

Cambien, N., Gobeyn, S., Nolivos, I., Forio, M.A.E., Arias-Hidalgo, M., Dominguez-Granda, L., Witing, F., Volk, M. & P. Goethals (2020): Using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool to simulate the pesticide dynamics in the data scarce Guayas river basin, Ecuador. Water 12(3): 696. doi

Witing, F., Gebel, M., Kurzer, H.-J., Friese, H. & U. Franko (2019): Large-scale integrated assessment of soil carbon and organic matter-related nitrogen fluxes in Saxony (Germany). Journal of Environmental Management 237: 272-280. doi

Witing, F., Prays, N., O’Keeffe, S., Gründling, R., Gebel, M., Kurzer, H.-J., Daniel-Gromke, J. & U. Franko (2018): Biogas production and changes in soil carbon input - A regional analysis. Geoderma 320, 105–114. doi

Wüstemann, H., Bonn, A., Albert, C., Bertram, C., Biber-Freudenberger, L., Dehnhardt, A., Döhring, R., Elsasser, P., Hartje, V., Mehl, D., Kantelhardt, J., Rehdanz, K., Schaller, L., Scholz, M., Thrän, D., Witing, F. & B. Hansjürgens (2017): Synergies and trade-offs between nature conservation and climate policy: Insights from the “Natural Capital Germany – TEEB DE” study. Ecosystem Services 24, 187–199. doi

Meyer, M.A., Seppelt, R., Witing, F. & J. A. Priess (2016): Making environmental assessments of biomass production Systems comparable worldwide. Environmental Research Letters 11(3). doi

Franko, U., Witing, F., Jäckel, G. & M. Volk (2015): Large-scale identification of hot spots for soil carbon demand under climate change and bioenergy production. Journal of Plant Nutrition & Soil Science 178 (2), 199-208. doi

Witing, F. & D. Thrän (2012): Review of “Rise and fall of the carbon civilisation: resolving global environmental and resource problems” by Patrick Moriarty and Damon Honnery. Energy, Sustainability and Society 2:17. doi

Vogeler, I., Cichota, R. & F. Witing (2009): Land based disposal of wastewater: fate of phosphorus. In: Brebbia, C.A. & V. Popov (Editors): Water Resources Management V. WIT Press doi

Book chapter

Franko, U. & F. Witing (2020): Dynamics of Soil Organic Matter in Agricultural Landscapes. In: Mirschel, W., Terleev, V. & K.-O. Wenkel (Eds.), Landscape Modelling and Decision Support. Innovations in Landscape Research. Springer, Cham., pp 283-298. doi

Franko U., Witing F. & M. Volk (2019): Climate Change Induced Carbon Competition: Bioenergy Versus Soil Organic Matter Reproduction. In: Schröter M., Bonn A., Klotz S., Seppelt R. & C. Baessler (Eds), Atlas of Ecosystem Services: Drivers, Risks, and Societal Responses. Springer International Publishing, Cham, pp. 257–262. doi

Hansjürgens, B., Schröter-Schlaack, C., Berghöfer, A., Bonn, A., Dehnhardt, A., Kantelhardt, J., Liebersbach, H., Matzdorf, B., Osterburg, B., Ring, I., Röder, N., Scholz, M., Thrän, D., Schaller, L., Witing, F. & H. Wüstemann (2017): Ökosystembasierte Klimapolitik für Deutschland. In: A. Marx (Hrsg.): Klimaanpassung in Forschung und Politik. Springer Fachmedien, Wiesbaden. doi

Reports & Publication series

Witing, F., Uwe, F. & M. Gebel (2016): Regionale Humus- und Nährstoffdynamik - Dynamische Bilanzierung von Humushaushalt und Nährstoffaustrag im regionalen Maßstab im Kontext von Landnutzungs- und Klimawandel. Sächsisches Landesamt für Umwelt, Landwirtschaft und Geologie, Schriftenreihe, Heft 20/2016: 99 S. Dresden, Germany. Website ; pdf

K. Vohland, U. Doyle, C. Albert, C. Bertram, L. Biber-Freudenberger, A. Bonn, M. Brenck, B. Burkhard, J. Förster, E. Fuchs, C. Galler, C. von Haaren, P. L. Ibisch, T. Kaphengst, C. Klassert, R. Klenke, S. Klotz, S. Kreft, I. Kühn, E. Marquard, D. Mehl, I. Meinke, K. Naumann, M. Reckermann, K. Rehdanz, S. Rüter, W. Saathof, J. Sauermann, M. Scholz, U. Schröder, R. Seppelt, D. Thrän & F. Witing (2015): Ökosystemleistungen, Biodiversität und Klimwandel: Grundlagen. In: Naturkapital Deutschland – TEEB DE (2015): Naturkapital und Klimapolitik – Synergien und Konflikte. Hrsg. von Volkmar Hartje, Henry Wüstemann und Aletta Bonn. Technische Universität Berlin, Helmholtz-Zentrum für Umweltforschung – UFZ. Berlin, Leipzig., S. 66-99. TEEB Website ; pdf

Naturkapital Deutschland – TEEB DE (2014): Naturkapital und Klimapolitik – Synergien und Konflikte. Kurzbericht für Entscheidungsträger. Technische Universität Berlin, Helmholtz-Zentrum für Umweltforschung – UFZ, Leipzig. pdf

Conference contributions

Franko, U., Witing, F., Prays, N. & H. Bessler (2019): Humuswirkung von Gärprodukten. 15. Sächsische Biogastagung, 08. October 2019, Klipphausen – Groitzsch, Germany. Website ; pdf presentation

Witing, F., Strauch, M., Burdon, F.J., Forio, M.A.E. & M. Volk (2019): Towards an optimal allocation of riparian forest at catchment scale? 11th Symposium for European Freshwater Sciences (SEFS), 30. June – 05. July 2019, Zagreb, Croatia. Book of Abstracts: 327

Derepasko, D., Strauch, M., Witing, F. & M. Volk (2018): Towards an integrated environmental flow assessment at multiple scales. ESP (Ecosystem Services Partnership) Regional Conference Europe 2018, 15.-19. October 2018, San Sebastian, Spain. Book of Abstracts: 8 ; pdf presentation

Khedr, H., Witing, F., Strauch, M. & M. Volk (2018): Trend impact analysis of land-water regulations and climate change on environmental flows and related ecosystem services in drought-vulnerable regions. ESP (Ecosystem Services Partnership) Regional Conference Europe 2018, 15.-19. October 2018, San Sebastian, Spain. Book of Abstracts: 11 ; pdf presentation

Witing, F., Prays, N., O´Keeffe, S., Gründling, R., Daniel-Gromke, J. & U. Franko (2017): Biogas production and soil related carbon fluxes - a regional analysis. 2nd International Bioeconomy Congress, 12.-13. September 2017, Stuttgart-Hohenheim, Germany. (Conference programme)

Strauch, M., Witing, F., Schürz, C. & M. Volk (2017): Towards multifunctional agricultural landscapes in Europe: SWAT as a key to asses synergies and trade-offs between ecosystem services and biodiversity. 2017 International SWAT Conference & Workshops, 28.-30. June 2017, Warsaw, Poland. Book of Abstracts: 119 ; pdf presentation

Franko, U., Gründling, R. & F. Witing (2016): Assessment of management systems according to their impact on SOM turnover on regional scale. European Geosciences Union. General Assembly 2016. 17.-22. April 2016, Vienna, Austria. Abstract

Franko, U., Witing, F., G. Jäckel & M. Volk (2015): Large-scale identification of hot spots for soil carbon demand under climate change and bioenergy production. ASABE 1st Climate Change Symposium: Adaptation and Mitigation. May 3-5, 2015, Chicago, Il, USA. doi (Abstract)

Franko, U., Witing, F., Jäckel, G. & M. Volk (2015): Climate change induced carbon competition: Bioenergy versus soil organic matter reproduction – An indicator based assessment. Dresden Nexus Conference – DNC 2015. 25.-27. March 2015, Dresden, Germany. Conference Report

Witing, F., Priess, J. A., Strauch, M., Wochele, S. & M. Volk (2014): Definition and regionalization of agricultural crop production systems on large scales - an integrated approach for environmental modeling and assessment. Biomass for energy - lessons from the Bioenergy Boom. 24.-25. November 2014, Leipzig, Germany. Abstract Book of Abstracts  pdf presentation

Franko, U., Volk, M., Witing, F. & G. Jäckel (2014): Climate change induced carbon competition: bioenergy versus soil organic matter reproduction - an indicator based assessment. Biomass for energy - lessons from the Bioenergy Boom. 24.-25. November 2014, Leipzig, Germany. Abstract Book of Abstracts pdf presentation

Franko, U., M. Volk, F. Witing & G. Jäckel (2014): Pressure from bio-energy production and climate change on SOM reproduction. European Geosciences Union. General Assembly 2014. 27 April – 02 May 2014, Vienna, Austria. Abstract

Thrän, D., Schock, S. & F. Witing (2014): Ökologische Bewertung der Bioenergie. 2. Energiepolitischer Workshop: "Bioenergie - Wie viel Energiewende wächst auf Baum und Feld?" 01. April 2014, Ifo Institut, München, Germany. presentation

Volk, M., S. Lautenbach, M. Strauch, F. Witing & R. Seppelt (2013): Using an integrated river basin model and an optimization algorithm for quantifying ecosystem services and trade-offs in large river basins – Challenges and potential solutions. Session H12, 20th International Congress on Modeling and Simulation (MODSIM). Adapting to change: the multiple roles of modelling. December 1-6, 2013, Adelaide, Australia. Book of Abstracts (Eds., Piantadosi, J., R.S. Anderssen & J. Boland): 417

Witing, F. & M. Volk (2013): Which parameter complexity is required for a sound simulation of agricultural river basins? Investigating SWAT model sensitivity to agricultural land cover and crop rotation paramterizations. 2013 International SWAT Conference & Workshops, Toulouse, France, 17.-19. July 2013, Toulouse, France. Book of Abstracts: 103 ; pdf presentation

Mühlner, S., Witing, F., Lautenbach, S. & M. Volk (2013): Using SWAT for simulating trade-offs and synergies among ecosystem services related to afforestation in a Central German Watershed. 2013 International SWAT Conference & Workshops, 17.-19. July 2013, Toulouse, France. Book of Abstracts: 26 ; pdf presentation

Volk, M., Lautenbach, S., Strauch, M., Witing, F. & R. Seppelt (2013): Using SWAT and an optimization algorithm for quantifying ecosystem services and trade-offs in large river basins – Challenges and potential solutions. 2013 International SWAT Conference & Workshops, 17.-19. July 2013, Toulouse, France. Book of Abstracts: 118 ; pdf presentation

Volk, M., Strauch, M. & F. Witing (2013): Water quality in large-scale integrated modeling – Challenges and key considerations on the example of model applications in Central Germany. Water & Environmental Dynamics. 6th International Conference on Water Resources and Environmental Reseach. 3.-7. June, 2013, Koblenz, Germany. (conference programme)

Thrän, D., Bunzel, K. & Witing, F., (2012): Sustainable bioenergy cropping. 12th Congress of the European Society for Agronomy (ESA). 20-24 August 2012, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland. Book of Abstracts (Eds: Stoddard, F.L. & Mäkelä, P.): 58 – 59

Witing, F. & M. Volk (2011): Comparing Different Model Calibration Strategies for Improved Representation of Landscape Conditions in SWAT at the Example of a Large Heterogeneous Catchment. 2011 International SWAT Conference & Workshops, 15-17 June 2011. Toledo, Spain. Book of Abstracts: 84 ; pdf presentation

Vogeler, I., Horn, R., Green, S. & F. Witing (2008): Land application of wastewater: Effect on soil properties and contaminant transport. Soils 2008 - The Living Skin of Planet Earth. Joined Conference of the Australia and New Zealand Societies of Soil Science (ASSSI - NZSSS), December 1-5, 2008, Palmerston North, New Zealand.

Other Publications

Franko, U., Witing, F., Thiel, E. & E. Ließ (2016): CCB Manual. Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ. Website ; CCB-Software (incl. Manual)

Oelschlägel, B., Franko, U., Bönecke, E., Meurer, K., Prays, N. & F. Witing (2015): Optimizer. Description of Usage. Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ. Website ; pdf

Vogeler, I., Witing, F. & S. Green (2008): Movement of Phosphorus from on-site wastewater systems. WISPAS - Water in the Soil - Plant - Atmosphere System, Published by HortResearch

Supervision & Mentoring of Theses

Watzema, J. (2014): Abschätzung der Schwebstofffracht unter Verwendung verschiedener Erklärungsansätze am Beispiel des Einzugsgebietes der Mulde. Bachelorarbeit, Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg, Naturwissenschaftliche Fakultät lll. Offizielle Gutachter: PD Dr. Martin Volk und Dipl.-Geogr. Felix Witing

Knauer, J. (2012): Analyse der räumlich-zeitlichen LAI-Modellierung in SWAT im Vergleich mit MODIS Fernerkundungsdaten. Bachelorarbeit, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Fakultät für Geowissenschaften. Offizielle Gutachter: Prof. Dr. Karsten Schulz und PD Dr. Martin Volk.