Ingrid Kögel-Knabner

Prof. Ingrid Kögel-Knabner is a full professor of Soil Science at the TUM School of Life Sciences, Technische Universität München since 1995. She holds habilitation from the University of Bayreuth (1992) and a doctorate in soil science (1987). Her research focuses on soil organic matter dynamics, global carbon cycles, and soil structure formation using advanced techniques like 13C NMR spectroscopy and NanoSIMS. A leader in soil science, she is a member of multiple academies including Leopoldina and acatech, and served on Germany’s Bioeconomy Council. Notable awards include the German Environmental Prize (2019) and Bavarian Maximilian Order (2018). Her work emphasizes sustainable soil management, climate mitigation strategies, and soil health initiatives. Active in interdisciplinary research, she has led projects on subsoil management (Soil3 project) and contributed to global soil carbon sequestration frameworks.

Her career spans over 35 years with 10+ long-term field experiments analyzing carbon stocks across pedogenic soil groups. She has pioneered methodologies for quantifying organic matter stabilization through mineral interactions, and developed the SOMnmR R package for spectral analysis. Her research bridges microscale soil processes with macroscale environmental impact, addressing agricultural sustainability and land-use policies. Current projects explore manufactured soils, rock weathering for carbon capture, and alpine grassland resilience under climate change.