Martin Gerzabek
Univ.Prof. DI Dr.Dr.h.c.mult. Martin Gerzabek
Institute of Soil Research
Location Peter-Jordan-Straße 82, 1190 Wien
Email martin.gerzabek@boku.ac.at
Tel: +43 1 47654-91112
ORCID: 0000-0002-3307-8416, opens in new window.
AuthorId : 7005806560, opens in new window.
ResearcherId : AAA-8806-2019
Research Focus
Since the beginning of my scientific work, the focus has been on soil chemistry and initially primarily on humus chemistry and the use of isotopes in the soil/plant system. After the Chernobyl reactor accident, radioecology, particularly the behavior of radionuclides in the soil and their transfer to plants, was a focus.
Since the 1990s, the focus has increasingly shifted to the behavior of soil organic matter, its stabilization, mineralization and transformation. I particularly rely on the use of long-term field experiments in Sweden and Austria. Carbon, nitrogen and sulfur balances, including the balances of the stable isotopes and the conversion rates derived from them, the investigations into microbiology, as well as the development of a grain size fractionation method, as well as FT-IR for the characterization of soil organic matter are essential topics. I set up several lysimeters to investigate the behavior of pollutants in the soil-water-plant system. Contaminated site remediation techniques such as heavy metal immobilization in the soil were also in focus.
In 1997, together with the University of Vienna, we began setting up a working group that uses theoretical chemical methods in soil chemistry to research fundamental mechanisms of the interaction of pollutants with soil interfaces. The focus is on models of soil minerals (Fe oxides, clay minerals) and organic matter for interaction studies with herbicides and other pollutants.
I have been working on chronosequences and elevation sequences of soils since the 2000s. The focus is on researching soil development over time, changes in soil functions and the influence of climate and management. Since 2016, the soils of the Galápagos Islands have been a particular focus. The use of micromorphology to study soil microstructures is also a recent research topic.
Career
- 2018 - 2025 Deputy Director of the Institute of Soil Research (BOKU University)
- 2010 - 2018 Rector (BOKU University)
- 2009 - 2010 Acting Rector (BOKU University)
- 2003 - 2010 Vice-Rector for Research (BOKU University)
- 2002 - 2010 Deputy Director, Institute for Soil Research (BOKU University)
- 2001 - 2026 Professor for Environmental Toxicology and Isotopic Methods, Institute of Soil Research (BOKU University)
- 1997 - 2003 Head of the Department of Environmental Research, Austrian Institute of Technology
- 1993 - 1996 Head of the Agricultural Research Unit, Austrian Institute of Technology
- 1993 Adoption as "Universitätsdozent" (Associate Professor) for soil science (BOKU University)
- 1990 - 1993 University lecturer at the University of Natural Ressources and Life Sciences, Vienna
- 1990 Adoption as Graduated Consulting Engineer for Agriculture
- 1985 - 1987 Doctoral study at the University of Natural Ressources and Life Sciences, Vienna
- 1984 - 1993 Scientist at the Institute of Agriculture of the Austrian Institute of Technology
- 1980 - 1985 Diploma study of agriculture/plant production at the University of Natural Ressources and Life Sciences, Vienna
Awards
- Year: 2025 Awards: Großes Silbernes Ehrenzeichen für Verdienste um die Stadt Wien
- Year: 2024 Awards: Ehrenmitgliedschaft der Rumänischen Akademie
- Year: 2023 Awards: ICA (European Association of Life Science Universities) Award of Excellence 2023
- Year: 2021 Awards: Goldener Ehrenring der Universität für Bodenkultur Wien / Golden ring of honor of the University of Natural Resources and Lifes Sciences Vienna
- Year: 2021 Awards: Manfred Schwanninger Preis der BOKU für Lehrmaterialien / Manfred Schwanninger BOKU Award for Teaching Materials
- Year: 2019 Awards: Altrektorenkette der Universität für Bodenkultur Wien / Decoration rector emeritus - University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna
- Year: 2019 Awards: Certificate of Appreciation for outstanding and especially successful mutual cooperation. University of Zagreb, Faculty of Agriculture
- Year: 2019 Awards: Honory member of the Romanian Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences
- Year: 2018 Awards: Goldenes Komturkreuz des Ehrenzeichens für Verdienste um das Land Niederösterreich / Grand Decoration of Honour in Gold for Services to the Federal State of Lower Austria
- Year: 2018 Awards: Ehrenpräsidentschaft, BIOS Science Austria / honory president BIOS Science Austria
- Year: 2017 Awards: Goldener Ehrenring der Stadt Tulln/Golden ring of honor of the city of Tulln
- Year: 2016 Awards: Honory Member of the International Union of Soil Sciences
- Year: 2015 Awards: Großes Goldenes Ehrenzeichen für Verdienste um die Republik Österreich / Grand Decoration of Honour in Gold for Services to the Republic of Austria
- Year: 2014 Awards: Ehrenmitgliedschaft des Österreichischen Vereines für Altlastenmanagement/ honory membership of the Austrian Association for Brownfield Remediation
- Year: 2012 Awards: Ehrendoktorat/Doctor honoris causa, “Ion Ionescu de la Brad” University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Iasi
- Year: 2011 Awards: Ehrendoktorat/Doctor honoris causa, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague
- Year: 2011 Awards: Ehrendoktorat/Doctor honoris causa, Georgian State Agrarian University
- Year: 2011 Awards: Ehrendoktorat/Doctor honoris causa, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Cluj-Napoca
- Year: 2011 Awards: Emil-Ramann Medaille der Deutschen Bodenkundlichen Gesellschaft in Anerkennung herausragender Forschungsleistungen auf dem Gebiete der Bodenkunde/Emil-Ramann medal of the German Soil Science Society for outstanding contributions in soil research
- Year: 2009 Awards: Ehrenmitglied / honory member, European Society of New Methods in Agricultural Research (ESNA)
- Year: 2006 Awards: Ehrenmitgliedschaft der Österreichischen Bodenkundlichen Gesellschaft für herausragende Verdienste um die Bodenkunde in Österreich/ Honorary Membership of the Austrian Soil Science Society for outstanding merits for soil science in Austria
- Year: 2006 Awards: Preis für innovatives Hochschulmanagement der Donau-Universität Krems 2006 / Award for innovative university management of the Danube University Krems
- Year: 2004 Awards: „Pro Merito“ Ehrenzeichen für besondere Verdienste um den Strahlenschutz in Gold / Decoration of Honour for Outstanding Contributions to Radiation Protection in Gold, Austria
- Year: 2002 Awards: ARC-AWARD im Bereich Wirtschaft für das Projekt INTERLAND / ARC-Award for the project INTERLAND
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