Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre

Frankfurt/M.

The Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre was established 2008 as a joint venture the Senckenberg – Leibniz Institution for Biodiversity and Earth System Research (SGN) and Goethe University of Frankfurt am Main (GU), the ISOE – Institute for Social-Ecological Research and other partners. It was funded by the Federal State of Hesse in the framework of the Initiative for the Development of Scientific and Economic Excellence (LOEWE). After a six-year LOEWE funding, the centre was permanently integrated into Senckenberg from 1 January 2015 on and has since been named ‘Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre’ and is part of the  Leibniz Association.

Mission and research

The mission of the Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre is study the complex interactions between biodiversity and climate as well as their changes. Using a broad spectrum of state-of-the-art methods from satellite-supported remote sensing of climate, area and ecosystem reactions to advanced genomics and mass spectrometry, we analyse and document  past and present patterns and processes with the goal of providing reliable predictions of future developments. We look into genes, species and ecosystems and study processes spanning several years up up to millions of years. In particular we investigate:

  • Geobiodiversity and climate: The impacts of climate and landscape change on biodiversity and ecosystem functions
  • Evolution and climate: The impacts of climate on genetic and genomic diversity
  • Ecosystem services and climate: The impacts of climate-driven biodiversity change on social-ecological systems

Our research centre integrates the multi-faceted expertise required for the in-depth investigation and management of climate-related biodiversity changes at local, national, European and global levels, including those that are relevant to the environment and health. It thereby contributes to the goals of international agreements at the regional, European and global levels, e.g. the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Fauna-Flora-Habitat (EU-FFH) or the Water Framework Policies of the European Union (EU-WRRL).