April 2026
GreenJLU: Study shows that urban green spaces play a key role in carbon sequestration—and how soil storage capacity can be increased
Mapping of soil health across the various campus areas of the Justus Liebig University Giessen (JLU). Graphic: Mojdeh Safaei
Urban green space offers far more than just a boost to quality of life: it stores large amounts of organic carbon in the soil, thereby contributing to climate protection. Under the leadership of Prof. Dr. Till Kleinebecker, Professor of Landscape Ecology and Landscape Planning, the GreenJLU project undertook the first systematic study of the university’s green spaces. The findings show that both the vegetation structure and the historical usage of these spaces are decisive for how much carbon the soils can store. Areas that are intensively maintained hold less carbon than zones with trees and those that were once more naturally vegetated. The study has been published in the journal Urban Forestry & Urban Greening.
Mojdeh Safaei, André Große-Stoltenberg, Till Kleinebecker: Effects of urban green space types and historical Land Use / Land Cover on soil health: Implications for sustainable management, Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, Volume 114, 2025, 129143
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ufug.2025.129143
More information about the project GreenJLU
Contact:
Prof. Dr. Till Kleinebecker, Landscape Ecology and Landscape Planning