Institute of Ecology

Organisational unit: Institute

Organisation profile

The Institute of Ecology is the biological and natural science department of Leuphana University of Lüneburg. Research focuses on the effects of global changes such as climate change and land use change on organisms and communities biodiversity loss as well as on biological and chemical processes. In cooperation with the human sciences, socio-economic factors of ecosystem research are considered.

Main research areas

Research foci at the Institute of Ecology are the effects of global change such as climate change and land use change on organisms and their communities and on biological functional and chemical processes. The focus is on the causes and effects of declining animal and plant populations as well as current biodiversity loss and the associated changes in abiotic and biotic ecosystem functions. In collaboration with human science research groups at Leuphana University, socio-economic factors of ecosystem research are also jointly considered.

Experimental research takes place both in laboratories, in greenhouses and in open spaces at Leuphana University. Further, many investigations take place in cultivated landscapes and in urban areas. The field studies are carried out in various countries of the temperate and Mediterranean latitudes and the tropics and sub-tropics, but also regionally, e.g. in Lüneburg and the Lüneburg Heath. Research cooperations exist with many different national and international universities and non-university institutions such as local nature conservation organizations and schools. Particularly noteworthy are the cooperations with the Alfred Töpfer Academy for Nature Conservation and the biosphere reserve administration Niedersächsische Elbtalaue.

The courses range from basic and advanced courses in various sub-fields of ecology and biology, including the performance of experiments in laboratory practicals and in the field, to interdisciplinary courses in the Bachelor's and Master's programs.

In interdisciplinary courses, contents from the fields of landscape ecology, botany, soil ecology, zoology, genetics and nature conservation are linked together, as well as courses that combine different disciplines of the natural sciences with those of the human sciences.

  1. 2011
  2. Power poles and tall trees adjacent to sunflower fields increase pest damage caused by the invasive Rose-ringed Parakeet in Israel

    Schäckermann, J. (Speaker), Mandelik, Y. (Speaker) & Klein, A.-M. (Speaker)

    07.12.2011

    Activity: Talk or presentationConference PresentationsResearch

  3. 25th International Congress for Conservation Biology - ICCB 2011

    Klein, A.-M. (Speaker)

    12.2011

    Activity: Participating in or organising an academic or articstic eventConferencesResearch

  4. 1st European Brachypodium Workshop 2011

    Delory, B. (Coauthor)

    19.10.201121.10.2011

    Activity: Participating in or organising an academic or articstic eventConferencesResearch

  5. HBSC Earthwatch Workshop - 2011

    Staab, M. (Speaker)

    21.09.2011

    Activity: Participating in or organising an academic or articstic eventConferencesTransfer

  6. Responses of herbivory and pollinators to grassland management and plant diversity

    Klein, A.-M. (Speaker) & Hudewenz, A. (Speaker)

    09.09.2011

    Activity: Talk or presentationConference PresentationsResearch

  7. Seed dispersal and predation: Interactions, ecosystem functions and services

    Pufal, G. (Speaker)

    08.09.2011

    Activity: Talk or presentationConference PresentationsResearch

  8. Why is the rare dispersal mechanism hygrochasy so common around the world?

    Pufal, G. (Speaker)

    08.09.2011

    Activity: Talk or presentationPresentations (poster etc.)Research

  9. 41st Annual Meeting of the Ecological Society of Germany, Austria and Switzerland - 2011

    Brandt, P. (Coauthor)

    07.09.2011

    Activity: Participating in or organising an academic or articstic eventConferencesResearch

  10. Landscape factors affecting Parakeet damage to sunflower fields in Israel.

    Klein, A.-M. (Speaker)

    07.09.2011

    Activity: Talk or presentationPresentations (poster etc.)Research

  11. The climate niche of a mountain carabid: consequences under climate change

    Brandt, P. (Speaker) & von Wehrden, H. (Speaker)

    07.09.2011

    Activity: Talk or presentationConference PresentationsResearch

  12. Trap-nesting insects' interactions in an urban-rural gradient

    Klein, A.-M. (Speaker)

    07.09.2011

    Activity: Talk or presentationPresentations (poster etc.)Research

  13. Verhandlungen der Gesellschaft für Ökologie - GFÖ-Tagung 2011

    Klein, A.-M. (presenter)

    07.09.2011

    Activity: Talk or presentationPresentations (poster etc.)Research

  14. 41st Annual Meeting of the Ecological Society of Germany, Austria and Switzerland - 2011

    Hudewenz, A. (Participant)

    05.09.201109.09.2011

    Activity: Participating in or organising an academic or articstic eventConferencesResearch

  15. Genetic diversity and extent of hybridization of invasive Ulmus pumila.

    von Wehrden, H. (Speaker)

    05.09.201108.09.2011

    Activity: Talk or presentationConference PresentationsResearch

  16. Trap-nesting insects´ interactions in an urban-rural gradient

    Pereira Peixoto, M. H. (Speaker)

    05.09.2011

    Activity: Talk or presentationConference PresentationsResearch

  17. A quantiative review of the ecological impacts of the chernobyl disaster

    von Wehrden, H. (presenter)

    09.2011

    Activity: Talk or presentationPresentations (poster etc.)Research

  18. Global warming triggers loss of genetic diversity of Z. exulans populations in Euro-pean high mountain systems

    von Wehrden, H. (Speaker)

    09.2011

    Activity: Talk or presentationConference PresentationsResearch

  19. Growth and competition of tree saplings of subtropical China

    von Wehrden, H. (Speaker)

    09.2011

    Activity: Talk or presentationConference PresentationsResearch

  20. 14th Symposium of Insect Plant Interactions - SIP 2011

    Leonhardt, S. (Opponent)

    13.08.201118.08.2011

    Activity: Participating in or organising an academic or articstic eventConferencesResearch

  21. Food & Chemical Toxicology (Journal)

    Leonhardt, S. (Reviewer)

    08.2011

    Activity: Publication peer-review and editorial workPeer review of publicationenResearch

  22. Insectes Sociaux (Journal)

    Leonhardt, S. (Reviewer)

    08.2011

    Activity: Publication peer-review and editorial workPeer review of publicationenResearch

  23. Colombian coffee production: a local culture in a global market dynamic

    Ortiz-Przychodzka, S. (Speaker)

    19.07.2011

    Activity: Talk or presentationGuest lecturesResearch

  24. Colombian rural development and land tenure conflicts 2011

    Ortiz-Przychodzka, S. (Organiser)

    19.07.2011

    Activity: Participating in or organising an academic or articstic eventExternal workshops, courses, seminarsResearch

  25. 12th European Heathland Workshop - 2011

    Aßmann, T. (Speaker)

    11.06.201118.06.2011

    Activity: Participating in or organising an academic or articstic eventConferencesResearch

  26. 24th Annual conference of the Plant Population Biology Section of the Ecological Society of Germany, Switzerland and Austria - PopBio 2011

    von Wehrden, H. (Speaker)

    02.06.201104.06.2012

    Activity: Participating in or organising an academic or articstic eventConferencesResearch

  27. 10th International Pollination Symposium Mexico - ICPBR 2011

    Brittain, C. (Speaker)

    06.2011

    Activity: Participating in or organising an academic or articstic eventConferencesResearch

  28. Colloquium of the National Institute of Biology and Department of Biology at University of Ljubljana 2011

    Aßmann, T. (Speaker)

    30.05.2011

    Activity: Participating in or organising an academic or articstic eventConferencesResearch

  29. Sino-German Summer School on Design and data analysis of biodiversity-ecosystem functioning experiments 2011

    Aßmann, T. (Speaker)

    07.05.201111.05.2011

    Activity: Participating in or organising an academic or articstic eventConferencesResearch

  30. Sino-German Summer School on Design and data analysis of biodiversity-ecosystem functioning experiments 2011

    Staab, M. (Participant)

    07.05.201112.05.2011

    Activity: Participating in or organising an academic or articstic eventExternal workshops, courses, seminarsResearch

  31. Wrapping up the Results of the 1st stage of the Biodiversity Ecosystem Functioning Experiment - BEF-China 2011

    Aßmann, T. (Speaker)

    02.05.201106.05.2011

    Activity: Participating in or organising an academic or articstic eventConferencesResearch

  32. Biotropica (Journal)

    Leonhardt, S. (Reviewer)

    03.2011

    Activity: Publication peer-review and editorial workPeer review of publicationenResearch

  33. GIS program – Geographischer Informationssyteme

    Pereira Peixoto, M. H. (Participant)

    18.02.2011

    Activity: Participating in or organising an academic or articstic eventExternal workshops, courses, seminarsTransfer

  34. 8. Assembly of the Biodiversity Exploratories

    Aßmann, T. (Speaker)

    14.02.201118.02.2011

    Activity: Participating in or organising an academic or articstic eventConferencesResearch

  35. Convegno internazionale WWW.World Wide Women. - 2011

    Katz, C. (Speaker)

    10.02.201112.02.2011

    Activity: Participating in or organising an academic or articstic eventConferencesResearch

  36. Does Gender matter in gaining advantage in scientific fields of sustainability?

    Thiem, A. (Speaker) & Katz, C. (Speaker)

    10.02.201112.02.2011

    Activity: Talk or presentationConference PresentationsResearch

  37. Apidologie (Journal)

    Leonhardt, S. (Reviewer)

    01.2011

    Activity: Publication peer-review and editorial workPeer review of publicationenResearch

  38. Pellston workshop: Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry - SETAC 2011

    Brittain, C. (Speaker)

    01.2011

    Activity: Participating in or organising an academic or articstic eventExternal workshops, courses, seminarsResearch

  39. 12th Annual Congress of the European Ecological Federation - EEF 2011

    Brittain, C. (Speaker)

    2011

    Activity: Participating in or organising an academic or articstic eventConferencesResearch

  40. Biological Conservation (Journal)

    von Wehrden, H. (Reviewer)

    2011 → …

    Activity: Publication peer-review and editorial workPeer review of publicationenResearch

  41. Drivers of non-Apis pollinators in California almond orchard and their benefits for almond pollination 2011

    Brittain, C. (Speaker)

    2011

    Activity: Participating in or organising an academic or articstic eventConferencesResearch

  42. Global change biology of ground beetles: Insights from wingless species in mountains

    von Wehrden, H. (Speaker)

    2011

    Activity: Participating in or organising an academic or articstic eventConferencesResearch

  43. Sustainability Science (Journal)

    von Wehrden, H. (Reviewer)

    2011 → …

    Activity: Publication peer-review and editorial workPeer review of publicationenResearch

  44. 2010
  45. International Conference "Equality, Growth and Sustainability - Do they mix?'' - 2010

    Katz, C. (Speaker) & Thiem, A. (Speaker)

    25.11.201026.11.2010

    Activity: Participating in or organising an academic or articstic eventConferencesResearch

  46. 5. Rotwildsymposium - 2010

    von Wehrden, H. (Speaker)

    10.2010

    Activity: Participating in or organising an academic or articstic eventConferencesResearch

  47. Biennial forum of the European Association for the Study of Science and Technology - 2010

    Katz, C. (Speaker)

    02.09.201004.09.2010

    Activity: Participating in or organising an academic or articstic eventExternal workshops, courses, seminarsResearch

  48. African Entomology (Journal)

    Leonhardt, S. (Reviewer)

    09.2010

    Activity: Publication peer-review and editorial workPeer review of publicationenResearch

  49. Apidologie (Journal)

    Leonhardt, S. (Reviewer)

    09.2010

    Activity: Publication peer-review and editorial workPeer review of publicationenResearch

  50. International Meeting of theAssociation for Tropical Biology and Conservation - 2010

    Klein, A.-M. (presenter)

    09.2010

    Activity: Participating in or organising an academic or articstic eventConferencesResearch

  51. Invasion success of Ulmus pumila L. in North America and Argentina:Environment or adaptation?

    von Wehrden, H. (Speaker)

    09.2010

    Activity: Talk or presentationConference PresentationsResearch

  52. Rosa rubinosa invades various habitat types and climates throughout Argentina despite highly reduced genetiv diversity

    von Wehrden, H. (Speaker)

    09.2010

    Activity: Talk or presentationConference PresentationsResearch