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.
Multi-trophic plant-insect networks in a tree diversity experiment in China
Aßmann, T. (Project manager, academic)
19.02.14 → 11.06.19
Project: Research
Mycorrhizae in tree diversity effects on ecosystem functioning
Eisenhauer, N. (Project manager, academic), Ferlian, O. (Project manager, academic), Haider, S. (Partner), Bruelheide, H. (Project manager, academic) & Heklau, H. (Project manager, academic)
01.01.17 → …
Project: Research
Natur-Wissenschaft-Nachhaltigkeit. Die Bedeutung ökologischer Wissenschaften im Nachhaltigkeitsdiskurs sowie deren Zusammenhang mit gesellschaftlichen Natur- und Geschlechtervorstellungen
Katz, C. (Project manager, academic)
01.08.00 → 31.07.01
Project: Research
Near-infrared spectra of leaves as predictors for forest ecosystem functions
Haider, S. (Project manager, academic), Proß, T. (Project manager, academic), Bruelheide, H. (Partner), Potvin, C. (Project manager, academic) & Auge, H. (Partner)
01.01.17 → …
Project: Research
Nutrient Network
Haider, S. (Project manager, academic) & Eisenhauer, N. (Project manager, academic)
01.01.15 → …
Project: Research
NEu: Nutrient Network Europe
Harpole, W. S. (Project manager, academic) & Haider, S. (Partner)
01.01.20 → 31.12.24
Project: Research
Paläoumwelt und das Alter der Schöninger Speere und der quartären Abfolge im Tagebau Schöningen. Chronometrische und relative Datierung mittels Lumineszenz und Palynologie
Urban, B. (Project manager, academic)
Ministry of Science and Culture of the State of Lower Saxony
01.10.13 → 31.07.17
Project: Research
Plant-insect interactions, flower traits, and pollination along an experimental plant diversity gradient (FOR 1451 - Teilprojekt 03)
Klein, A.-M. (Project manager, academic)
01.05.10 → 05.05.15
Project: Research
Plant species coexistence mechanisms: improving the predictability of priority and diversity effects in dry grasslands using modelling and trait-based approaches
Delory, B. (Project manager, academic)
01.07.19 → 31.12.19
Project: Research
KT 03 TM 1.1 Biokerosin: Platform for Sustainable Aviation Fuels
Klein, A.-M. (Project manager, academic), Schaltegger, S. (Project manager, academic), Averdunk, K. (Coordination), Barua, K. K. (Project staff), Groeneveld, J. H. (Project staff), Hüsing, E. (Project staff), Kügemann, M. (Project staff), Lüdeke-Freund, F. (Project staff), Moser, C. (Project staff), Wahl, N. (Project staff), Walmsley, D. (Project staff), Wreesmann, J. (Project staff), Bailis, R. (Project staff) & Burritt, R. (Project manager, academic)
Investitions- und Förderbank Niedersachsen – NBank
01.01.11 → 31.12.15
Project: Research
Potenzial nachhaltig produzierten Camelina-Öls als Grundstoff für die Biokerosin-Produktion
Schaltegger, S. (Project manager, academic), Klein, A.-M. (Project manager, academic) & Averdunk, K. (Project staff)
30.04.11 → 29.10.12
Project: Transfer (R&D project)
POEM: PriOrity Effect Mechanisms (POEM): mechanisms of priority effects and their persistence over time in dry acidic grasslands
Temperton, V. (Project manager, academic), Delory, B. (Project staff) & Niemeyer, T. (Project staff)
01.04.20 → 31.03.24
Project: Research
PoST: Processes of Sustainability Transformation (Promotionskolleg)
Barth, M. (Project manager, academic), Kater-Wettstädt, L. (Coordination), Fischer, D. (Partner), Halberstadt, J. (Partner), Schaltegger, S. (Partner), Leventon, J. (Partner), Heinrichs, H. (Partner), Lang, D. J. (Partner), Wiek, A. (Partner), Kümmerer, K. (Partner), von Wehrden, H. (Partner), Vilsmaier, U. (Partner), Rodriguez Aboytes, J. G. (Project staff), Pöggel, K. (Project staff), Hübel, C. (Project staff), Buhr, M. (Project staff), Beyers, F. (Project staff), Laudan, J. (Project staff), Albrecht, S. (Project staff), Weber, H. (Project staff), Rathgens, J. (Project staff), Keβler, L. (Project staff), Hilser, S. (Project staff) & Juarez Bourke, S. (Project staff)
08.12.16 → 31.12.21
Project: Research
Prospects for sustainable development: The future of plants and butterflies in Transylvania
Loos, J. (Project manager, academic)
01.07.11 → 15.06.15
Project: Dissertation project
Proyecto de educación ambiental para la conservación del Área Protegida Municipal Bosque de Bolognia
Miranda, O. (Project manager, academic), Benavides Frias, C. (Project manager, academic), Flores, S. (Project manager, academic) & Antezana, N. (Project manager, academic)
01.04.16 → …
Project: Teaching
Regionalisierte sozio-technische und -kulturelle Erfolgsfaktoren für ein nachhaltiges Wasser- und Landmanagment
Katz, C. (Project manager, academic)
01.05.09 → 31.12.09
Project: Research
Responses of plant performance and functional diversity along a climate and land-use gradient in Mongolia
von Wehrden, H. (Project manager, academic), Wesche, K. (Project manager, academic) & Römermann, C. (Project manager, academic)
01.05.14 → 31.08.19
Project: Research
RURAGRI-MULTAGRI: Rural development through governance of multifunctional agricultural land use (MULTAGRI). Work package 5: Governance challenges to encourage landscape-scale uptake of appropriate management actions
Newig, J. (Project manager, academic), Fischer, J. (Project manager, academic) & Klein, A.-M. (Project manager, academic)
Federal Ministry of Education and Research
29.08.13 → 31.12.16
Project: Research
Schutz von Buchenwäldern in einem System von Prozessschutzgebieten
Härdtle, W. (Project manager, academic)
01.08.08 → 30.11.11
Project: Research
Schutzwürdigkeit und Schutzperspektive der Stromtal-Wiesen an der unteren Mittelelbe: Ein vegetationskundlicher Beitrag zur Leitbildentwicklung
Härdtle, W. (Project manager, academic) & Redecker, B. (Project staff)
01.09.97 → 31.03.01
Project: Research
