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.
- 2016
- Published
archiDART: an R package for the automated computation of plant root architectural traits
Delory, B. M., Baudson, C., Brostaux, Y., Lobet, G., du Jardin, P., Pagès, L. & Delaplace, P., 01.2016, In: Plant and Soil. 398, 1-2, p. 351-365 15 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- Published
Baumartenvielfalt und Ressourcennutzung - Ergebnisse eines Stickstoff-Tracer-Experimentes in Baumanpflanzungen im subtropischen China
Härdtle, W., 2016, Jahrestagung der Reinhold-Tüxen-Gesellschaft e.V: vom 4. bis 6. März 2016 in Hannover : zu Ehren von Professor Dr. Elgene Box (University of Georgia, Athens, USA). Pott, R. (ed.). Hannover: Reinhold-Tüxen-Gesellschaft , p. 75-86 12 p. (Berichte der Reinhold-Tüxen-Gesellschaft; vol. 28).Research output: Contributions to collected editions/works › Contributions to collected editions/anthologies › Transfer › peer-review
- Published
Grünland spielt eine wichtige Rolle für die Vielfalt und für das Klima
Temperton, V. M., 2016, Warnsignal Klima: Die Biodiversität unter Berücksichtigung von Habitatveränderungen, Umweltverschmutzung und Globalisierung. Lozan, J. L., Müller, R., Brekle, S.-W. & Rachor, E. (eds.). Hamburg: Wissenschaftliche Auswertungen Verlag, p. 170-176 7 p. 3.12. (GEO ).Research output: Contributions to collected editions/works › Contributions to collected editions/anthologies › Research › peer-review
- Published
Halboffene Verbundkorridore: Ökologische Funktion, Leitbilder und Praxis-Leitfaden
Aßmann, T., Boutaud, E., Finck, P., Härdtle, W., Matthies, D., Nolte, D. I. I., von Oheimb, G., Riecken, U., Travers, E. & Ullrich, K., 2016, Münster: BfN-Schriftenvertrieb im Landwirtschaftsverlag. 296 p. (Naturschutz und Biologische Vielfalt; vol. 154)Research output: Books and anthologies › Monographs › Research
- Published
Sensibilität der Besenheide (Calluna vulgaris) gegenüber Klimawandel und Interaktionen mit Stickstoffeinträgen
Härdtle, W. & Meyer-Grünefeldt, M., 2016, In: Jahrbuch des Naturwissenschaftlichen Vereins für das Fürstentum Lüneburg von 1851. 46, p. 133-142 10 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research
- Published
Sustainability and Ecosystems
Wehrden, H., von Oheimb, G., Abson, D. & Härdtle, W., 2016, Sustainability Science : An Introduction. Heinrichs, H., Martens, P., Michelsen, G. & Wiek, A. (eds.). Dordrecht: Springer Science and Business Media Deutschland, p. 61-70 10 p.Research output: Contributions to collected editions/works › Chapter › peer-review
- Published
Sustainable Landscapes in Central Romania: A social-ecological study on the future of Southern Transylvania
Loos, J., Abson, D., Dorresteijn, I., Hanspach, J., Hartel, T., Horcea-Milcu, A. I., Mikulcak, F. & Fischer, J., 2016, Sofia: Pensoft Publishers Ltd. 99 p.Research output: Books and anthologies › Monographs › Transfer
- Published
Towards sustainable land uses within the Elbe river biosphere reserve in Lower Saxony, Germany by means of TerraSAR-X images
Farghaly, D., Elba, E. & Urban, B., 2016, In: Journal of Geoscience and Environment Protection. 4, 3, p. 97-121 25 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- 2015
- Published
Multitrophic diversity in a biodiverse forest is highly nonlinear across spatial scales
Schuldt, A., Wubet, T., Buscot, F., Staab, M., Aßmann, T., Böhnke-Kammerlander, M., Both, S., Erfmeier, A., Klein, A.-M., Ma, K., Pietsch, K., Schultze, S., Wirth, C., Zhang, J., Zumstein, P. & Bruelheide, H., 10.12.2015, In: Nature Communications. 6, 8 p., 10169.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- Published
Living in Heterogeneous Woodlands - Are Habitat Continuity or Quality Drivers of Genetic Variability in a Flightless Ground Beetle?
Marcus, T., Boch, S., Durka, W., Fischer, M., Gossner, M. M., Müller, J., Schöning, I., Weisser, W. W., Drees, C. & Assmann, T., 07.12.2015, In: PLoS ONE. 10, 12, 18 p., e0144217.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- Published
Lexsyg smart - A luminescence detection system for dosimetry, material research and dating application
Richter, D., Richter, A. & Dornich, K., 04.12.2015, In: Geochronometria. 42, 1, p. 202-209 8 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- Published
Excavations at Schöningen and paradigm shifts in human evolution
Conard, N. J., Serangeli, J., Böhner, U., Starkovich, B. M., Miller, C. E., Urban, B. & van Kolfschoten, T., 02.12.2015, In: Journal of Human Evolution. 89, p. 1-17 17 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- Published
Butterfly communities in miombo woodland: Biodiversity declines with increasing woodland utilisation
Jew, E. K. K., Loos, J., Dougill, A. J., Sallu, S. M. & Benton, T. G., 01.12.2015, In: Biological Conservation. 192, p. 436-444 9 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- Published
Characterizing the Lower Paleolithic bone industry from Schöningen 12 II: A multi-proxy study.
Julien, M. A., Hardy, B., Stahlschmidt, M., Urban, B., Serangeli, J. & Conard, N. J., 01.12.2015, In: Journal of Human Evolution. 89, p. 264-286 23 p., 89.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- Published
Environmental reconstruction and biostratigraphy of late Middle Pleistocene lakeshore deposits at Schöningen
Urban, B. & Bigga, G., 01.12.2015, In: Journal of Human Evolution. 89, p. 57-70 14 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- Published
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
- Published
On the evidence for human use and control of fire at Schöningen
Stahlschmidt, M., Miller, C., Ligouis, B., Hambach, U., Goldberg, P., Berna, F., Richter, D., Urban, B., Serangeli, J. & Conrad, N. J., 01.12.2015, In: Journal of Human Evolution. 89, p. 181-201 21 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- Published
The depositional environments of Schöningen 13 II-4 and their archaeological implications
Stahlschmidt, M., Miller, C., Ligouis, B., Goldberg, P., Berna, F., Urban, B. & Conard, N. J., 01.12.2015, In: Journal of Human Evolution. 89, p. 71-91 21 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- Published
The ground beetle supertribe zuphiitae in the southern levant: (Coleoptera, carabidae)
Austin, K., Buse, J., Chikatunov, V., Drees, C., Felix, R. F. F. L., Friedman, A. L. L., Khoury, F., Renan, I., Schmidt, C., Wrase, D. W., Aßmann, T., Marcus, T. & Boutaud, E., 01.12.2015, In: Spixiana. 38, 2, p. 237-262 26 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- Published
Paleoenvironment and possibilities of plant exploitation in the Middle Pleistocene of Schöningen (Germany). Insights from botanical macro-remains and pollen
Bigga, G., Schoch, W. H. & Urban, B., 12.2015, In: Journal of Human Evolution. 89, p. 92-104 13 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- Published
Spatial scale affects seed predation and dispersal in contrasting anthropogenic landscapes
Pufal, G. & Klein, A. M., 12.2015, In: Basic and Applied Ecology. 16, 8, p. 726-736 11 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- Published
The ethics of offsetting nature
Ives, C. D. & Bekessy, S. A., 12.2015, In: Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment. 13, 10, p. 568-573 6 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- Published
Socioecological drivers facilitating biodiversity conservation in traditional farming landscapes
Dorresteijn, I., Loos, J., Hanspach, J. & Fischer, J., 20.11.2015, In: Ecosystem Health and Sustainability. 1, 9, p. 1-9 9 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- Published
Elementary school children contribute to environmental research as citizen scientists
Miczajka, V. L., Klein, A. M. & Pufal, G., 18.11.2015, In: PLoS ONE. 10, 11, 10 p., e0143229.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- Published
Pollution exposure on marine protected areas: A global assessment
Partelow, S., von Wehrden, H. & Horn, O., 15.11.2015, In: Marine Pollution Bulletin. 100, 1, p. 352-358 7 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research
- Published
Throughfall kinetic energy in young subtropical forests: Investigation on tree species richness effects and spatial variability
Goebes, P., Seitz, S., Kühn, P., Li, Y., Niklaus, P. A., Oheimb, G. V. & Scholten, T., 15.11.2015, In: Agricultural and Forest Meteorology. 213, p. 148-159 12 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research
- Published
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
- Published
Plant diversity and composition compensate for negative effects of urbanization on foraging bumble bees
Hülsmann, M., von Wehrden, H., Klein, A. M. & Leonhardt, S. D., 01.11.2015, In: Apidologie. 46, 6, p. 760-770 11 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- Published
Through the eye of a butterfly: Assessing biodiversity impacts of cashew expansion in West Africa
Vasconcelos, S., Rodrigues, P., Palma, L., Mendes, L. F., Palminha, A., Catarino, L. & Beja, P., 01.11.2015, In: Biological Conservation. 191, p. 779-786 8 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- Published
Allocation patterns of airborne nitrogen in mountainous heathlands – A 15N tracer study in the Cantabrian Mountains (NW Spain)
Calvo-Fernández, J., Marcos, E., Calvo, L. & Härdtle, W., 11.2015, In: Ecological Engineering. 84, p. 128-135 8 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research
- Published
Application of feedforward artificial neural network in Muskingum flood routing: A black-box forecasting approach for a natural river system
Latt, Z. Z., 11.2015, In: Water Resources Management. 29, 14, p. 4995-5014 20 p., a006.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- Published
Red mason bees cannot compete with honey bees for floral resources in a cage experiment
Hudewenz, A. & Klein, A. M., 11.2015, In: Ecology and Evolution. 5, 21, p. 5049-5056 8 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- Published
Does tree architectural complexity influence the accuracy of wood volume estimates of single young trees by terrestrial laser scanning?
Hess, C., Bienert, A., Härdtle, W. & von Oheimb, G., 30.10.2015, In: Forests. 6, 11, p. 3847-3867 21 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Transfer
- Published
Landscape simplification filters species traits and drives biotic homogenization
Gámez-Virués, S., Perović, D. J., Gossner, M. M., Börschig, C., Blüthgen, N., de Jong, H., Simons, N. K., Klein, A.-M., Krauss, J., Maier, G., Scherber, C., Steckel, J., Rothenwöhrer, C., Steffan-Dewenter, I., Weiner, C. N., Weisser, W., Werner, M., Tscharntke, T. & Westphal, C., 20.10.2015, In: Nature Communications. 6, 8 p., 8568.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- Published
Impact of land cover homogenization on the Corncrake (Crex crex) in traditional farmland
Dorresteijn, I., Teixeira, L., von Wehrden, H., Loos, J., Hanspach, J., Stein, J. A. R. & Fischer, J., 04.10.2015, In: Landscape Ecology. 30, 8, p. 1483-1495 13 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- Published
Landscape context influences chytrid fungus distribution in an endangered European amphibian
Scheele, B. C., Driscoll, D. A., Fischer, J., Fletcher, A. W., Hanspach, J., Vörös, J. & Hartel, T., 01.10.2015, In: Animal Conservation. 18, 5, p. 480-488 9 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- Published
Crop rotation modelling: A European model intercomparison
Kollas, C., Kersebaum, K. C., Nendel, C., Manevski, K., Müller, C., Palosuo, T., Armas-Herrera, C. M., Beaudoin, N., Bindi, M., Charfeddine, M., Conradt, T., Constantin, J., Eitzinger, J., Ewert, F., Ferrise, R., Gaiser, T., Cortazar-Atauri, I. G. D., Giglio, L., Hlavinka, P., Hoffmann, H., Hoffmann, M. P., Launay, M., Manderscheid, R., Mary, B., Mirschel, W., Moriondo, M., Olesen, J. E., Öztürk, I., Pacholski, A., Ripoche-Wachter, D., Roggero, P. P., Roncossek, S., Rötter, R. P., Ruget, F., Sharif, B., Trnka, M., Ventrella, D., Waha, K., Wegehenkel, M., Weigel, H. J. & Wu, L., 10.2015, In: European Journal of Agronomy. 70, p. 98 - 111 14 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- Published
The influence of leaf litter diversity and soil fauna on initial soil erosion in subtropical forests
Seitz, S., Goebes, P., Zumstein, P., Aßmann, T., Kühn, P., Niklaus, P. A., Schuldt, A. & Scholten, T., 15.09.2015, In: Earth Surface Processes and Landforms. 40, 11, p. 1439-1447 9 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- Published
The role of plant biodiversity in modifying the structure and functioning of higher tropic Levels in species-rich forests
Schuldt, A., 10.09.2015, Lüneburg. 269 p.Research output: Books and anthologies › Post-doctoral dissertations
- Published
Agro-ecosystem services and dis-services in almond orchards are differentially influenced by the surrounding landscape
Schäckermann, J., Pufal, G., Mandelik, Y. & Klein, A. M., 01.09.2015, In: Ecological Entomology. 40, S1, p. 12-21 10 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- Published
Early subtropical forest growth is driven by community mean trait values and functional diversity rather than the abiotic environment
Kröber, W., Li, Y., Härdtle, W., Ma, K., Schmid, B., Schmidt, K., Scholten, T., Seidler, G., von Oheimb, G., Welk, E., Wirth, C. & Bruehlheide, H., 01.09.2015, In: Ecology and Evolution. 5, 17, p. 3541-3556 16 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- Published
Groundwater abstraction for irrigation and its impacts on low flows in a watershed in Northwest Germany
Wittenberg, H., 01.09.2015, In: Resources. 4, 3, p. 566-576 11 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- Published
Impacts of drought and nitrogen addition on Calluna heathlands differ with plant life-history stage
Meyer-Grünefeldt, M., Calvo, L., Marcos, E., Von Oheimb, G. & Härdtle, W., 09.2015, In: Journal of Ecology. 103, 5, p. 1141-1152 12 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research
- Published
Influence of rhizobacterial volatiles on the root system architecture and the production and allocation of biomass in the model grass Brachypodium distachyon (L.) P. Beauv
Delaplace, P., Delory, B. M., Baudson, C., Mendaluk-Saunier de Cazenave, M., Spaepen, S., Varin, S., Brostaux, Y. & du Jardin, P., 12.08.2015, In: BMC Plant Biology. 15, 1, 15 p., 195.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- Published
A review of urban ecosystem services: six key challenges for future research
Lüderitz, C., Brink, E., Gralla, F., Hermelingmeier, V., Rau, A.-L., Abson, D., Lang, D. J., von Wehrden, H., Wamsler, C., Sasaki, R., Partelow, S., Meyer, M., Lisa, N. & Panzer, L., 01.08.2015, In: Ecosystem Services. 14, p. 98-112 15 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Scientific review articles › Research
- Published
Pennycress double-cropping does not negatively impact spider diversity
Groeneveld, J. H., Lührs, H. P. & Klein, A. M., 08.2015, In: Agricultural and Forest Entomology. 17, 3, p. 247-257 11 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- Published
The ground beetle tribe Cyclosomini s.l. in Israel (Coleoptera, Carabidae)
Aßmann, T., Boutaud, E., Buse, J., Chikatunov, V., Drees, C., Friedman, A.-L.-L., Härdtle, W., Homburg, K., Marcus, T., Renan, I. & Wrase, D. W., 08.2015, In: Spixiana. 38, 1, p. 49-69 21 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- Published
Resolving potential conflicts between different heathland ecosystem services through adaptive management
Alonso, I. & Härdtle, W., 14.07.2015, In: Ecological Questions. 21, p. 101-103 3 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- Published
What restricts generative rejuvenation of Calluna vulgaris in continental, dry heathland ecosystems: Seed production, germination ability or safe site conditions?
Henning, K., Von Oheimb, G. & Sabine, T., 10.07.2015, In: Ecological Questions. 21, p. 25-28 4 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- Published
Challenges for biodiversity monitoring using citizen science in transitioning social-ecological systems
Loos, J., Horcea-Milcu, A. I., Kirkland, P., Hartel, T., Osváth-Ferencz, M. & Fischer, J., 01.07.2015, In: Journal for Nature Conservation. 26, p. 45-48 4 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review