Doktorand

Project: Reducing environmental impacts of SRC through evidence-based integrated decision support tools (RATING-SRC )

Work package 4: Assessment of SRC impact on water issues
A rapid increase of agricultural land cultivated with Short Rotation Coppices (SRC) is projected in several European countries. SRC mostly with poplars or willows shall serve the demand of biomass for heat and/or electricity. The project ‘RATING-SRC’ is aimed at evaluate the impact of SRC –positive and negative– on soil, water, biodiversity and landscape issues and also to propose ways to mitigate negative and increase positive impacts.
The subproject will deliver management recommendations to optimize groundwater recharge and groundwater quality generated from SRC differing in shoot and stool age, species, soil preparation and harvesting intervals. The research plots are located in a lowland drinking water catchment (“Fuhrberger Feld”) near Hanover, Germany. Data generated from intensive monitoring of micrometeorological variables, water fluxes, soil water conditions and vegetation characteristics will be used for parameterization, calibration and validation of simulations modeling the water and energy fluxes through the soil-vegetation-atmosphere-continuum.


Peer-reviewed publications
Schmidt-Walter, P, Lamersdorf, N.: Biomass production with willow and poplar short rotation coppices on sensitive areas – the impact on nitrate leaching and groundwater recharge in a drinking water catchment near Hanover, Germany. Bioenergy Research (2012) 5: 621-635
Langeveld, H; Quiste-Wessel, F; Dimitriou, I; Aransson, P; Baum, C; Schulz, U; Bolte, A; Baum, S; Köhn ,J; Weih, M; Gruss, H; Leinweber, P; Lamersdorf, N; Schmidt-Walter, P. Berndes, G: Assessing Environmental Impacts of Short Rotation Coppice (SRC) Expansion: Model Definition and Preliminary Results. Bioenergy Research (2012) 5: 621-635
Dimitriou, I; Busch, G; Jacobs, S; Schmidt-Walter, P; Lamersdorf, N: A review of the impacts of short rotation coppice cultivation on water issues. vTI Agriculture and Forestry Research (2009) 3: 197–206.
Other publications
Hansen, J; Ludwig, A; Spellmann, H; Nagel, J; Möhring, B; v. Lüpke, N; Schmidt-Walter, P: Rohholzpotentiale und ihre Verfügbarkeit in Hessen. Forschungsberichte d. Nordwestdeutschen Forstlichen Versuchsanstalt (Hrsg.), Göttingen (2008)
Rüther, B; Hansen, J; Ludwig, A; Spellmann, H; Nagel, J; Möhring, B; v. Lüpke, N; Schmidt-Walter, P.; Dieter, M: Clusterstudie Forst und Holz Schleswig-Holstein. Forschungsberichte d. Nordwestdeutschen Forstlichen Versuchsanstalt (Hrsg.), Göttingen (2008)
Rüther, B; Hansen, J; Spellmann, H; Nagel, J; Möhring, B; Schmidt-Walter, P. ; Dieter, M: Clusterstudie Forst und Holz Sachsen-Anhalt. Forschungsberichte d. Nordwestdeutschen Forstlichen Versuchsanstalt (Hrsg.), Göttingen (2007)


CV

University studies
2002-2008: Forest Science and Forest Ecology at the University of Göttingen, major subject ecosystem analysis and information processing
Master thesis: “Sensitivity of drought risk in forest ecosystems towards selected canopy and site parameters: Implementation of probabilistic methods in the Brook90 hydrological model”
PhD candidate
since May 2009 at the University of Göttingen
Topic: “Water balance and nutrient export in short rotation coppices”