Yakov Kuzyakov

Together with his group, Yakov focuses on soil biogeochemistry with long-term and deep expertise for processes of C and N cycles, priming effects and nutrient mobilization. His special interests are in soil – plant – microbial interactions in soil hotspots – locations with very high activity and abundance of microorganisms like rhizosphere, detritusphere, biopores. Yakov groundbreaking works are in the fields of rhizodeposition, fate of low molecular weight organic substances in soil, priming effects, visualization of enzyme activities, and localization of root exudation. These processes are studied depending on land use and soil degradation, as well as such global change components as temperature, drought, elevated CO2 in the atmosphere. Yakov group made a number of innovative studies to pedogenic carbonates, biochar stability, competition of roots and microorganisms for nutrients, effects of plant photosynthesis on CO2 efflux from soil. The applied studies are focused on C sequestration, soil fertility improvements, and reforestation effects. To investigate these processes Yakov group use a broad range of stable (13C, 15N) and radioactive (14C, 33P, 137Cs) isotopes applications and combine them with biomarkers (PLFA, amino sugars, neutral sugars) as well as microbial activity parameters (enzyme and respiratory activities, microbial growth rates).

Education and Academic Positions

• 2002 Habilitation, University of Hohenheim
• 1990 PhD, Dr.rer.nat. Moscow Agricultural Academy, Russia
• 1986 Dipl.Agr.Ing., Martin-Luther-University, Halle/Soil, Germany

Research Interests

Teaching Interests

• 1993 – 2015 > 30 international field tours: Soil Geography, Agroecology & Land Use in Russia, Portugal, Italy; > 1200 Students
• 2002 – 2015 12 international PhD courses: Isotopes in Ecosystem Sciences; in Germany, China, Chile, Poland; > 700 PhD + MSc students

Scientific Activities

• Journal Editorial Boards
  • European Journal of Soil Biology (Field Editor)
  • Soil Biology & Biochemistry (Subject Editor)
  • Biogeosciences (Associate Editor)
  • Rhizosphere (Associate Editor)
  • Land Degradation and Development
  • Scientific Reports
  • Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science
  • International Agrophysics
  • Global Change Biology (2010-2014)
  • Plant and Soil (2001-2016)

Occasional reviewer > 30 Journals

Publications

• www.researchgate.net/profile/Yakov_Kuzyakov
• http://wwwuser.gwdg.de/~kuzyakov/papers.htm

Awards

• 2016 EGU Outstanding Editor Award
• 2015 John Waid Award for the best Review paper in Soil Biology & Biochemistry
• 2015 High-end Foreign Experts Recruitment Program, ISA Changsha CAS, China
• 2015 Chair Professor, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan Hubei, China
• 2013 Visiting Professor, ISA Changsha, Chinese Academy of Sciences
• 2011 Sir Allan Sewell Visiting Fellowship, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia
• 2010 Visiting Professor, IGSNRR Beijing, Chinese Academy of Sciences
• 2002 – 2005 Heisenberg Fellowship, DFG
• 1999 – 2002 Habilitation Fellowship, DFG