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.
- 2021
- Published
Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and goethite promote carbon sequestration via hyphal-aggregate mineral interactions
Jeewani, P. H., Luo, Y., Yu, G., Fu, Y., He, X., Van Zwieten, L., Liang, C., Kumar, A., He, Y., Kuzyakov, Y., Qin, H., Guggenberger, G. & Xu, J., 01.11.2021, In: Soil Biology and Biochemistry. 162, 11 p., 108417.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- Published
Eemian landscape response to climatic shifts and evidence for northerly Neanderthal occupation at a palaeolake margin in northern Germany
Hein, M., Urban, B., Tanner, D. C., Buness, A. H., Tucci, M., Hoelzmann, P., Dietel, S., Kaniecki, M., Schultz, J., Kasper, T., Suchodoletz, H., Schwalb, A., Weiss, M. & Lauer, T., 01.11.2021, In: Earth Surface Processes and Landforms. 46, 14, p. 2884-2901 18 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- Published
Acidification effects on in situ ammonia emissions and cereal yields depending on slurry type and application method
Wagner, K. C., Nyord, T., Vestergaard, A. V., Hafner, S. D. & Pacholski, A. S., 27.10.2021, In: Agriculture (Switzerland). 11, 11, 20 p., 1053.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- Published
Gone and forgotten: facilitative effects of intercropping combinations did not carry over to affect barley performance in a follow‑up crop rotation
Kumar, A., Rosinger, C., Chen, H., Protic, S., Bonkowski, M. & Temperton, V., 10.2021, In: Plant and Soil. 467, 1-2, p. 405-419 15 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- Published
Limited effectiveness of EU policies to conserve an endangered species in high nature value farmland in Romania
Loos, J., Gallersdörfer, J., Hartel, T., Dolek, M. & Sutcliffe, L., 10.2021, In: Ecology and Society. 26, 3, 11 p., 3.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- Published
Limited knowledge flow among stakeholders of critically endangered renosterveld in South Africa
Burghardt, S., Topp, E. N., Esler, K. J. & Loos, J., 10.2021, In: Ecology and Society. 26, 3, 17 p., 17.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- Published
Tree species richness promotes an early increase of stand structural complexity in young subtropical plantations
Perles-Garcia, M. D., Kunz, M., Fichtner, A., Härdtle, W. & von Oheimb, G., 10.2021, In: Journal of Applied Ecology. 58, 10, p. 2305-2314 10 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- Published
Understanding relational values in cultural landscapes in Romania and Germany
Riechers, M., Balázsi, Á., Engler, J. O., Shumi, G. & Fischer, J., 10.2021, In: People and Nature. 3, 5, p. 1036-1046 11 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- Published
Dinotefuran alters Collembola-fungi-bacteria interactions that control mineralization of maize and soil organic carbon
Yu, Z., Schmidt, O., Zhao, Y., Liu, M., Kumar, A., Luo, Y. & Xu, J., 15.09.2021, In: Journal of Hazardous Materials. 418, 11 p., 126391.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- Published
“Beyond nature and culture: relational perspectives on the Wadden Sea landscape”
Döring, M., Walsh, C. & Egberts, L., 01.09.2021, In: Maritime Studies. 20, 3, p. 225-234 10 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Other (editorial matter etc.) › Research
- Published
Biophysical variability and politico-economic singularity: Responses of livestock numbers in South Mongolian nomadic pastoralism
Engler, J. O., Wesche, K., Kaczensky, P., Dhakal, P., Chuluunkhuyag, O. & von Wehrden, H., 01.09.2021, In: Ecological Economics. 187, 13 p., 107073.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- Published
Leverage points to foster human–nature connectedness in cultural landscapes
Riechers, M., Pătru-Dușe, I. A. & Balázsi, Á., 01.09.2021, In: Ambio. 50, 9, p. 1670-1680 11 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- Published
Reprint of: Tree-tree interactions and crown complementarity: the role of functional diversity and branch traits for canopy packing
Hildebrand, M., Perles-Garcia, M. D., Kunz, M., Härdtle, W., von Oheimb, G. & Fichtner, A., 01.09.2021, In: Basic and Applied Ecology. 55, p. 53-63 11 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- Published
The patterns of curriculum change processes that embed sustainability in higher education institutions
Weiss, M., Barth, M. & von Wehrden, H., 01.09.2021, In: Sustainability Science. 16, 5, p. 1579-1593 15 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- Published
The significance of tree-tree interactions for forest ecosystem functioning
Trogisch, S., Liu, X., Rutten, G., Xue, K., Bauhus, J., Brose, U., Bu, W., Cesarz, S., Chesters, D., Connolly, J., Cui, X., Eisenhauer, N., Guo, L., Haider, S., Härdtle, W., Kunz, M., Liu, L., Ma, Z., Neumann, S., Sang, W., Schuldt, A., Tang, Z., van Dam, N. M., von Oheimb, G., Wang, M. Q., Wang, S., Weinhold, A., Wirth, C., Wubet, T., Xu, X., Yang, B., Zhang, N., Zhu, C. D., Ma, K., Wang, Y. & Bruelheide, H., 01.09.2021, In: Basic and Applied Ecology. 55, p. 33-52 20 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- Published
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
- Published
Legacy effects of pre-crop plant functional group on fungal root symbionts of barley
Roy, J., van Duijnen, R., Leifheit, E. F., Mbedi, S., Temperton, V. M. & Rillig, M. C., 09.2021, In: Ecological Applications. 31, 6, 16 p., e02378.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- Published
On the frontiers of collaboration and conflict: how context influences the success of collaboration
Schoon, M., Chapman, M., Loos, J., Ifejika Speranza, C., Carr Kelman, C., Aburto, J., Alexander, S., Baggio, J., Brady, U., Cockburn, J., Cundill, G., Garcia Lopez, G., Hill, R., Robinson, C., Thondhlana, G., Trimble, M. & Whittaker, D., 09.2021, In: Ecosystems and People. 17, 1, p. 383-399 17 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- 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 contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- Published
Tectono-climatic controls of the early rift alluvial succession: Plio-Pleistocene Corinth Rift (Greece)
Hemelsdaël, R., Charreau, J., Ford, M., Sekar Proborukmi, M., Malartre, F., Urban, B. & Blard, P.-H., 15.08.2021, In: Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology. 576, 21 p., 110507.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review