Moritz Mainka


Last Name

Mainka

First Name

Moritz

ORCID

0000-0002-8293-5111

Organisational unit

09646 - Dötterl, Sebastian / Dötterl, Sebastian

Filters

2024 - 20263
Reset filters

Search Results

Publications 1 - 3 of 3
  • Shifts in High Arctic tundra vegetation structure linked to variation in soil conditions
    Item type: Journal Article
    Ruethers, Jana; Bakker, Lena; Doetterl, Sebastian; et al. (2026)
    Polar Biology
    The Arctic has become warmer and greener in recent decades, mostly attributed to large-scale climatic influences, but greening trends are not ubiquitous. To gain insight into possible drivers of variation in Arctic greening, we investigated how plant functional traits and community composition vary along local gradients of soil disturbance and fertility on the High Arctic archipelago of Svalbard. Our goal was to investigate the possible contribution of shifts in community composition and plant traits to overall greening, to deepen our understanding of how rapidly vegetation change may occur under continued warming and associated changes in soil conditions. We found that local variation in soil conditions, particularly nutrient availability, interacts with regional climate to shape species composition, abundance, and trait expression. Nutrient-enriched environments, such as below bird cliffs and in human settlements, host many generalist tundra species that exhibit higher productivity and elevated trait values compared to communities growing in nutrient-poor tundra. These findings suggest that Arctic greening may occur rapidly, by favouring responsive species already present in tundra communities as edaphic and climatic conditions become more favourable.
  • Coupled geomorphic and climate-driven biogeochemical processes regulate soil organic carbon stocks in agricultural terraces
    Item type: Journal Article
    Zhao, Pengzhi; Fallu, Daniel J.; Doetterl, Sebastian; et al. (2026)
    Science Advances
    Agricultural terraces are among the most widespread human-made landforms. They profoundly reshape soil landscapes and influence the carbon cycle, yet the extent and drivers of their impact remain highly uncertain. By integrating field observations from 14 well-drained terrace landforms across a climatic-geochemical gradient with a data synthesis, we show that changes in soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks after terracing are governed by two coupled C turnover-geomorphic processes: replacement of lost topsoil C at eroding positions and stabilization of buried SOC at depositional positions. Climate strongly modulates these processes by shaping soil geochemistry and plant productivity, which in turn control SOC replacement and stabilization within terraces. Thus, terracing effects on SOC stocks shift from consistently positive in humid regions to mixed (positive and negative) outcomes in dry regions. This study establishes a framework for elucidating SOC dynamics in well-drained terrace systems and provides a scientific basis for targeted management strategies to enhance C sequestration in agricultural terraces globally.
  • High Arctic Tundra Soil Microbial Communities: A Biogeography Study in Light of Arctic Greening
    Item type: Conference Poster
    Bakker, Lena; Mainka, Moritz; Maier, Annina; et al. (2024)
Publications 1 - 3 of 3