Confobi: Conservation of Forest Biodiversity in Multiple-Use Landscapes of Central Europe: B3) Diversity and functions of plant-insect interactions along a forest retention gradient

Background and state of research. Insect communities and their interactions with plants are structured by habitat elements of ecosystems and their surrounding landscapes. For example diversity of some functional groups such as predatory ants changes with vegetation diversity and density at the scale of forest plots(1) while the amount of forest in a landscape increases the diversity and functions of insect communities relying on forest(2). Hence the retention of structural elements in forest stands (habitat trees, dead wood) and their surrounding landscapes (amount of forest) shape the diversity of insects and their functions. From research on the effectiveness of management practices and habitat enhancement to increase insect diversity and ecosystem functions in agricultural landscapes(3) general hypotheses were formulated(2): for example the intermediate landscape complexity hypothesis describes that management at the habitat scale aiming to enhance biodiversity and ecosystem functions are most effective in landscapes of medium complexity. How landscape complexity and plot-scale habitat elements interact and influence insect diversity and related functions in forest landscapes is not known.

Weitere Informationen: http://www.nature.uni-freiburg.de/forschung/Laufende Projekte/ConFoBi
Ansprechpartner: Prof. Dr. Alexandra-Maria Klein

Projektbeginn: 01.07.2016
Projektende: 30.06.2019

Prof. Dr. Alexandra-Maria Klein (Univ. Freiburg)
Stellvertretung: Dr. Michael Staab
Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg
Professur für Naturschutz und Landschaftsökologie
Prof. Dr. Alexandra-Maria Klein
Tennenbacher Straße 4
79106 Freiburg

Telefon: +49 (0) 761 203-67770
Fax: +49 (0) 761 203-3638
Email: alexandra.klein@nature.uni-freiburg.de
https://www.nature.uni-freiburg.de/

• PhD student MSc.Anna Knuff

• DFG, DFG