A5001210648- Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Dynamics
- Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies
- Isotope Analysis in Ecology
- Invertebrate Taxonomy and Ecology
- Forest Ecology and Biodiversity Studies
- Species Distribution and Climate Change
- Microbial Community Ecology and Physiology
- Soil and Water Nutrient Dynamics
- Nematode management and characterization studies
- Peatlands and Wetlands Ecology
- Insect-Plant Interactions and Control
- Land Use and Ecosystem Services
- Study of Mite Species
- Freshwater macroinvertebrate diversity and ecology
- Mycorrhizal Fungi and Plant Interactions
- Lichen and fungal ecology
- Meta-analysis and systematic reviews
- Plant and animal studies
- Bioenergy crop production and management
- Climate change impacts on agriculture
- Plant responses to elevated CO2
- Collembola Taxonomy and Ecology Studies
- Plant Disease Management Techniques
- Environmental Toxicology and Ecotoxicology
- Rangeland and Wildlife Management
University of Göttingen
2012-2025
Senckenberg Society for Nature Research
2025
Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre
2016-2024
Institute of Zoology
2012-2014
Technical University of Darmstadt
2007-2008
Summary The complexity of soil food webs and the cryptic habitat hamper analyses pools, fluxes turnover rates carbon (C) in organisms insight into their interactions. Stable isotope analysis has been increasingly used to disentangle web structure, yet it not applied quantitatively characterize C dynamics at level entire web. present study employed 13 CO 2 pulse labelling investigate incorporation maize root‐derived major compartments players an arable field for 25 days. Bulk tissue...
Abstract At broad spatial scales, the factors regulating litter decomposition remain ambiguous, with understanding of these largely based on studies investigating site‐specific single species, whereas using multi species mixtures across sites are rare. We exposed in microcosms containing and all possible four leaf differing widely initial chemical physical characteristics from a temperate forest to climatic conditions different forests Northern Hemisphere for 1 year. Calcium, magnesium...
Synergistic effects on decomposition in litter mixtures have been suggested to be due the transfer of nitrogen from N‐rich N‐poor species. However, dominant pathway and underlying mechanisms remain elucidated. We conducted an experiment investigate quantify control for between two species contrasting status ( 15 N labeled unlabeled Fagus sylvatica Fraxinus excelsior ) presence absence micro‐arthropods. found that was predominantly transferred actively aboveground by saprotrophic fungi,...
Closely related species often conserve similar niches despite interacting negatively. We suggest that close relatives may interact positively via ecosystem feedbacks: leaf litter produced or exposed in a closely neighbourhood (low phylogenetic isolation) decompose more quickly, leading to rapid nutrient recycling. studied decomposition of oaks Quercus petraea across 8 and 14 months, reciprocally transplanting litters between low high isolation distinguish effects mediated by quality...
Plant litter decomposition is a key regulator of nutrient recycling. In given environment, from focal species depends on its quality and the efficiency local decomposers. Both may be strongly modified by functional traits neighboring species, but consequences for remain unknown. We tested whether plant's influenced functional-trait dissimilarity to plants. cultivated two grass (Brachypodium pinnatum Elytrigia repens) in experimental mesocosms with functionally similar dissimilar...
Soil food web structure and function is primarily determined by the major basal resources, which are living plant tissue, root exudates dead organic matter. A field experiment was performed to disentangle interlinkage of root-and detritus-based soil chains. An arable site cropped either with maize, amended maize shoot litter or remained bare soil, representing webs depending on roots, aboveground matter as predominant resource, respectively. The micro-food web, i.e. microorganisms nematodes,...
Phylogenetic distances of coexisting species differ greatly within plant communities, but their consequences for decomposers and decomposition remain unknown. We hypothesized that large phylogenetic distance leaf litter mixtures increases differences traits, which may, in turn, result increased resource complementarity or decreased concentration hence chemical transformation reduction litter. conducted a mixture experiment including 12 common temperate tree (evolutionarily separated by up to...