Numerous species are becoming extinct worldwide, but in many regions the number of species is increasing due to the release of alien, sometimes invasive species. Changes in biodiversity are therefore complex and scale-dependent. More than 40,000 species of organisms are known from Germany alone. Experts with taxonomic and ecological knowledge are needed to study this diversity.

We investigate how environmental influences and land use affect the diversity of different groups of organisms (vascular plants, spiders, insects, birds). One focus is on species that fulfill important ecosystem functions but are also affected by global environmental changes. A further component of our work is the creation of environmental awareness and the transfer of environmental knowledge to society.

Energy and material flows through ecosystems include various processes such as primary production, herbivory and litter decomposition. As predators and pollinators, insects regulate many of these processes, including in agriculture and forestry. Sustainable land use by humans must therefore take such ecosystem functions into account.
We investigate relationships between management and biodiversity to better understand ecosystem functions. This is of particular interest in relation to global warming. Our work ranges from microcosms in the laboratory to field experiments, landscape-level surveys and macroecological studies across the continent.

Humans have a serious impact on the biosphere. Land use change, climate change and biological invasions threaten biodiversity and ecosystem services and thus have an impact on socio-economic and social aspects.
We investigate the impact of invasive plants and animals in natural and cultural landscapes. In addition, we use biological invasions to analyze fundamental ecological processes such as competition and dispersal. Changes in climate and land use lead to changes in biotic interactions and distribution patterns, which we investigate using experiments and modeling.