Annkathrin Hömberg

Research interests

• Role of silicon on biogeochemical processes in peatlands biogeochemical interactions between plants and
• Soil effects of drying and rewetting on nutrient cycles in forest floors and soils

DFG Project KN 929/11-1: Does increased availability of Silicon increase mineralization of organic matter in minerotrophic fens?

This project, conducted in collaboration with the University of Münster, addresses the role of Silicon in carbon cycling in peatlands, in particular in grass-dominated fen ecosystems. Preliminary work demonstrated that increased silicon availability can increase respiration rates in peat and may also increase the contributiono of methanogenesis to total respiration. This project aims at improving our understanding about the exact underlying mechanisms by which silicon affects carbon cycling in fens.