Faculty 4 Environmental Sciences and Process Engineering
The Chair of Soil Protection and Recultivation is part of the Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Process Engineering of the Brandenburg University of Technology at Cottbus. The faculty links subjects of environmental relevance from the fields of natural sciences, biosciences and technical sciences (e.g. water pollution control, soil protection and recultivation, air pollution control, waste management, and process engineering) with subjects like social science, environmental planning, environmental economy, and environmental law. Main focus of interest is the protection of the abiotic environmental resources soil, water, and air. This basic approach shall help protecting plants, animals and man.
Solving major environmental problems and the protection of environment resources requires interdisciplinary work. Therefore, the 28 chairs of the faculty are organized in four institutes.
The topic soil protection and recultivation is a central part in the graduate education of the study course ´Environmental Sciences and Process Engineering´. Main objective is to educate the graduates to actbe able to mediate between society, technology and environment, and to enable them to solve problems of environmental protection. Furthermore the chair is involved in lectures for the international study course ´Environmental and Resource Management´. Finally, the chair is responsible for the coordination of the newly founded study course on `Land Use and Water Management´.
The Chair of Soil Protection and Recultivation teaches basic knowledge in soil science, soil protection and forest ecology. One main field of interest is research in the field of recultivation/restoration. Mainly soil ecological and geobotanical problems caused by anthropogenic impacts and disturbances are investigated. The chair offers methodological approaches and solutions for these fundamental problems.
The research conducted at the chair is mainly focused on the ecoloical development and landuse in the post-lignite mining district of Lusatia. Objectives of such activities are to characterise ecosystem functioning and development (pedogenesis, plant and animal succession, nutrient cycles, water cycle, soil biology) of these disturbed areas. The results of this more fundamental research are the basis for more applied research. The chair has established a nation-wide and international intensive interdisciplinary research collaboration.
Further research projects deal with soil protection in forests (forest ecology) and renewable primary products / agroforestry.
This years highlight is the establishment of the Collaborative Research Center Ecological Development and Valuation of Disturbed Cultural Landscapes.The Lower Lusatian Post-Mining Landscape Case Study´ (SFB 565) of which Prof. Hüttl is director. This comprehensive research project is funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (German Science Foundation, DFG) and is administrated by the Research Center Mining Landscapes (FZB) (the former Center of Excellence Minesite Recultivation) a central research facility of the Brandenburg University of Technology (BTU). Besides research and teachings the Chair of Soil Protection and Recultivation is the scientific head of the Research Center Landscape Development and Mining Landscapes (FLZB).