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.
- Journal articles › Research › Peer-reviewed
- Published
Factors affecting fruit set in Aizoaceae species of the Succulent Karoo
Pufal, G., Mayer, C., Porembski, S. & Juergens, N., 01.07.2008, In: Basic and Applied Ecology. 9, 4, p. 401-409 9 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
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Farmed areas predict the distribution of amphibian ponds in a traditional rural landscape
Hartel, T. & von Wehrden, H., 21.05.2013, In: PLoS ONE. 8, 5, 8 p., e63649.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
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Farmers' perceptions of climate change and adaptation strategies in South Africa's Western Cape
Talanow, K., Topp, E., Loos, J. & Martín-López, B., 01.01.2021, In: Journal of Rural Studies. 81, p. 203-219 17 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
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Fast response of groundwater to heavy rainfall
Wittenberg, H., Aksoy, H. & Miegel, K., 01.04.2019, In: Journal of Hydrology. 571, p. 837-842 6 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
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Fate of airborne nitrogen in heathland ecosystems a - 15N tracer study
Friedrich, U., Falk, K., Bahlmann, E., Marquardt, T., Meyer, H., Niemeyer, T., Schemmel, S., Oheimb, G. & Härdtle, W., 04.2011, In: Global Change Biology. 17, 4, p. 1549-1559 11 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
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Field measurement of ammonia emissions after nitrogen fertilization-A comparison between micrometeorological and chamber methods
Ni, K., Köster, J. R., Seidel, A. & Pacholski, A., 01.11.2015, In: European Journal of Agronomy. 71, p. 115-122 8 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
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Finnish Pipunculidae (Diptera) studies Part I: Taxonomic notes on Cephalops Fallén, 1810, Pipunculus Latreille, 1802 and Tomosvaryella Aczél, 1939
Kehlmaier, C., 04.01.2008, In: Zootaxa. 1672, 1, p. 1-42 42 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
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Fire and landscape context shape plant and butterfly diversity in a South African shrubland
Topp, E. N., Tscharntke, T. & Loos, J., 01.03.2022, In: Diversity and Distributions. 28, 3, p. 357-371 15 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
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First automatic size measurements for the separation of dwarf birch and tree birch pollen in MIS 6 to MIS 1 records from Northern Germany
Theuerkauf, M., Nehring, E., Gillert, A., Bodien, P. M., Hein, M. & Urban, B., 01.06.2024, In: Ecology and Evolution. 14, 6, 17 p., e11510.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
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First record of a Mermithidae (Nematoda) from the meloid beetle Meloe violaceus Marsham, 1802 (Coleoptera: Meloidae)
Lückmann, J. & Poinar, G. O., 01.05.2003, In: Parasitology Research. 90, 1, p. 82-83 2 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
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Flachendeckende Landschaftspflege am Beispiel der Bodenteicher Seewiesen, Niedersachsen
Schwerdtfeger, G. & Urban, B., 1992, In: Telma. 22, p. 267-276 10 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
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Fluctuations of carabid populations inhabiting an ancient woodland (Coleoptera, Carabidae)
Gunther, J. & Assmann, T., 01.03.2004, In: Pedobiologia. 48, 2, p. 159-164 6 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
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Foliar application of lambda-cyhalothrin modulates root exudate profile and the rhizosphere bacteria community of dioecious Populus cathayana
He, Y., Zhu, Z., Zhou, Z., Lu, T., Kumar, A. & Xia, Z., 15.11.2022, In: Environmental Pollution. 313, 120123.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
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Foliar nitrogen metabolism of adult Douglas-fir trees is affected by soil water availability and varies little among provenances
Du, B., Kreuzwieser, J., Dannenmann, M., Junker, L. V., Kleiber, A., Hess, M., Jansen, K., Eiblmeier, M., Gessler, A., Kohnle, U., Ensminger, I., Rennenberg, H. & Wildhagen, H., 22.03.2018, In: PLoS ONE. 13, 3, 24 p., e0194684.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
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Foraging loads of stingless bees and utilisation of stored nectar for pollen harvesting
Leonhardt, S., Dworschak, K., Eltz, T. & Blüthgen, N., 2007, In: Apidologie. 38, 2, p. 125-135 11 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
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Foraging wireworms are attracted to root-produced volatile aldehydes
Barsics, F., Delory, B. M., Delaplace, P., Francis, F., Fauconnier, M. L., Haubruge, É. & Verheggen, F. J., 01.02.2017, In: Journal of Pest Science. 90, 1, p. 69-76 8 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
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Forb diversity globally is harmed by nutrient enrichment but can be rescued by large mammalian herbivory
Nelson, R. A., Sullivan, L. L., Hersch-Green, E. I., Seabloom, E. W., Borer, E. T., Tognetti, P. M., Adler, P. B., Biederman, L., Bugalho, M. N., Caldeira, M. C., Cancela, J. P., Carvalheiro, L. G., Catford, J. A., Dickman, C. R., Dolezal, A. J., Donohue, I., Ebeling, A., Eisenhauer, N., Elgersma, K. J., Eskelinen, A., Estrada, C., Garbowski, M., Graff, P., Gruner, D. S., Hagenah, N., Haider, S., Harpole, W. S., Hautier, Y., Jentsch, A., Johanson, N., Koerner, S. E., Lannes, L. S., MacDougall, A. S., Martinson, H., Morgan, J. W., Olde Venterink, H., Orr, D., Osborne, B. B., Peri, P. L., Power, S. A., Raynaud, X., Risch, A. C., Shrestha, M., Smith, N. G., Stevens, C. J., Veen, G. F. C., Virtanen, R., Wardle, G. M., Wolf, A. A., Young, A. L. & Harrison, S. P., 12.2025, In: Communications Biology. 8, 1, 10 p., 444.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
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Forest history from a single tree species perspective: natural occurrence, near extinction and reintroduction of European yew (Taxus baccata L.) on the Darss-Zingst peninsula, southern Baltic Sea coast
Kaiser, K., Theuerkauf, M., van der Maaten, E., van der Maaten-Theunissen, M. & Beil, A., 06.2024, In: European Journal of Forest Research. 143, 3, p. 917-942 26 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
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Forestry contributed to warming of forest ecosystems in northern Germany during the extreme summers of 2018 and 2019
Blumröder, J. S., May, F., Härdtle, W. & Ibisch, P. L., 09.2021, In: Ecological Solutions and Evidence. 2, 3, 14 p., e12087.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
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Forests, farms, and fallows: The dynamics of tree cover transition in the southern part of the uluguru mountains, tanzania
Mpanda, M., Kashindye, A., Aynekulu, E., Jonas, E., Rosenstock, T. S. & Giliba, R. A., 28.05.2021, In: Land. 10, 6, 15 p., 571.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
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Fragmented Landscape, Fragmented Knowledge: A Synthesis of Renosterveld Ecology and Conservation
Topp, E. N. & Loos, J., 01.06.2019, In: Environmental Conservation. 46, 2, p. 171-179 9 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
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Fridays for Future aus nachhaltigkeitswissenschaftlicher Perspektive
von Wehrden, H., Kater-Wettstaedt, L. & Schneidewind, U., 18.10.2019, In: GAIA. 28, 3, p. 307-309 3 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
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From competition to facilitation: how tree species respond to neighbourhood diversity
Fichtner, A., Härdtle, W., Li, Y., Bruelheide, H., Kunz, M. & von Oheimb, G., 01.07.2017, In: Ecology Letters. 20, 7, p. 892-900 9 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
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From deforestation to blossom: Large-scale restoration of montane heathland vegetation
Borchard, F., Härdtle, W., Streitberger, M., Stuhldreher, G., Thiele, J. & Fartmann, T., 01.04.2017, In: Ecological Engineering. 101, p. 211-219 9 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
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Functional and phylogenetic diversity of woody plants drive herbivory in a highly diverse forest
Schuldt, A., Aßmann, T., Bruelheide, H., Durka, W., Eichenberg, D., Härdtle, W., Kröber, W., Michalski, S. G. & Purschke, O., 05.2014, In: New Phytologist. 202, 3, p. 864-873 10 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
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Functional complementarity and specialisation: The role of biodiversity in plant–pollinatorinteractions
Blüthgen, N. & Klein, A.-M., 06.2011, In: Basic and Applied Ecology. 12, 4, p. 282-291 10 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
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Functional diversity and trait composition of butterfly and bird communities in Farmlands of Central Romania
Hanspach, J., Loos, J., Dorresteijn, I., Wehrden, H., Moga, C. I. & David, A., 01.12.2015, In: Ecosystem Health and Sustainability. 1, 10, p. 1-8 8 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
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Functional flower traits and their diversity drive pollinator visitation
Fornoff, F., Klein, A.-M., Hartig, F., Benadi, G., Venjakob, C., Schaefer, H. M. & Ebeling, A., 07.2017, In: Oikos. 126, 7, p. 1020-1030 11 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
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Functional traits drive ground beetle community structures in Central European forests: Implications for conservation
Nolte, D., Schuldt, A., Gossner, M. M., Ulrich, W. & Assmann, T., 01.09.2017, In: Biological Conservation. 213, Part A, p. 5-12 8 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
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Functional trait similarity of native and invasive herb species in subtropical China-Environment-specific differences are the key
Bachmann, D., Both, S., Bruelheide, H., Erfmeier, A., Ding, B.-Y., Gao, M., Härdtle, W. & Scherer-Lorenzen, M., 01.11.2012, In: Environmental and Experimental Botany. 83, p. 82-92 11 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
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Gene flow across large distances in the cavity-nesting wasp Deuteragenia subintermedia in a central European forest
Ruppert, L. S., Staab, M., Rappa, N. J., Frey, J. & Segelbacher, G., 04.2025, In: Ecology and Evolution. 15, 4, 11 p., e71294.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
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Generalist social bees maximize diversity intake in plant species-rich and resource-abundant environments
Kaluza, B. F., Wallace, H., Keller, A., Heard, T. A., Jeffers, B., Drescher, N., Blüthgen, N. & Leonhardt, S. D., 01.03.2017, In: Ecosphere. 8, 3, 19 p., e01758.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
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Genesis and dating of Late Pleistocene-Holocene soil sediment sequences from the Lüneburg Heath, Northern Germany
Urban, B., Kunz, A. & Gehrt, E., 03.06.2011, In: E&G Quaternary Science Journal. 60, 1, p. 6-26 21 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
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Genes versus environment: Geography and phylogenetic relationships shape the chemical profiles of stingless bees on a global scale
Leonhardt, S. D., Rasmussen, C. & Schmitt, T., 07.07.2013, In: Proceedings of the Royal Society B . 280, 1762, 11 p., 20130680.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
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Genetic diversity and population structure of the endangered insect species Carabus variolosus in its western distribution range: implications for conservation
Matern, A., Desender, K., Gaublomme, E., Drees, C., Paill, W. & Aßmann, T., 01.04.2009, In: Conservation Genetics. 10, 2, p. 391-405 15 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
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Genetic erosion in a stenotopic heathland ground beetle (Coleoptera: Carabidae): a matter of habitat size ?
Drees, C., Vries, H., Härdtle, W., Matern, A., Persigehl, M. & Aßmann, T., 01.02.2011, In: Conservation Genetics. 12, 1, p. 105-117 13 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
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Genetic erosion in habitat specialist shows need to protect large peat bogs
Drees, C., Zumstein, P., Buck-Dobrick, T., Härdtle, W., Matern, A., Meyer, H., Oheimb, G. & Aßmann, T., 12.2011, In: Conservation Genetics. 12, 6, p. 1651-1656 6 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
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Genetic relatedness and chemical profiles in an unusually peaceful eusocial bee
Leonhardt, S. D., Form, S., Blüthgen, N., Schmitt, T. & Feldhaar, H., 01.10.2011, In: Journal of Chemical Ecology. 37, 10, p. 1117-1126 10 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
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Genome size influences plant growth and biodiversity responses to nutrient fertilization in diverse grassland communities
Morton, J. A., Arnillas, C. A., Biedermann, L., Borer, E. T., Brudvig, L. A., Buckley, Y. M., Cadotte, M. W., Davies, K., Donohue, I., Ebeling, A., Eisenhauer, N., Estrada, C., Haider, S., Hautier, Y., Jentsch, A., Martinson, H., McCulley, R. L., Raynaud, X., Roscher, C., Seabloom, E. W., Stevens, C. J., Vesela, K., Wallace, A., Leitch, I. J., Leitch, A. R. & Hersch-Green, E. I., 11.12.2024, In: PLoS Biology. 22, 12, 21 p., e3002927.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
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Geochemical Assessment of Sediment Quality Using Multivariate Statistical Analysis of Ennore Creek, North of Chennai, SE Coast of India.
Muthumanickam, J., Nagarajan, R., Velmurugan, P. M., Giridharan, L., Neetha, V. & Urban, B., 01.2014, In: Journal of Science and Technology. 22, 1, p. 315-328 14 p., JST-0407-2012.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
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Germination performance of native and non-native Ulmus pumila populations
Hirsch, H., Wypior, C., von Wehrden, H., Wesche, K., Renison, D. & Hensen, I., 14.12.2012, In: NeoBiota. 15, 15, p. 53-68 16 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
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Global and regional probabilities of major nuclear reactor accidents
Engler, J. O., 01.09.2020, In: Journal of Environmental Management. 269, 7 p., 110780.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
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Global assessment of the non-equilibrium concept in rangelands
Wehrden, H. V., Hanspach, J., Kaczensky, P., Fischer, J. & Wesche, K., 03.2012, In: Ecological Applications. 22, 2, p. 393-399 7 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
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Global assessment of the non-equilibrium theory of rangelands: Revisited and refined
Engler, J. O. & von Wehrden, H., 01.01.2018, In: Land Use Policy. 70, p. 479 - 484 6 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
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Global decoupling of functional and phylogenetic diversity in plant communities
Author Collaboration of "Global decoupling of functional and phylogenetic diversity in plant communities", Hähn, G. J. A., Damasceno, G., Alvarez-Davila, E., Aubin, I., Bauters, M., Bergmeier, E. & Haider, S., 02.2025, In: Nature Ecology & Evolution. 9, 2, p. 237-248 12 p., e12976.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
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Global food security, biodiversity conservation and the future of agricultural intensification
Tscharntke, T., Clough, Y., Wanger, T. C., Jackson, L., Motzke, I., Perfecto, I., Vandermeer, J. & Whitbread, A., 07.2012, In: Biological Conservation. 151, 1, p. 53-59 7 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
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Global growth and stability of agricultural yield decrease with pollinator dependence
Garibaldi, L. A., Aizen, M. A., Klein, A. M., Cunningham, S. A. & Harder, L. D., 05.04.2011, In: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (USA). 108, 14, p. 5909-5914 6 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
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Global malnutrition overlaps with pollinator-dependent micronutrient production
Chaplin-Kramer, R., Dombeck, E., Gerber, J., Knuth, K. A., Mueller, N. D., Mueller, M., Ziv, G. & Klein, A.-M., 07.11.2014, In: Proceedings of the Royal Society B . 281, 1794, p. 1-7 7 p., 20141799.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
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Global patterns of ecologically unequal exchange: Implications for sustainability in the 21st century
Dorninger, C., Hornborg, A., Abson, D., von Wehrden, H., Schaffartzik, A., Giljum, S., Engler, J. O., Feller, R. L., Hubacek, K. & Wieland, H., 01.01.2021, In: Ecological Economics. 179, 14 p., 106824.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
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Global trait–environment relationships of plant communities
Bruelheide, H., Dengler, J., Purschke, O., Lenoir, J., Jiménez-Alfaro, B., Hennekens, S. M., Botta-Dukát, Z., Chytrý, M., Field, R., Jansen, F., Kattge, J., Pillar, V. D., Schrodt, F., Mahecha, M. D., Peet, R. K., Sandel, B., van Bodegom, P., Altman, J., Alvarez-Dávila, E., Arfin Khan, M. A. S., Attorre, F., Aubin, I., Baraloto, C., Barroso, J. G., Bauters, M., Bergmeier, E., Biurrun, I., Bjorkman, A. D., Blonder, B., Čarni, A., Cayuela, L., Černý, T., Cornelissen, J. H. C., Craven, D., Dainese, M., Derroire, G., De Sanctis, M., Díaz, S., Doležal, J., Farfan-Rios, W., Feldpausch, T. R., Fenton, N. J., Garnier, E., Guerin, G. R., Gutiérrez, A. G., Haider, S., Hattab, T., Henry, G., Hérault, B., Higuchi, P., Hölzel, N., Homeier, J., Jentsch, A., Jürgens, N., Kącki, Z., Karger, D. N., Kessler, M., Kleyer, M., Knollová, I., Korolyuk, A. Y., Kühn, I., Laughlin, D. C., Lens, F., Loos, J., Louault, F., Lyubenova, M. I., Malhi, Y., Marcenò, C., Mencuccini, M., Müller, J. V., Munzinger, J., Myers-Smith, I. H., Neill, D. A., Niinemets, Ü., Orwin, K. H., Ozinga, W. A., Penuelas, J., Pérez-Haase, A., Petřík, P., Phillips, O. L., Pärtel, M., Reich, P. B., Römermann, C., Rodrigues, A. V., Sabatini, F. M., Sardans, J., Schmidt, M., Seidler, G., Silva Espejo, J. E., Silveira, M., Smyth, A., Sporbert, M., Svenning, J. C., Tang, Z., Thomas, R., Tsiripidis, I., Vassilev, K., Violle, C., Virtanen, R., Weiher, E., Welk, E., Wesche, K., Winter, M., Wirth, C. & Jandt, U., 01.12.2018, In: Nature Ecology & Evolution. 2, 12, p. 1906-1917 12 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review