Helge Bruelheide
A5087973896- Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies
- Plant and animal studies
- Species Distribution and Climate Change
- Forest Ecology and Biodiversity Studies
- Forest ecology and management
- Botany and Plant Ecology Studies
- Plant Water Relations and Carbon Dynamics
- Forest Management and Policy
- Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Dynamics
- Mycorrhizal Fungi and Plant Interactions
- Land Use and Ecosystem Services
- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation
- Plant Parasitism and Resistance
- Tree-ring climate responses
- Conservation, Biodiversity, and Resource Management
- Lichen and fungal ecology
- Plant Pathogens and Fungal Diseases
- Animal Ecology and Behavior Studies
- Peatlands and Wetlands Ecology
- Rangeland and Wildlife Management
- Tree Root and Stability Studies
- Soil erosion and sediment transport
- Mediterranean and Iberian flora and fauna
- Plant Ecology and Soil Science
- Plant responses to elevated CO2
Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg
2016-2025
German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research
2016-2025
Luther University
2011-2025
Leipzig University
2024
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft
2013-2024
University of Bologna
2024
University of Göttingen
1994-2021
Friedrich Schiller University Jena
2021
Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e. V. (DLR)
2021
Wittenberg University
2020
Abstract Plant traits—the morphological, anatomical, physiological, biochemical and phenological characteristics of plants—determine how plants respond to environmental factors, affect other trophic levels, influence ecosystem properties their benefits detriments people. trait data thus represent the basis for a vast area research spanning from evolutionary biology, community functional ecology, biodiversity conservation, landscape management, restoration, biogeography earth system...
The biodiversity-productivity relationship (BPR) is foundational to our understanding of the global extinction crisis and its impacts on ecosystem functioning. Understanding BPR critical for accurate valuation effective conservation biodiversity. Using ground-sourced data from 777,126 permanent plots, spanning 44 countries most terrestrial biomes, we reveal a globally consistent positive concave-down BPR, showing that continued biodiversity loss would result in an accelerating decline forest...
Collaboration broadens the “root economics space” ranging from “do-it-yourself” to “outsourcing” mycorrhizal partners.
Tree diversity improves forest productivity Experimental studies in grasslands have shown that the loss of species has negative consequences for ecosystem functioning. Is same true forests? Huang et al. report first results from a large biodiversity experiment subtropical China. The study combines many replicates, realistic tree densities, and plot sizes with wide range richness levels. After 8 years experiment, findings suggest strong positive effects on carbon accumulation. Thus, changing...
Spatial structure of species change Biodiversity is undergoing rapid driven by climate and other human influences. Blowes et al. analyze the global patterns in temporal biodiversity using a large quantity time-series data from different regions (see Perspective Eriksson Hillebrand). Their findings reveal clear spatial richness composition change, where marine taxa exhibit highest rates change. The tropics, particular, emerge as hotspots losses. Given that activities are affecting magnitudes...
Abstract Making agriculture sustainable is a global challenge. In the European Union (EU), Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) failing with respect to biodiversity, climate, soil, land degradation as well socio‐economic challenges. The Commission's proposal for CAP post‐2020 provides scope enhanced sustainability. However, it also allows Member States choose low‐ambition implementation pathways. It therefore remains essential address citizens' demands and rectify systemic weaknesses in CAP,...
The BioTIME database contains raw data on species identities and abundances in ecological assemblages through time. These enable users to calculate temporal trends biodiversity within amongst using a broad range of metrics. is being developed as community-led open-source time series. Our goal accelerate facilitate quantitative analysis patterns the Anthropocene.The 8,777,413 abundance records, from consistently sampled for minimum 2 years, which need not necessarily be consecutive. In...
Abstract The importance of biodiversity in supporting ecosystem functioning is generally well accepted. However, most evidence comes from small‐scale studies, and scaling‐up patterns biodiversity–ecosystem (B‐EF) remains challenging, part because the environmental factors shaping B‐EF relations poorly understood. Using a forest research platform which 26 functions were measured along gradients tree species richness six regions across Europe, we investigated extent potential drivers context...
Forest ecosystems are an integral component of the global carbon cycle as they take up and release large amounts C over short time periods (C flux) or accumulate it longer stock). However, there remains uncertainty about whether in which direction fluxes particular stocks may differ between forests high versus low species richness. Based on a comprehensive dataset derived from field-based measurements, we tested effect richness (3-20 tree species) stand age (22-116 years) six compartments...
Abstract Aim The EUNIS Habitat Classification is a widely used reference framework for European habitat types (habitats), but it lacks formal definitions of individual habitats that would enable their unequivocal identification. Our goal was to develop tool assigning vegetation‐plot records the system, use classify database, and compile statistically‐derived characteristic species combinations distribution maps these habitats. Location Europe. Methods We developed classification expert...
Significance In the context of climate change, expected drier and warmer environmental conditions will have drastic consequences on forest functions services may bring about important drought-induced die-off events. Biodiversity promotes ecosystem performance resistance to insect pests diseases, but whether or not diverse forests are also better adapted deal with drought stress remains unknown. Within our study network 160 stands across Europe, we found that mixed species less exposed in...
Summary Biodiversity–ecosystem functioning ( BEF ) experiments address ecosystem‐level consequences of species loss by comparing communities high richness with from which have been gradually eliminated. originally started microcosms in the laboratory and grassland ecosystems. A new frontier experimental research is manipulating tree diversity forest ecosystems, compelling researchers to think big comprehensively. We present discuss some major issues be considered design trees illustrate...
Abstract As of 2020, the world has an estimated 290 million ha planted forests and this number is continuously increasing. Of these, 131 are monospecific under intensive management. Although important in providing timber, they harbor less biodiversity potentially more susceptible to disturbances than natural or diverse forests. Here, we point out increasing scientific evidence for increased resilience ecosystem service provision functionally species (hereafter referred as forests) compared...
Human-induced biodiversity change impairs ecosystem functions crucial to human well-being. However, the consequences of this for multifunctionality are poorly understood beyond effects plant species loss, particularly in regions with high across trophic levels. Here we adopt a multitrophic perspective analyze how affects biodiverse subtropical forests. We consider 22 independent measurements nine central energy and nutrient flow find that individual more strongly affected by diversity...
The area of forest plantations is increasing worldwide helping to meet timber demand and protect natural forests. However, with global change, monospecific are increasingly vulnerable abiotic biotic disturbances. As an adaption measure we need move that more diverse in genotypes, species, structure, a design underpinned by science. TreeDivNet, network tree diversity experiments, responds this assessing the advantages disadvantages mixed species plantations. currently consists 18 distributed...
Many experiments have shown that local biodiversity loss impairs the ability of ecosystems to maintain multiple ecosystem functions at high levels (multifunctionality). In contrast, role in driving multifunctionality landscape scales remains unresolved. We used a comprehensive pan-European dataset, including 16 measured 209 forest plots across six European countries, and performed simulations investigate how plot-scale richness tree species (α-diversity) their turnover between (β-diversity)...
Abstract Aims Vegetation‐plot records provide information on the presence and cover or abundance of plants co‐occurring in same community. data are spread across research groups, environmental agencies biodiversity centers and, thus, rarely accessible at continental global scales. Here we present sPlot database, which collates vegetation plots worldwide to allow for exploration patterns taxonomic, functional phylogenetic diversity plant community level. Results version 2.1 contains from...
Abstract There is considerable evidence that biodiversity promotes multiple ecosystem functions (multifunctionality), thus ensuring the delivery of services important for human well-being. However, mechanisms underlying this relationship are poorly understood, especially in natural ecosystems. We develop a novel approach to partition effects on multifunctionality into three and apply European forest data. show throughout Europe, tree diversity positively related with when moderate levels...
Abstract Impacts of climate change on individual species are increasingly well documented, but we lack understanding how these effects propagate through ecological communities. Here combine distribution models with network analyses to test potential impacts >700 plant and animal in pollination seed-dispersal networks from central Europe. We discover that interact a low diversity have narrow climatic niches most vulnerable change. In contrast, biotic specialization plants is not related...
Global change drivers are rapidly altering resource availability and biodiversity. While there is consensus that greater biodiversity increases the functioning of ecosystems, extent to which buffers ecosystem productivity in response changes remains unclear. We use data from 16 grassland experiments across North America Europe manipulated plant species richness one two essential resources-soil nutrients or water-to assess direction strength interaction between diversity alteration on...
Abstract Climate change and other anthropogenic drivers of biodiversity are unequally distributed across the world. Overlap in distributions different have important implications for attribution potential interactive effects. However, spatial relationships among whether they differ between terrestrial marine realm has yet to be examined. We compiled global gridded datasets on climate change, land‐use, resource exploitation, pollution, alien species human population density. used multivariate...
Humans have elevated global extinction rates and thus lowered scale species richness. However, there is no a priori reason to expect that losses of richness should always, or even often, trickle down at regional local scales, though this relationship often assumed. Here, we show can modulate our estimates change through time in the face anthropogenic pressures, but not unidirectional way. Instead, magnitude increase, decrease, reverse, be unimodal across spatial scales. Using several case...