Possible topics for B.Sc. and M.Sc. theses in the Bioclimatology Group
In order to make the assignment and supervision of B.Sc. and M.Sc. theses in our Bioclimatology Group more transparent and fairer, the following application procedure should be applied.
Theses Day
Once every semester, we invite all Bachelor and Master students that are interested in writing a thesis in the Bioclimatology Group to our Theses Day. On this day, we supervisors introduce ourselves, present ideas for thesis topics, possible research questions, and the necessary methodology. Please find below the dates for the upcoming Theses Days and sign up for it under stud.IP (Course: Bioclimatology Theses Day).
How It Works
If you are interested in a specific thesis topic, you can apply for it by writing an email to the respective supervisor (within one month after Theses Day, see deadline below). This email may already include your motivation, possible research questions and hypotheses, your skills, and a rough time schedule.
The supervisor will organize a meeting with all interested students to discuss the details and (if needed) select a candidate. Feedback by the supervisor will be provided shortly thereafter.
More information about the application, possible topics, and the general supervision will be given on the Theses Day.
| Writing thesis during... | Thesis Day | Application Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| ... summer semester 2026 | Jan 20, 2026, 10:15-11:30 FSR 2.7, Büsgenweg 2 |
Feb 20, 2026 |
| ... winter semester 2026/27 | TBA FSR 2.7, Büsgenweg 2 |
TBA |
Possible Topics
Some topics listed below can be worked on as B.Sc. or M.Sc. thesis and thematically adapted accordingly. The thesis can be written in German or English in our group. Own suggestions for topics are also always welcome. Please, also note that each supervisor will only supervise 1-3 theses per semester.
This topic focuses on testing and characterizing a high-frequency laser-based instrument for stable H2O isotopologue measurements. The work involves conducting measurements with an LGR triple-isotope analyser, assessing its performance under laboratory and field conditions, and developing a robust calibration routine. Different calibration strategies will be implemented, tested, and compared to identify the most suitable approach for eddy covariance applications.
Sugar beet is one of the most important crops in Germany and is characterised by high carbon storage. The question arises as to how long CO2 uptake remains active. Therefore, as part of this work at the Reinshof agricultural research station, (i) transpiration and CO2 exchange will be measured using manual measurements with a photosynthesis meter (LI-6800), (ii) the transpiration and photosynthesis rates measured on a leaf scale will be scaled to the ecosystem and compared with direct eddy covariance measurements of evapotranspiration and CO2 flux, and (iii) thermal camera images taken by drones will be cross-referenced. The measurements will be carried out under different environmental conditions and vegetation phases. The results of this work will provide a comprehensive picture of sugar beet development and give us an indication of the reliability of the CO2 and energy fluxes measured at the Reinshof site.
As part of the national carbon inventory, the drought year of 2018 saw a rapid reversal of the forest's sink capacity to a net source in the land use, land use change and forestry (LULUCF) sector. Direct ecosystem measurements at many measuring stations do not show this rapid change. The Torfhaus atmospheric measuring station in the Harz Mountains records the CO2 concentration in the atmosphere for a large footprint area. The question addressed in this study is whether the large-scale dieback of spruce trees in the Harz National Park can be observed in the CO2 balance at the Torfhaus site. A CO2 flux is to be derived from measurements of CO2 concentration and meteorological parameters at different heights using the flux gradient method. Furthermore, the size of the footprint area is to be investigated and the influencing air masses characterised using simple model simulations. The results of this work can make a decisive contribution to a topic that is currently the subject of intense debate.
In the context of this work, transpiration should be measured at the agricultural experimental farm Reinshof (i) by means of hand measurements with a photosynthesis device (LI-6800) and (ii) the water fluxes measured on leaf scale should be scaled to the ecosystem and compared with direct eddy covariance measurements. The measurements should be carried out under different environmental conditions over the course of a growing season. The results should give an indication of the reliability of energy fluxes measured at the Reinshof site.
This study investigates the ecohydrological dynamics of rainfall partitioning within a tropical oil palm plantation in Jambi, Indonesia, specifically focusing on how the canopy redistributes gross rainfall into throughfall, stemflow, and interception loss. To quantify these fluxes, the project utilized a high-frequency monitoring system comprised of throughfall collectors and stemflow collars connected to tipping-bucket sensors and datalogger. By processing 10-minute interval data, the study aims to calculate the precise water balance equation, and analyze how variables such as rainfall intensity, event duration, and seasonal canopy changes influence these pathways. The resulting analysis will characterize the volume and timing (lag times) of water reaching the forest floor, providing critical insights into the plantation's canopy structure, water availability, and evaporation rates.
This study quantifies the long-term structural dynamics and light-capture efficiency of an oil palm ecosystem from 2021 to 2025. The primary goal is to utilize the ratio of transmitted (PARt) to incident (PARi) Photosynthetically Active Radiation to calculate the Leaf Area Index (LAI) and Fractional PAR Interception (fIPAR), allowing for a detailed analysis of temporal variability. To track this, the project uses a continuous monitoring system with one sensor mounted high on a tower and six spread out under the trees. This setup is designed to account for the uneven and changing light patterns found throughout the canopy. Through the inversion of the Beer-Lambert Law, the study converts this raw PAR data into precise daily estimates of LAI and fIPAR, effectively assessing the plantation's overall productivity potential.
At our study site in the National Park Hainich, we measure photosynthetic active radiation (PAR) below the canopy in 10 minutes time steps since 2020. Based on these data, the leaf area index (LAI) can be derived with differing methods. In this study, these differing methods should be applied and compared. The estimated LAI can be validated against other LAI measurements. For this study, programming skills are required.
At our study sites in the Forstbotanischer Garten, Göttingen, and Jambi, Indonesia, measurements of meteorological parameters (such as humidity, temperature, pressure, precipitation, wind speed and direction, as well as radiation), have been carried out for some time using two different compact measuring devices, which are new on the market. The aim is to evaluate these two measuring devices with regard to their comparability to each other and to additional sensors. For this comparison, various temporal scales should be considered.
Various approaches to check and assess the quality of meteorological measurements of our study sites should be compared. This study will include a literature research for the various approaches, the application of these approaches with the R or python programming languages to the existing measurements, and a thorough comparison of the filtered data. For the various meteorological variables a different combination of approaches can be of advantage.