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. 2015
  2. 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 contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  3. 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 contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  4. 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 contributionsJournal articlesResearch

  5. 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 contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  6. 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 contributionsScientific review articlesResearch

  7. 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 contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  8. 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 contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  9. 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 contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  10. 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 contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  11. 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 contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  12. Published

    Tree diversity alters the structure of a tri-trophic network in a biodiversity experiment

    Staab, M., Blüthgen, N. & Klein, A. M., 01.07.2015, In: Oikos. 124, 7, p. 827-834 8 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsOther (editorial matter etc.)Research

  13. Published

    Tree species identity and functional traits but not species richness affect interrill erosion processes in young subtropical forests

    Seitz, S., Goebes, P., Song, Z., Bruehlheide, H., Härdtle, W., Kühn, P., Li, Y. & Scholten, T., 24.06.2015, Göttingen: Copernicus Publications, p. 701-736, 36 p. (SOIL Discuss; vol. 2).

    Research output: Working paperWorking papers

  14. 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

  15. Published

    Catch, bycatch and discards of the GalapagosMarine Reserve small-scale handline fishery

    Zimmerhackel, J. S., Schuhbauer, A. C., Usseglio, P., Heel, L. C. & Salinas-de-León, P., 09.06.2015, In: PeerJ. 3, 6, 22 p., 995.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  16. Published

    A call for statistical editors in ecology

    Von Wehrden, H., Schultner, J. & Abson, D. J., 01.06.2015, In: Trends in Ecology and Evolution. 30, 6, p. 293 - 294 2 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  17. Published

    Grassland management intensification weakens the associations among the diversities of multiple plant and animal taxa

    Manning, P., Gossner, M. M., Bossdorf, O., Allan, E., Zhang, Y. Y., Prati, D., Blüthgen, N., Boch, S., Böhm, S., Börschig, C., Hölzel, N., Jung, K., Klaus, V. H., Klein, A. M., Kleinebecker, T., Krauss, J., Lange, M., Müller, J., PAŠALIć, E., Socher, S. A., Tschapka, M., Türke, M., Weiner, C., Werner, M., Gockel, S., Hemp, A., Renner, S. C., Wells, K., Buscot, F., Kalko, E. K. V., Linsenmair, K. E., Weisser, W. W. & Fischer, M., 01.06.2015, In: Ecology. 96, 6, p. 1492-1501 10 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  18. Published

    Harnessing the biodiversity value of Central and Eastern European farmland

    Sutcliffe, L. M. E., Batáry, P., Kormann, U., Báldi, A., Dicks, L. V., Herzon, I., Kleijn, D., Tryjanowski, P., Apostolova, I., Arlettaz, R., Aunins, A., Aviron, S., Baležentiene, L., Fischer, C., Halada, L., Hartel, T., Helm, A., Hristov, I., Jelaska, S. D., Kaligarič, M., Kamp, J., Klimek, S., Koorberg, P., Kostiuková, J., Kovács-Hostyánszki, A., Kuemmerle, T., Leuschner, C., Lindborg, R., Loos, J., Maccherini, S., Marja, R., Máthé, O., Paulini, I., Proença, V., Rey-Benayas, J., Sans, F. X., Seifert, C., Stalenga, J., Timaeus, J., Török, P., van Swaay, C., Viik, E. & Tscharntke, T., 01.06.2015, In: Diversity and Distributions. 21, 6, p. 722-730 9 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  19. Published

    Pennycress-corn double-cropping increases ground beetle diversity

    Groeneveld, J. H. & Klein, A. M., 01.06.2015, In: Biomass and Bioenergy. 77, p. 16-25 10 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  20. Published

    Early positive effects of tree species richness on herbivory in a large-scale forest biodiversity experiment influence tree growth

    Schuldt, A., Bruelheide, H., Härdtle, W., Aßmann, T., Li, Y., Ma, K., Oheimb, G. & Zhang, J., 01.05.2015, In: Journal of Ecology. 103, 3, p. 563-571 9 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  21. Published

    Tree species richness strengthens relationships between ants and the functional composition of spider assemblages in a highly diverse forest

    Schuldt, A. & Staab, M., 01.05.2015, In: Biotropica. 47, 3, p. 339-346 8 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

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