Confobi: Conservation of Forest Biodiversity in Multiple-Use Landscapes of Central Europe: B3) Diversity, functions and trophic interactions of arthropods

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. In the second period of the project the focus will be on biomass, functional diversity and food webs of Hymenoptera and potentially further arthropod taxa: Extening the analysis of the Hymenoptera data collection so far by measuring biomass and functional diversity. Collecting field data of arthropod-based food webs. Assessing interaction networks of cavity-nesting Hymenoptera with trap nests. Analysing all data in the context of forest structure and landscape variables, particularly forest connectivity.

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

Projektbeginn: 01.07.2019
Projektende: 30.06.2022

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. Nolan Rappa

• DFG, DFG