Soil and environment

In its research and advisory services, the Soil and Environment department deals with the soil and nutritional foundations of forestry and forest management. Forest soils are interfaces of innumerable material cycles in the forest ecosystem. Their chemical and physical properties are largely responsible for determining how well forest stands are supplied with nutrients and water. They are also a particularly effective storage space for water and retain and/or break down pollutants such as heavy metals, acids or nitrogen in the soil.