BODIUM team

The availability of nutrients in the soil depends largely on the soil texture and the organic matter (humus) that builds up as a result of dying roots and organic fertilizers. Bacteria and fungi live either in competition or in symbiosis with the plant roots and are the main drivers of humus dynamics in BODIUM. These processes release nutrients for plant growth but also produce CO₂ and N₂O emissions.

Many processes in the soil are driven by biology: Earthworms loosen the soil and feed it with organic matter. Microorganisms metabolize this organic matter, make nutrients available and utilize unused nutrients and pollutants. Plants influence the soil through their root growth, as well as by absorbing water and nutrients. In order to simulate soil functions such as carbon storage, nutrient cycling or water filtration and balance under changing conditions, these processes must be integrated into systemic models such as BODIUM.

The soil structure has an influence on the water and gas balance, root growth and biological turnover. It is influenced by biological processes, soil tillage and physical processes. The structure is not static, as is assumed in many soil physics models. It changes over the years depending on management and can also show changes within a year. BODIUM integrates the dynamic structure and can therefore map the effects of different soil management practices.

The regionalization of soil information in Germany is an important element of the BODIUM model. The properties of soils and thus their functions can differ greatly from site to site. High-resolution, site-specific soil information is required in order to apply the BODIUM model throughout Germany. Therefore, data science approaches for the identification of spatial patterns and the designation of soil functional process units were developed. Each of these spatial units contains information regarding the soil properties that are necessary as input parameters for the BODIUM model. In addition, an informative approach based on the soil overview map of Germany BÜK200 will be developed.