Prof. Dr. Steffen Seitz

Peer-reviewed publications

2026

Gall C, Beschorner A, Ehmann J, Gries P, Nebel M, Scholten T, Seitz S. Linking moss structural and functional traits to soil water fluxes and soil erosion. AoB Plants 18(2)

Klein AM, Bruelheide H, Chesters D, Diekötter T, Erfmeier A, Feldhaar H, Fornoff F, Grozinger C,  Kranke N, Liang Y, Liu X, Luo A, Oelmann Y, Orr M, Petermann J, Qiao H, Rehling F, Sann M, Scholten T, Schuldt A, Seitz S, Staab M, Thorn S, Wang MQ, Xiao ZS,  Zhang N, Zhu CD. MultiTroph—Multi-Trophic Interactions in a Forest Biodiversity Experiment in China. Research Ideas and Outcomes (RIO) 12: e181743

2025

Senn JA, Schäfer J, Hosseini Z, Seitz S. (2025): Predicting rainfall kinetic energy under forest canopies - a pilot study using ULS. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms 50: e70150

Gall C, Oldenburg S, Nebel M, Scholten T, Seitz S. (2025): Effects of moss restoration on surface runoff and initial soil erosion in a temperate vineyard. SOIL 11: 199-212

2024

Gall C, Nebel M, Scholten T, Seitz S. (2024): The effect of mosses on the relocation of SOC and total N due to soil erosion and percolation in a disturbed temperate forest. Frontiers in Forests and Global Change 7: 1379513

Zhang W, Scholten T, Seitz S, Zhang Q, Chu G, Wang L, Xiong X. Liu J. (2024): Rainfall redistribution in subtropical Chinese forests changes over 22 years. Hydrology and Earth System Sciences 28(16): 3837–3854

Witzgall K, Steiner FA, Hesse BD, Riveras-Muñoz N, Rodríguez V, Teixeira PPC, Li M, Oses R, Seguel O, Seitz S, Wagner D, Scholten T, Buegger F, Angst G, Mueller CW. (2024): Living and decaying roots as regulators of soil aggregation and organic matter formation - From the rhizosphere to the detritusphere. Soil Biology and Biochemistry: 109503

Gall C, Nebel M, Scholten T, Thielen SM, Seitz S. (2024): Water’s path from moss to soil Vol. 2: How soil-moss combinations affect soil water fluxes and soil loss in a temperate forest. Biologia 80: 1101-1113

2023

Katayama A, Nanko K, Jeong S, Kume T, Shinohara Y, Seitz S. (2023): Short communication: Concentrated impacts by tree canopy drips: hotspots of soil erosion in forests. Earth Surface Dynamics 11(6): 1275-1282

Lang V, Schneider V, Puhlmann H, Schengel A, Seitz S, Schack-Kirchner H, Schäffer J, Maier M. (2023): Spotting ethylene in forest soils - What influences the occurrence of the phytohormone? Biology and Fertility of Soils 59: 953-972

Webber CL, Bremer UF, Taghizadeh R, Weber B, Rosa A, Scholten T, Seitz S. (2023): Biological soil crusts as a major ecosystem component in sandization areas of the Brazilian Pampa. Geoderma Regional 34: e00682

Schwarzkopf K, Seitz S, Fritz M, Scholten T, Kühn P. (2023): Ice wedge polygon stability on steep slopes in West Greenland related to temperature and moisture dynamics of the active layer. Permafrost and Periglacial Processes 34(2): 194-207

Broeg T, Blaschek M, Seitz S, Taghizadeh R, Zepp S, Scholten T. (2023): Transferability of Covariates to Predict Soil Organic Carbon in Cropland Soils. Remote Sensing 15(4): 876

2022

Beugnon R, Bu W, Bruelheide H, Davrinche A, Du J, Haider S, Kunz M, Oheimb G. von, Perles‐Garcia MD, Saadani M, Scholten T, Seitz S, Singavarapu B, Trogisch S, Wang Y, Wubet T, Xue K, Yang B, Cesarz S, Eisenhauer N. (2022): Abiotic and biotic drivers of tree trait effects on soil microbial biomass and soil carbon concentration. Ecological Monographs 93(2)

Gall C, Ohan J, Glaser K, Karsten U, Schloter M, Scholten T, Schulz S, Seitz S, Kurth JK. (2022): Biocrusts: Overlooked hotspots of managed soils in mesic environments. Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science 185(6): 745–751

Porada P, Bader MY, Berdugo MB, Colesie C, Ellis CJ, Giordani P, Herzschuh U, Ma Y, Launiainen S, Nascimbene J, Petersen I, Raggio Quílez J, Rodríguez‐Caballero E, Rousk K, Sancho LG, Scheidegger C, Seitz S, van Stan JT, Veste M, Weber B, Weston DJ. (2022): A research agenda for non‐vascular photoautotrophs under climate change. New Phytologist 237(5): 1495–1504

Riveras-Muñoz N, Seitz S, Witzgall K, Rodríguez V, Kühn P, Mueller CW, Oses R, Seguel O, Wagner D, Scholten T. (2022): Biocrust-linked changes in soil aggregate stability along a climatic gradient in the Chilean Coastal Range. SOIL 8(2): 717–731

Desie E, Zuo J, Verheyen K, Djukic I, van Meerbeek K, Auge H, […], Scherer-Lorenzen M, Seitz S, Schmidt A, Stefanski A, Trogisch S, Van-Halder I, Weih M, Williams LJ, Yang B, Muys B. (2022): Disentangling drivers of litter decomposition in a multi-continent network of tree diversity experiments. Science of the total environment: 159717

Riveras-Muñoz N, Silva C, Salazar O, Scholten T, Seitz S, Seguel O. (2022): Variability of Hydraulic Properties and Hydrophobicity in a Coarse-Textured Inceptisol Cultivated with Maize in Central Chile. Soil Systems 6(4)

Gall C, Nebel M, Quandt D, Scholten T, Seitz S. (2022): Pioneer biocrust communities prevent soil erosion in temperate forests after disturbances. Biogeosciences 19(13): 3225–3245

Schönleber L, Lucía A, Seitz S, Eberle J. (2022): Sedimentologische Untersuchungen extremer Abflussereignisse am Beispiel des Grimmbachs in Südwestdeutschland. Jahresberichte und Mitteilungen des Oberrheinischen Geologischen Vereins 104: 291–312.

Seitz S. (2022): Wald und Boden. In: K. Berr & C. Jenal (Hrsg.) Wald in der Vielfalt möglicher Perspektiven RaumFragen: Stadt – Region – Landschaft: 181–199. Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden

2021

Wittwer RA, Bender SF, Hartman K, Hydbom S, Lima RAA, Loaiza V, Nemecek T, Oehl F, Olsson PA, Petchey O, Prechsl UE, Schlaeppi K, Scholten T, Seitz S, Six J, van der Heijden MGA. (2021): Organic and conservation agriculture promote ecosystem multifunctionality. Science advances 7(34)

Thielen SM, Gall C, Ebner M, Nebel M, Scholten T, Seitz S. (2021): Water’s path from moss to soil: A multi-methodological study on water absorption and evaporation of soil-moss combinations. Journal of Hydrology and Hydromechanics 69(4): 421-435

KwonT, Shibata H, Kepfer-Rojas S, Schmidt I, Larsen K, Beier C, Berg B, Verheyen K, Lamarque J-F, Hagedorn F, Eisenhauer N, Djukic I and the TeaComposition Network with Seitz S. (2021): Effects of Climate and Atmospheric Nitrogen Deposition on Early to Mid-Term Stage Litter Decomposition Across Biomes. Frontiers in Forests and Global Change 4: 678480

Li X-C, Qian X, Gao C, Seitz S, Scholten T, Wang Y-L, Yao H, Gan H-Y, Guo L-D. (2021): Plant identity strongly structures the root-associated fungal community in a diverse subtropical forest. Basic and Applied Ecology 55: 98-109

2020

de Almeida WS, Seitz S, Coutinho de Oliveira LF, Carvalho de Fonceca D. (2020): Duration and intensity of rainfall events with the same erosivity change sediment yield and runoff rates. International Soil and Water Conservation Research 9(1): 69-75​​​​​​​

Seitz S, Teuber S, Geißler C, Goebes P, Scholten T. (2020): How Do Newly-Amended Biochar Particles Affect Erodibility and Soil Water Movement? A Small-Scale Experimental Approach. Soil Systems 4(60)

Seitz S, Prasuhn V, Scholten T. (2020): Controlling Soil Erosion Using No-Till Farming Systems. In: Dang Y, Dalal R, Menzies N. (Hrsg.). No-till Farming Systems for Sustainable Agriculture. Springer

Seguel O, Díaz D, Acevedo E, Silva P, Homer I, Seitz S. (2020): Hydraulic Conductivity in a Soil Cultivated with Wheat-Rapeseed Rotation under two Tillage Systems. Journal of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition 20: 2304-2315

Senn JA, Fassnacht FE, Eichel J, Seitz S, Schmidtlein S. (2020): A new concept for estimating the influence of vegetation on throughfall kinetic energy using aerial laser scanning.  Earth Surface Processes and Landforms 45(7): 1487-1498

Zhu X, Liu W, Chen J, Bruijnzeel LA, Mao Z, Yang X, Cardinael R, Meng FR, Sidle RC, Seitz S, Nair VD, Nanko K, Zou X, Chen C, Jiang XJ. (2020): Reductions in water, soil and nutrient losses and pesticide pollution in agroforestry practices: a review of evidence and processes. Plant and Soil 453: 45-86

2019

Skarbek CJ, Noack M, Bruelheide H, Härdtle W, Oheimb G von, Scholten T, Seitz S, Staab M. (2019): A tale of scale: plot but not neighbourhood tree diversity increases leaf litter ant diversity. Journal of Animal Ecology 9(2): 229-308

Scholten T & Seitz S. (2019): Soil Erosion and Land Degradation. Soil Systems 3: 68

Rentschler T, Gries P, Behrens T, Bruelheide H, Kühn P, Seitz S, Shi X, Trogisch S, Scholten T, Schmidt K. (2019): Comparison of catchment scale 3D and 2.5D modelling of soil organic carbon stocks in Jiangxi Province, PR China. PLoS ONE 14(8): e0220881

Goebes P, Schmidt K, Seitz S, Both S, Bruelheide H, Erfmeier A, Scholten T, Kühn P. (2019): The strength of soil-plant interactions under forest is related to a Critical Soil Depth. Scientific Reports 9: 8635

Song Z, Seitz S, Li J, Goebes P, Schmidt K, Kühn P, Shi X, Scholten T. (2019): Tree diversity reduced soil erosion by affecting tree canopy and biological soil crust development in a subtropical forest experiment. Forest Ecology and Management 444, 69-77

Seitz S, Goebes P, Loaiza Puerta V, Pujol Pereira EI, Wittwer R, Six J, Heijden MGA van der, Scholten T. (2019): Conservation tillage and organic farming reduce soil erosion. Agronomy for Sustainable Development 39

2018

Song Z, Seitz S, Zhu P, Goebes P, Shi X, Xu S, Wang M, Schmidt K, Scholten T. (2018): Spatial distribution of LAI and its relationship with throughfall kinetic energy of common tree species in a Chinese subtropical forest plantation. Forest Ecology and Management 425: 189-195

Djukic I, Kepfer-Rojas S, Kappel Schmidt I, Steenberg Larsen K, Beier C, Berg B, Verheyen K, TeaComposition Team with Seitz S, et al. (2018): Early stage litter decomposition across biomes. Science of the Total Environment 628-629: 1369-1394

2017

Seitz S, Nebel M, Goebes P, Käppeler K, Schmidt K, Shi X, Song Z, Webber CL, Weber B, Scholten T. (2017): Bryophyte-dominated biological soil crusts mitigate soil erosion in an early successional Chinese subtropical forest. Biogeosciences 14: 5775-5788

Trogisch S, Schuldt A, Bauhus J, Blum JA, Both S, Buscot F, […], Scholten T, Seitz S, Zhu C-D, Schmid B, Ma K, Bruelheide H. (2017): Toward a methodical framework for comprehensively assessing forest multifunctionality. Ecology and Evolution 7(24): 10652-10674

Scholten T, Goebes P, Kühn P, Seitz S, Assmann T, Bauhus J, Bruelheide H, Buscot F, Erfmeier A, Fischer M, Härtle W, He JS, Ma K, Niklaus PA, Scherer-Lorenzen M, Schmid B, Shi X, Song Z, von Oheimb G, Wirth C, Wubet T, Schmidt K. (2017): On the combined effect of soil fertility and topography on tree growth in subtropical forest ecosystems - a study from SE China. Journal of Plant Ecology 10(1): 111-127

2016

Seitz S, Goebes P, Song Z, Bruelheide H, Härdtle W, Kühn P, Li Y, Scholten T. (2016): Tree species and tree characteristics but not species richness affect interrill erosion processes in young subtropical forests.    SOIL 2: 49-61

Goebes P, Schmidt K, Härdtle W, Seitz S, Stumpf F, von Oheimb G, Scholten T. (2016): Rule-based analysis of throughfall kinetic energy to evaluate biotic and abiotic factor thresholds to mitigate erosive power. Progress in Physical Geography 40(3): 431-449

2015

Goebes P, Seitz S, Kühn P, Li Y, Niklaus PA, von Oheimb G, Scholten T. (2015): Throughfall kinetic energy in young subtropical forests: Investigation on tree species richness effects and spatial variability. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology 213: 148-159

Goebes P, Bruelheide H, Härdtle W, Kröber W, Kühn P, Li Y, Seitz S, von Oheimb G, Scholten T. (2015): Species-specific effects on throughfall kinetic energy in subtropical forest plantations are related to leaf traits and tree architecture. PLOS ONE 10(6): e0128084

Seitz S, Goebes P, Zumstein P, Assmann T, Kühn P, Niklaus PA, Schuldt A, Scholten T. (2015): The influence of leaf litter diversity and soil fauna on initial soil erosion in subtropical forests. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms 40(11): 1439-1447

2014

Goebes P, Seitz S, Geißler C, Lassu T, Peters P, Seeger M, Nadrowski K, Scholten T. (2014): Momentum or kinetic energy - How do substrate properties influence the calculation of rainfall erosivity? Journal of Hydrology 517: 310-316

Current Projects

• DFG research group FOR5281:   "Multi-trophic interactions in a forest biodiversity experiment in China" (MultiTroph)

Completed Projects

• FNR Waldklimafonds:   “Increasing water retention, soil stability and CO₂ sequestration in forest soils by mosses” (Waldklimafonds)
• Agroscope Farming System and Tillage experiment:   "Soil erosion under different land use treatments" (FAST)
• DFG grant:   “Mechanisms of soil erosion under forest – the role of biological soil crusts” (MesiCrust)
• DFG priority research program 1803:   "Earth surface shaping by biota" (EarthShape)
• DFG research group FOR891:   "Soil erosion as a function of species richness and composition in Chinese forests" (BEF China)
• DFG cooperation group:   "Integrated water resource management - from modelling to adaption"