Simon Lotz

E-Mail: lotz@ithaka-institut.org

PhD project: Carbon Farming - Assessing potential of integrating pyrogenic carbon capture and storage into agroforestry systems

The objective of my PhD is the evaluation of carbon farming techniques and systems, combining biochar and agroforestry. Keeping in mind, that smallholder biochar production is predominantly carried out via low-tech methods like the flame curtain pyrolysis technique (Kon-Tiki) we aim to adequately quantify operation emissions (especially CH4) and aspects influencing these emissions to define best management practices. Further, the PhD looks into local coffee agroforestry systems in Nepal and potential trade-offs between yields and above-ground biomass stocks in order to identify most promising practices regarding carbon sequestration.
Education:
2016-2019: B.Sc. in Environmental sciences at Albert-Ludwigs University Freiburg
2020-2022: M.Sc. in Sustainable International Agriculture at Georg-August University Göttingen with an emphasis on Tropical Agriculture and Agroecosystems Sciences