A5029623682- Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies
- Plant and animal studies
- Sociology and Education Studies
- Species Distribution and Climate Change
- Public Administration and Political Analysis
- Forest ecology and management
- Forest Management and Policy
- Forest Ecology and Biodiversity Studies
- Law and Political Science
- Plant Parasitism and Resistance
- Conservation, Biodiversity, and Resource Management
- Light effects on plants
- Botany and Plant Ecology Studies
- Biological Control of Invasive Species
- Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Dynamics
- Insect and Pesticide Research
- Plant responses to elevated CO2
- Insect and Arachnid Ecology and Behavior
- Allelopathy and phytotoxic interactions
- Rangeland and Wildlife Management
- Plant and fungal interactions
- Gender Diversity and Inequality
- Biocrusts and Microbial Ecology
- Genetic diversity and population structure
- Feminism, Gender, and Social Issues
Kiel University
2016-2025
German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research
2013-2021
Ecological Society of America
2019
John Wiley & Sons (United States)
2019
Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg
2005-2017
Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research
2017
Leuphana University of Lüneburg
2017
Luther University
2012
Albrecht von Haller Foundation
2004
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...
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...
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...
Subtropical broad-leaved forests in southeastern China support a high diversity of woody plants. Using comparative study design with 30 × m plots (n = 27) from five successional stages (<20, <40, <60, <80, and ≥80 yr), we investigated how the gradient species composition reflects underlying processes community assembly. In particular, tested whether richness adult trees shrubs decreased or increased assessed to which degree this pattern was caused by negative density dependence continuous...
The aim of our research was to understand small-scale effects topography and soil fertility on tree growth in a forest biodiversity ecosystem functioning (BEF) experiment subtropical SE China. Geomorphometric terrain analyses were carried out at spatial resolution 5×5 m. Soil samples different depth increments data height collected from total 566 plots (667 m2 each). soils analyzed for carbon (soil organic [SOC]), nitrogen, acidity, cation exchange capacity (CEC), exchangeable cations base...
Summary Environmental selection and dispersal limitation are two of the primary processes structuring biotic communities in ecosystems, but little is known about these shaping soil microbial during secondary forest succession. We examined ectomycorrhizal ( EM ) fungi young, intermediate old forests a C hinese subtropical ecosystem, using 454 pyrosequencing. The fungal community consisted 393 operational taxonomic units OTU s), belonging to 21 lineages, which three lineages 11 s showed...
Carbon-focused climate mitigation strategies are becoming increasingly important in forests. However, with ongoing biodiversity declines we require better knowledge of how much such account for biodiversity. We particularly lack information across multiple trophic levels and on established forests, where the interplay between carbon stocks, stand age, tree diversity might influence carbon-biodiversity relationships. Using a large dataset (>4600 heterotrophic species 23 taxonomic groups) from...
Abstract Soil properties and terrain attributes are of great interest to explain model plant productivity community assembly (hereafter P&CA). Many studies only sample surface soils, may therefore miss important variation deeper soil levels. We aimed identify a critical depth in which the relationships between P&CA were strongest due an ideal interplay among attributes. On 27 plots subtropical Chinese forest varying tree herb layer species richness productivity, 29 six columns four...
Summary Species‐rich grasslands are highly endangered habitats in Central Europe. To halt their ongoing loss, many sites have become subjects of restoration efforts. Traditionally, success is measured using target species or by comparing similarity composition. Here, we suggest to additionally use functional community composition assess as traits might offer mechanistic insights into processes. In a 5‐year experiment, annually evaluated the responses (i) floristic and diversity, (ii) number...
Evolutionary processes greatly impact the outcomes of biological invasions. An extensive body research suggests that invasive populations often undergo phenotypic and ecological divergence from their native sources. Evolution also operates at different distinct stages during invasion process. Thus, it is important to incorporate evolutionary change into frameworks invasions because allows us conceptualize how these may facilitate or hinder success. Here, we review such processes, with an...
Abstract Biodiversity–ecosystem functioning ( BEF ) research has extended its scope from communities that are short‐lived or reshape their structure annually to structurally complex forest ecosystems. The establishment of tree diversity experiments poses specific methodological challenges for assessing the multiple functions provided by In particular, inconsistencies and nonstandardized protocols impede analysis multifunctionality within, comparability across increasing number experiments....
Abstract Plant diversity begets at other trophic levels. While species richness is the most commonly used measure for plant diversity, number of evolutionary lineages (i.e. phylogenetic diversity) could theoretically have a stronger influence on community structure co‐occurring organisms. However, this prediction has only rarely been tested in complex real‐world ecosystems. Using comprehensive multitrophic dataset arthropods and fungi from species‐rich subtropical forest, we whether tree or...
Previous studies have shown that the invasive spread of Rhododendron ponticum in British Isles is influenced by more favourable environmental conditions new territory than species’ home range. In this study, we asked whether invasion success might also involve a genotypic background for higher growth and germination rates populations. We tested hypotheses populations absolute rates, germinate faster exhibit rates. present data from greenhouse climate chamber experiments with seed material...
Question: Knowledge of the interaction between understorey herb and overstorey tree layer diversity is mostly restricted to temperate forests. How do environmental variables affect attributes in subtropical forests these relationships change course succession? Do abundance woody saplings within shift during Location: Subtropical broad-leaved southeast China (29°8′18″-29°17′29″N, 118°2′14″118°11′12″E). Methods: A full inventory including all plants below 1-m height was done 27 plots (10 × 10...
Abstract Subtropical and tropical forests are biodiversity hotspots, untangling the spatial scaling of their diversity is fundamental for understanding global species richness conserving essential to human well-being. However, scale-dependent distributions among coexisting taxa remain poorly understood heterogeneous environments in biodiverse regions. We show that relations 43 taxa—including plants, arthropods microorganisms—in a mountainous subtropical forest highly nonlinear across scales....
Ecosystem functioning and human well-being critically depend on numerous species interactions above- belowground. However, unraveling the structure of multitrophic interaction webs at ecosystem level is challenging for biodiverse ecosystems. Attempts to identify major relationships between trophic levels usually rely simplified proxies, such as diversity. Here, we propose consider full information composition across levels, using Procrustes correlation structural equation models. We show...
Abstract Questions The forest herb layer provides a multitude of ecosystem services as result its species‐rich character. Herb diversity and biomass are both influenced by tree composition species richness through species‐specific influences on environmental conditions. results observational studies richness–biomass relationships between have not been unequivocal. We examined identity effects richness, composition, nutrient concentrations in young experimental plantations. Location BIOTREE...
ABSTRACT Genetic diversity and competitive ability, though extensively studied in the context of biological invasions, are still poorly understood their relative importance, especially when shifting perspective from an individual plant's phenotype to overall population performance. Most approaches addressing role genetic involve comparison standing variation field populations combined with experimental treatments on plants. Composing predefined mixtures manipulate would be approach test for...
Abstract Aim Our aim was to test for changes in growth patterns of three clonally growing plant species ( Achillea millefolium , Hieracium pilosella and Hypericum perforatum ) between native invaded regions. We addressed the hypotheses that with differing important life‐history traits, invasive populations perform better than populations, this expected performance is linked weakened trade‐offs individual sexual clonal reproduction. Location Germany New Zealand. Methods conducted field...