This project investigates the effects of biodiversity on carbon storage in soils, one of the central questions of the research group. The research focus is on the development of carbon stocks and on the export of dissolved carbon to the groundwater. Our previous results demonstrated that increased diversity, sown species number and functional groups, decreases the dissolved carbon export. Preliminary results from carbon stock changes indicate coinciding carbon storage at higher diversity levels. This offers two possible explanations: (i) decomposition of plant material is slower in more diverse systems and consequently not decomposed plant material is stored and less dissolved decomposition products are exported. (ii) Decomposition of both plant material and dissolved organic carbon is more complete and consequently mainly microbial carbon is stored at higher diversity levels.

Therefore, we suggest to prepare density fractions of soil carbon separating plant and microbial derived carbon. We will use the molecular and isotopic fingerprint of soil organic matter in these fractions to identify the sources and processes of carbon storage. Additionally we will use externally funded 14C measurements and results from decomposition experiments and microbial characteristics provided from within the research group to verify our results.

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