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. Published

    Species richness of vascular plants, bryophytes and lichens in dry grasslands: The effects of environment, landscape structure and competition

    Lobel, S., Dengler, J. & Hobohm, C., 01.12.2006, In: Folia Geobotanica. 41, 4, p. 377-393 17 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  2. Published

    Species richness stabilizes productivity via asynchrony and drought-tolerance diversity in a large-scale tree biodiversity experiment

    Schnabel, F., Liu, X., Kunz, M., Barry, K., Bongers, F. J., Bruelheide, H., Fichtner, A., Härdtle, W., Li, S., Pfaff, C.-T., Schmid, B., Schwarz, J. A., Tang, Z., Yang, B., Bauhus, J., von Oheimb, G., Ma, K. & Wirth, C., 17.12.2021, In: Science Advances. 7, 51, 13 p., eabk1643.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  3. Published

    Species-Specific Effects on Throughfall Kinetic Energy in Subtropical Forest Plantations Are Related to Leaf Traits and Tree Architecture

    Goebes, P., Bruelheide, H., Haerdtle, W., Kröber, W., Kuehn, P., Li, Y., Seitz, S., von Oheimb, G. & Scholten, T., 16.06.2015, In: PLoS ONE. 10, 6, 13 p., e0128084.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  4. Published

    Sphodrini

    Aßmann, T., 2004, Die Käfer Mitteleuropas: Bd. 2: Adephaga ; 1. Carabidae (Laufkäfer). Müller-Motzfeld, G. (ed.). 2 ed. München: Spektrum Akademischer Verlag, p. 283-297 15 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksContributions to collected editions/anthologiesResearch

  5. Published

    Sphodrini

    Aßmann, T., 2006, Die Käfer Mitteleuropas; Bd. 2: Adephaga ; 1. Carabidae (Laufkäfer). Freude, H., Klausnitzer, B. & Müller-Motzfeld, G. (eds.). 2., Nachdr. ed. Heidelberg: Spektrum Akademischer Verlag, p. 284-297 14 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksContributions to collected editions/anthologiesResearch

  6. Published

    Spillover of functionally important organisms between managed and natural habitats

    Blitzer, E. J., Dormann, C. F., Holzschuh, A., Klein, A.-M., Rand, T. A. & Tscharntke, T., 01.01.2012, In: Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment. 146, 1, p. 34-43 10 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsScientific review articlesResearch

  7. Published

    Spillover of trap-nesting bees and wasps in an urban-rural interface

    Pereira-Peixoto, M. H., Pufal, G., Martins, C. F. & Klein, A. M., 31.10.2014, In: Journal of Insect Conservation. 18, 5, p. 815-826 12 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  8. Published

    sPlot – A new tool for global vegetation analyses

    Bruelheide, H., Dengler, J., Jiménez-Alfaro, B., Purschke, O., Hennekens, S. M., Chytrý, M., Pillar, V. D., Jansen, F., Kattge, J., Sandel, B., Aubin, I., Biurrun, I., Field, R., Haider, S., Jandt, U., Lenoir, J., Peet, R. K., Peyre, G., Sabatini, F. M., Schmidt, M., Schrodt, F., Winter, M., Aćić, S., Agrillo, E., Alvarez, M., Ambarlı, D., Angelini, P., Apostolova, I., Arfin Khan, M. A. S., Arnst, E., Attorre, F., Baraloto, C., Beckmann, M., Berg, C., Bergeron, Y., Bergmeier, E., Bjorkman, A. D., Bondareva, V., Borchardt, P., Botta-Dukát, Z., Boyle, B., Breen, A., Brisse, H., Byun, C., Cabido, M. R., Casella, L., Cayuela, L., Černý, T., Chepinoga, V., Csiky, J., Curran, M., Ćušterevska, R., Dajić Stevanović, Z., De Bie, E., de Ruffray, P., De Sanctis, M., Dimopoulos, P., Dressler, S., Ejrnæs, R., El-Sheikh, M. A. E. R. M., Enquist, B., Ewald, J., Fagúndez, J., Finckh, M., Font, X., Forey, E., Fotiadis, G., García-Mijangos, I., de Gasper, A. L., Golub, V., Gutierrez, A. G., Hatim, M. Z., He, T., Higuchi, P., Holubová, D., Hölzel, N., Homeier, J., Indreica, A., Işık Gürsoy, D., Jansen, S., Janssen, J., Jedrzejek, B., Jiroušek, M., Jürgens, N., Kącki, Z., Kavgacı, A., Kearsley, E., Kessler, M., Knollová, I., Kolomiychuk, V., Korolyuk, A., Kozhevnikova, M., Kozub, Ł., Krstonošić, D., Kühl, H., Kühn, I., Kuzemko, A., Küzmič, F., Landucci, F., Lee, M. T., Levesley, A., Li, C. F., Liu, H., Lopez-Gonzalez, G., Lysenko, T., Macanović, A., Mahdavi, P., Manning, P., Marcenò, C., Martynenko, V., Mencuccini, M., Minden, V., Moeslund, J. E., Moretti, M., Müller, J. V., Munzinger, J., Niinemets, Ü., Nobis, M., Noroozi, J., Nowak, A., Onyshchenko, V., Overbeck, G. E., Ozinga, W. A., Pauchard, A., Pedashenko, H., Peñuelas, J., Pérez-Haase, A., Peterka, T., Petřík, P., Phillips, O. L., Prokhorov, V., Rašomavičius, V., Revermann, R., Rodwell, J., Ruprecht, E., Rūsiņa, S., Samimi, C., Schaminée, J. H. J., Schmiedel, U., Šibík, J., Šilc, U., Škvorc, Ž., Smyth, A., Sop, T., Sopotlieva, D., Sparrow, B., Stančić, Z., Svenning, J. C., Swacha, G., Tang, Z., Tsiripidis, I., Turtureanu, P. D., Uğurlu, E., Uogintas, D., Valachovič, M., Vanselow, K. A., Vashenyak, Y., Vassilev, K., Vélez-Martin, E., Venanzoni, R., Vibrans, A. C., Violle, C., Virtanen, R., von Wehrden, H., Wagner, V., Walker, D. A., Wana, D., Weiher, E., Wesche, K., Whitfeld, T., Willner, W., Wiser, S., Wohlgemuth, T., Yamalov, S., Zizka, G. & Zverev, A., 01.03.2019, In: Journal of Vegetation Science. 30, 2, p. 161-186 26 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  9. Published

    sPlotOpen – An environmentally balanced, open-access, global dataset of vegetation plots

    Sabatini, F. M., Lenoir, J., Hattab, T., Arnst, E. A., Chytrý, M., Dengler, J., De Ruffray, P., Hennekens, S. M., Jandt, U., Jansen, F., Jiménez-Alfaro, B., Kattge, J., Levesley, A., Pillar, V. D., Purschke, O., Sandel, B., Sultana, F., Aavik, T., Aćić, S., Acosta, A. T. R., Agrillo, E., Alvarez, M., Apostolova, I., Arfin Khan, M. A. S., Arroyo, L., Attorre, F., Aubin, I., Banerjee, A., Bauters, M., Bergeron, Y., Bergmeier, E., Biurrun, I., Bjorkman, A. D., Bonari, G., Bondareva, V., Brunet, J., Čarni, A., Casella, L., Cayuela, L., Černý, T., Chepinoga, V., Csiky, J., Ćušterevska, R., De Bie, E., de Gasper, A. L., De Sanctis, M., Dimopoulos, P., Dolezal, J., Dziuba, T., El-Sheikh, M. A. E. R. M., Enquist, B., Ewald, J., Fazayeli, F., Field, R., Finckh, M., Gachet, S., Galán-de-Mera, A., Garbolino, E., Gholizadeh, H., Giorgis, M., Golub, V., Alsos, I. G., Grytnes, J. A., Guerin, G. R., Gutiérrez, A. G., Haider, S., Hatim, M. Z., Hérault, B., Hinojos Mendoza, G., Hölzel, N., Homeier, J., Hubau, W., Indreica, A., Janssen, J. A. M., Jedrzejek, B., Jentsch, A., Jürgens, N., Kącki, Z., Kapfer, J., Karger, D. N., Kavgacı, A., Kearsley, E., Kessler, M., Khanina, L., Killeen, T., Korolyuk, A., Kreft, H., Kühl, H. S., Kuzemko, A., Landucci, F., Lengyel, A., Lens, F., Lingner, D. V., Liu, H., Lysenko, T., Mahecha, M. D., Marcenò, C., Martynenko, V., Moeslund, J. E., Monteagudo Mendoza, A., Mucina, L., Müller, J. V., Munzinger, J., Naqinezhad, A., Noroozi, J., Nowak, A., Onyshchenko, V., Overbeck, G. E., Pärtel, M., Pauchard, A., Peet, R. K., Peñuelas, J., Pérez-Haase, A., Peterka, T., Petřík, P., Peyre, G., Phillips, O. L., Prokhorov, V., Rašomavičius, V., Revermann, R., Rivas-Torres, G., Rodwell, J. S., Ruprecht, E., Rūsiņa, S., Samimi, C., Schmidt, M., Schrodt, F., Shan, H., Shirokikh, P., Šibík, J., Šilc, U., Sklenář, P., Škvorc, Ž., Sparrow, B., Sperandii, M. G., Stančić, Z., Svenning, J. C., Tang, Z., Tang, C. Q., Tsiripidis, I., Vanselow, K. A., Vásquez Martínez, R., Vassilev, K., Vélez-Martin, E., Venanzoni, R., Vibrans, A. C., Violle, C., Virtanen, R., von Wehrden, H., Wagner, V., Walker, D. A., Waller, D. M., Wang, H. F., Wesche, K., Whitfeld, T. J. S., Willner, W., Wiser, S. K., Wohlgemuth, T., Yamalov, S., Zobel, M. & Bruelheide, H., 09.2021, In: Global Ecology and Biogeography. 30, 9, p. 1740-1764 25 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  10. Published

    Spring barley performance benefits from simultaneous shallow straw incorporation and top dressing as revealed by rhizotrons with resealable sampling ports

    Reichel, R., Kamau, C. W., Kumar, A., Li, Z., Radl, V., Temperton, V. M., Schloter, M. & Brüggemann, N., 01.05.2022, In: Biology and Fertility of Soils. 58, 4, p. 375-388 14 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review