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

    Beyond the Trail—Understanding Non-Native Plant Invasions in Mountain Ecosystems

    Barros, A., Fuentes Lillo, E., Aschero, V., Pauchard, A., Alvarez, M. A., Wedegärtner, R., Clavel, J., Müllerová, J., Pergl, J., Zong, S., Vítková, M., Klinerová, T., Cavieres, L. A., Larson, C., Rew, L. J., Seipel, T., Meffre, C., Arellano, T., Essl, F., Dullinger, S., Gwate, O., Clark, V. R., Achermann, M., Haider, S. & Lembrechts, J. J., 06.2025, In: Global Ecology and Biogeography. 34, 6, 14 p., e70060.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  2. E-pub ahead of print

    Weaving values, knowledge and context to care for human–nature relationships in protected areas

    Cebrián-Piqueras, M. A., van Riper, C. J., Andrade, R., Raymond, C. M., Goodson, D. J., Keller, R. & Plieninger, T., 23.06.2025, (E-pub ahead of print) In: People and Nature. 20 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  3. Published

    Local nutrient addition drives plant diversity losses but not biotic homogenization in global grasslands

    Chen, Q., Blowes, S. A., Harpole, W. S., Ladouceur, E., Borer, E. T., MacDougall, A., Martina, J. P., Bakker, J. D., Tognetti, P. M., Seabloom, E. W., Daleo, P., Power, S., Roscher, C., Adler, P. B., Donohue, I., Wheeler, G., Stevens, C., Veen, G. F. C., Risch, A. C., Wardle, G. M., Hautier, Y., Estrada, C., Hersch-Green, E., Niu, Y., Peri, P. L., Eskelinen, A., Gruner, D. S., Olde Venterink, H., D’Antonio, C., Cadotte, M. W., Haider, S., Eisenhauer, N., Catford, J., Virtanen, R., Morgan, J. W., Tedder, M., Bagchi, S., Caldeira, M. C., Bugalho, M. N., Knops, J. M. H., Dickman, C. R., Hagenah, N., Jentsch, A., Macek, P., Osborne, B. B., Laanisto, L. & Chase, J. M., 12.2025, In: Nature Communications. 16, 1, 8 p., 4903.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  4. Published

    The use of functional traits in assessing productivity in natural ecosystems

    Bordin, K. M., Morales, D. D. C., Klipel, J., Bergamin, R. S., Kramer, J. M. F., Müller, S. C., Thomas, P. A. & Rosenfield, M. F., 01.01.2025, Plant Functional Traits: Linking Climate and Ecosystem Functioning. Kumar, M., Bussmann, R. W. & Swenson, N. G. (eds.). Elsevier, p. 111-133 23 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksChapterpeer-review

  5. E-pub ahead of print

    Structure and dynamics of secondary and mature rainforests: insights from South Asian long-term monitoring plots

    Murali, A., Kasinathan, S., Bhat, K., Ratnam, J., Sankaran, M., Mudappa, D., Raman, T. R. S. & Osuri, A. M., 30.04.2025, (E-pub ahead of print) In: Plant Ecology and Diversity.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  6. Published

    Ecological assessment of forest management approaches to develop resilient forests in the face of global change in Central Europe

    Huth, F., Tischer, A., Nikolova, P., Feldhaar, H., Wehnert, A., Hülsmann, L., Bauhus, J., Heer, K., Vogt, J., Ammer, C., Berger, U., Bernhardt-Römermann, M., Böhme, M., Bugmann, H., Demant, L., Buse, J., Dörfler, I., Ewald, J., Feldmann, E., Fichtner, A., Gossner, M. M., Grams, T. E. E., Häberle, K.-H., Hagge, J., Hartmann, H., Herzog, S., Kahmen, A., Kohnle, U., Krabel, D., Krämer-Klement, K., Kreyling, J., Manthey, M., Mellert, K., Meyer, P., Mölder, A., Muffler-Weigel, L., Ohse, B., Opgenoorth, L., Rewald, B., Rothe, A., Ruehr, N., Scharnweber, T., Scherer-Lorenzen, M., Schmeddes, J., Schmerbeck, J., Schmidt, M., Seidel, D., Thomas, F. M., Tiebel, M., von Oheimb, G., Wagner, S., Weigel, R., Wilmking, M., Zang, C. & Schuldt, B., 08.2025, In: Basic and Applied Ecology. 86, p. 66-100 35 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsScientific review articlesResearch

  7. Published

    Home ranges of Sand Lizards, Lacerta agilis (Squamata: Sauria: Lacertidae), along railway tracks

    Janssen, A., Staab, M. & Rödel, M.-O., 15.05.2025, In: Salamandra. 61, 2, p. 240-255 16 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  8. Accepted/In press

    Road Disturbance Shifts Root Fungal Symbiont Types and Reduces the Connectivity of Plant-Fungal Co-Occurrence Networks in Mountains

    Radujković, D., Verbruggen, E., Clavel, J., Pauchard, A., Fuentes-Lillo, E., Barros, A., Aschero, V., Haider, S., Ratier Backes, A., Pergl, J., Vítková, M., Lučanová, A., Nuñez, M. A., Lenoir, J., Nijs, I. & Lembrechts, J. J., 2025, (Accepted/In press) In: Molecular Ecology. e17771.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  9. Published

    Canopy functional trait variation across Earth’s tropical forests

    Author collaboration for "Canopy functional trait variation across Earth’s tropical forests", Aguirre-Gutiérrez, J., Rifai, S. W., Deng, X., ter Steege, H., Thomson, E., Corral-Rivas, J. J. & Klipel, J., 01.05.2025, In: Nature. 641, 8061, p. 129-136 8 p., 16024.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  10. Published
  11. Published

    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 contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  12. Published

    Variation in wood density across South American tropical forests

    Author Collaboration für "Variation in wood density across South American tropical forests", Sullivan, M. J. P., Phillips, O. L., Galbraith, D., Almeida, E., de Oliveira, E. A., Almeida, J. & Klipel, J., 12.2025, In: Nature Communications. 16, 1, 12 p., 2351.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  13. Accepted/In press

    Tall stature and small leaves: ecological strategies that enhance tree growth across the subtropical Brazilian Atlantic Forest

    Bordin, K. M., Cianciaruso, M. V., Duarte, L. D. S., Bergamin, R. S., Klipel, J., Picolotto, R. C., Morales, D. D. C., Higuchi, P., Silva, A. C. D., Capellesso, E. S., Marques, M. C. M. & Müller, S. C., 2025, (Accepted/In press) In: Oikos. 11 p., e11235.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  14. Published

    Germination changes can restructure communities through priority effects

    Temperton, V. M., 05.2025, In: Trends in Ecology & Evolution. 40, 5, p. 426-427 2 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsComments / Debate / ReportsResearch

  15. Published

    Successful Alien Plant Species Exhibit Functional Dissimilarity From Natives Under Varied Climatic Conditions but Not Under Increased Nutrient Availability

    Milanović, M., Bakker, J. D., Biederman, L., Borer, E. T., Catford, J. A., Cleland, E., Hagenah, N., Haider, S., Harpole, W. S., Komatsu, K., MacDougall, A. S., Römermann, C., Seabloom, E. W., Knapp, S. & Kühn, I., 01.03.2025, In: Journal of Vegetation Science. 36, 2, 12 p., e70032.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  16. Published

    Biodiversity on old permanent versus restored grassland is driven by small-scale land-use intensity and habitat connectivity

    Ernst, L. M., Thiele, J., Dieker, P., Temperton, V. M. & Dauber, J., 05.2025, In: Restoration Ecology. 33, 4, 15 p., e70029.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  17. Published

    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 contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  18. Published

    Tropical forests in the Americas are changing too slowly to track climate change

    Author Collaboration "Tropical forests in the Americas are changing too slowly to track climate change", Aguirre-Gutiérrez, J., Díaz, S., Rifai, S. W., Corral-Rivas, J. J. & Klipel, J., 07.03.2025, In: Science (New York, N.Y.). 387, 6738, p. eadl5414 eadl5414.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  19. Published

    Tree diversity increases forest temperature buffering via enhancing canopy density and structural diversity

    Schnabel, F., Beugnon, R., Yang, B., Richter, R., Eisenhauer, N., Huang, Y., Liu, X., Wirth, C., Cesarz, S., Fichtner, A., Perles-García, M. D., Hähn, G., Härdtle, W., Kunz, M., Castro-Izaguirre, N., Niklaus, P. A., von Oheimb, G., Schmid, B., Trogisch, S., Wendisch, M., Ma, K. & Bruelheide, H., 01.03.2025, In: Ecology Letters. 28, 3, p. 1-11 11 p., e70096.

    Research output: Journal contributionsComments / Debate / ReportsResearch

  20. Published

    Dichotomy or continuum? A global review of the interaction between autonomous and planned adaptations

    Maskell, G., Shukla, R., Jagannathan, K., Browne, K., Ulibarri, N., Campbell, D., Franz, C. P., Grady, C., Joe, E. T., Kirchhoff, C. J., Madhavan, M., Michaud, L., Sharma, S., Singh, C., Orlove, B., Alverio, G. N., Ajibade, I., Bowen, K. J., Chauhan, N., Galappaththi, E. K., Hudson, A. J., Mach, K. J., Musah-Surugu, J. I., Petzold, J., Reckien, D., Schauberger, B., Segnon, A. C., van Bavel, B. & Gornott, C., 02.2025, In: Ecology and Society. 30, 1, 39 p., 18.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

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