Boris Jansen

I work as tenured Associate Professor of Soil Chemistry at the Earth Surface Science Research Group of the Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics. Of the various soil scientific disciplines, soil chemistry holds my particular interest. I am fascinated by biogeochemistry in general and in particular by understanding the fate of Soil Organic Matter (SOM) in terrestrial ecosystems. How does the chemistry of soils and sediments regulate the transport, transformation and preservation/degradation of SOM? How is this chemistry, and thereby the fate of SOM, altered by natural or human-induced change? What are the implications for the functioning of ecosystems, and how can we use this knowledge to optimize the ecosystem services rendered by the soil?