Professor, Director
Department of Ecology and Natural Resources
Center for Development Research (ZEF)
University of Bonn
Dr. Vlek, a soil scientist, is Professor and Director of the Department of Ecology and Natural Resources of the Center for Development Research at the University of Bonn, a federally funded multidisciplinary research and teaching institute concerning sustainable development issues. Prior to accepting this post, he was a Professor and Director at the Institute of Agronomy in the Tropics at Georg-August University in Goettingen. Dr. Vlek is Editor-in-Chief of “Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems,” and Editor of “Applied Botany,” and “Basic and Applied Ecology.” Dr. Vlek will provide a general overview of the world’s soil resources, agricultural use of land, and the evidence of ongoing degradation and desertification of the soil in many food-producing regions.