Department

A research initiative to identify and publicise Germany’s biodiversity

Considerable parts of this diversity are still unknown: While we know the species of large animals and plants very well, there are large gaps in our knowledge of less conspicuous invertebrates, microscopic plants, fungi and microorganisms. However, they are immensely important for the function of our ecosystems. Under the umbrella of ‘Unknown Germany’, a consortium of more than 50 researchers is conducting a large number of research projects to record this hidden diversity. This consortium currently includes eight research institutions, and a number of associated projects are already underway. In addition, a large number of research projects will be submitted to various funding organisations in the coming months and years. The initiative is set to run for at least 10 years and new players, institutions and projects will be added on an ongoing basis.

https://unbekanntes-deutschland.org/en/

Edaphobase is a non-commercial data infrastructure developed and hosted by the Senckenberg Museum of Natural History Görlitz in Germany, combining data from heterogeneous sources on soil animals, their distribution and habitat parameters of their sites of occurrence and making this data available to the public in open access. Edaphobase lives from the cooperation with numerous soil zoologists who upload their data to the database and thus make them available for overarching analyses and insight. The database currently focusses on Europe-wide soil-biodiversity data, but includes data from around the globe.

Edaphobase currently includes data on Nematoda, Collembola, Oribatida, Gamasina, Chilopoda, Diplopoda, Isopoda, Enchytraeidae, and Lumbricidae. The data model allows adding additional taxonomic groups easily, as long as the current (nomenclaturally complete) taxonomy and systematics of the group are provided. Edaphobase combines data on the taxonomy, zoogeography and ecology of these organisms in a comprehensive manner.

The data in Edaphobase originate from the scientific literature, unpublished results of field studies (theses, reports), collections of museums and research institutions as well as raw data from research studies and well-founded observations. Data types comprise modern taxonomic nomenclatures and synonyms, geographical references, quantities of collected organisms, soil parameters, vegetation, meteorological data, sampling and extraction methods, identification methods, preparation techniques and behavioural data. Altogether, data can be entered into (currently) ca. 620 available data fields in the above-mentioned categories.

Edaphobase is strongly geared towards common data re-use and provision of data and online analysis tools. It follows the FAIR principles and can offer DOIs for submitted data sets. Metadata are defined (including mandatory and recommended fields; in line with i.e. DataCite and INSPIRE standards), as are all data fields in the data base (including formats, units, etc.).

The database is publically available (open access) via a web-based data-query browser portal. All data (provided it is not anonymized or in an embargo period) can be queried and collated via multiple filters and be downloaded by registered users. Simple queries are possible as well as more sophisticated analyses of different data groups. Specific applications include, e.g., mapping taxa’s distributions, the elucidation of species-specific habitat preferences (niche space), or environmental correlations with population densities.

Edaphobase is a data provider to the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF).

Soil BON Foodweb is a voluntary initiative established in 2021 to assess drivers and functions of soil animal biodiversity and interactions in soil food webs on a global scale. Currently the initiative includes 33 countires. We share sampling sites with Soil Biodiversity Observation Network (Soil BON), contribute to joint data analyses, and have similar overarching goals, but focus on soil animal communities across micro-, meso-, and macrofauna. https://soilbonfoodweb.org

Within the BMBF-sponsored research initiative BonaRes , a new knowledge centre for soil functions and services in Germany has been developed: the BonaRes – Centre for Soil Research. The Centre is a cooperative project of the Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ, the Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF), the Senckenberg Museum of Natural History Görlitz (SMNG), the Technical University of Munich, the Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR) and the Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen.

The main goals are to examine the effects of land use on soil functions and to develop strategies for a sustainable use and management of soils. Towards these goals, a soil information system is being established that collects the expertise of scientists from different areas of soil research (i.e., soil science, microbiology and zoology). Within this collaboration, the SMNG is primarily responsible for soil zoology as well as linking Edaphobase with the BonaRes Centre.

Soils are a complex system, in which many factors and processes work together to produce complicated interactive structures. The manifold physical, chemical and biological interactions result in soil functions and ecosystem services such as nutrient cycling, water filtration, or the development and stabilization of soil structure. Agricultural primary production ultimately depends on these processes. The comprehensive understanding of soil systems is essential to securing or increasing harvests in the long term.

To this end, within the BonaRes Centre, the SMNG works on the identification and quantification of biological drivers of soil functions, the development of indicators for assessing these functions, the analysis of effects of agricultural management practices on soil fauna, as well as the provision of biological parameters for models of soil functions.

The project is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), Project Management Jülich (PtJ), under the project number (FKZ) 031B0511D.

The “DiGraSo” project is investigating the causes of the decline in grassland diversity in protected areas in the Czech-Saxon border region and will run from 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2027. The European Union is funding the project with a total of €1,079,743, of which SGN will receive €244,414.33. The project involves the Technical University of Liberec as lead partner as well as the Senckenberg Society for Nature Research, the Czech Agricultural University in Prague and the Technical University of Dresden.

Meadows and pastures are among the most species-rich habitats in Central Europe, but their diversity is declining despite conservation efforts. Current management methods are evidently not sufficient to prevent the negative impact of humans and climate change on biodiversity. It is still unclear which factors are causing the loss of species in grassland and how this can be counteracted. While vegetation and nutrient availability have been investigated, there is little knowledge about the influence of soil components on plant diversity.

In the DiGraSo project, a Czech-Saxon research team is recording above- and below-ground biodiversity in managed protected areas with species-rich and species-poor grassland in the German-Czech border region. The aim is to identify key factors that influence biodiversity on these sites. To this end, 36 sites, 18 each in the Czech Republic and Saxony, will be analysed. On each of the 36 sites, an area with species-rich vegetation will be compared with an area with species-poor vegetation.

Plant and soil parameters will be recorded, including plant cover, dry matter yield, soil physical and soil chemical parameters as well as soil fauna (earthworms, horn mites and nematodes) and flora. The aim is to recommend suitable, site-specific cultivation methods by analyzing the interactions between these parameters and the weather and climate conditions.

Red lists are an important tool for the risk assessment of species based on their population status and population trends. They help legislators and authorities to decide about conservation measures. At the same time, they contain species lists that contribute to the inventory of species diversity in Germany. The first Red Lists for soil animals in Germany (Diplopoda, Chilopoda, Lumbricidae) were compiled in our department. The existing Red Lists are currently being revised and the Red List of oribatid mites is in preparation.

#GlobalCollembola is a global network of springtail ecologists and taxonomists, joinig over 140 researchers worldwide. Our aims include synthesis of existing data and knowledge, join experiments and expertise sharing

The Section Mesofauna currently chairs the EU COST Action “EUdaphobase”, a European consortium of presently more than 80 participants from 30 countries, including the European Commission as well as European agencies.

At least 18 EU directives presently address the protection of soil, soil ecosystem services and/or soil biodiversity. Furthermore, many soil functions leading to ecosystem services are biotically driven. Soil protection thus requires coordinated efforts for the evaluation of soil biota throughout Europe. Without proper baseline data and reliable tools for soil-state assessment, it is currently difficult to efficiently address such goals. European authorities and stakeholders therefore urgently need reliable tools for monitoring and evaluating the biotic condition of soils within policy assessment. Procedures for assessing soil biodiversity as well as establishing baselines and current states must be based on existing data and knowledge, preferably accumulated from national or local databanks.

The EUdaphobase Action is expanding the Edaphobase soil-biodiversity data platform, creating the structures and procedures necessary for developing an open-access Europe-wide data infrastructure for soil invertebrate, fungi, bacteria and archaea. The goal is to establish a pan-European data and knowledge warehouse for understanding, protecting and sustainably managing soil biodiversity and its functions. A focal approach is to combine available soil biota’s distributional & trait data with environmental metadata to gain insight into functional relationships in soils. The activities follow an information flow from data providers to users of assessment tools. The data warehouse will host and allow open sharing of data. The consortium is developing standardized terminologies, data quality-control protocols and ecological traits used as proxies for soil ecosystem services (ESS). The Action will curate, harmonize, quality check and standardize existing data according to protocols agreed upon during the Action. To operationalize assessments of the state of soil concerning biodiversity and ESS, specific analytical tools will be developed that recognize and visualize (i.e. on maps) functional biological characteristics of soils related to type, use and management practices as well as determine and delineate ecosystem services, baselines, relationships and set the basis for forecasting changes.

The Action is financed by the Horizon 2020 Program of the EU under the Action number CA18237.

Soils serve as habitats for an immense variety of animals and microorganisms, whose biological activity forms the basis of many soil functions and ecosystem services. Despite their importance, comprehensive monitoring of soil fauna has not yet been possible due to a lack of methods capable of assessing the composition of invertebrate communities, their biomass, and their functions on a large scale. In MetaInvert, we are therefore developing the necessary genomic resources, laboratory, and bioinformatics tools for metagenome-based monitoring of soil invertebrate communities.

To this end, we are creating a genomic database for approximately 300 species spanning a broad taxonomic spectrum of soil invertebrates: springtails, acari, nematodes, enchytraeids, tardigrades, millipedes, isopods, and several other groups.

The accuracy and efficiency of the metagenomic approach are being tested using artificially assembled soil animal communities. These artificial communities enable sensitivity and specificity analyses regarding taxonomic identification and the extraction of biomass information from the number of sequenced DNA fragments.

In the INPEDIV project, funded by the Leibniz “Cooperative Excellence” program, we are investigating the effects of organic and conventional agriculture on biodiversity in German protected areas. INPEDIV is an interdisciplinary collaborative project involving seven partner institutions led by the Alexander Koenig Zoological Research Museum in Bonn and has been funded under the Leibniz Competition from early 2019 through the end of 2023. Using established methods and new technologies, we are jointly investigating the effects of agricultural land use, with a particular focus on the impact of pesticides on a wide range of plant and animal groups. The study sites are located in the Rhineland and Brandenburg.

With these objectives in mind, the soil zoologists at Senckenberg Görlitz are investigating the relative importance of local and landscape factors for the diversity and abundance of soil animals and soil biological activity. At the species level, the focus is on oribatid mites (Oribatida), nematodes (Nematoda), and earthworms (Lumbricidae). We investigate how their patterns change along a gradient of pesticide exposure, soil nutrient content, and management intensity—from farmland into adjacent protected areas.

In close collaboration with colleagues from ZALF and the University of Bonn, the Görlitz Department of Botany is investigating changes in the composition of plant communities across a range of habitats, from croplands to dry grasslands, with a focus on the transition zone. We are also measuring differences in soil nutrient conditions and mapping variations in landscape structure using GIS-based analyses of drone imagery.

Development of Standards for the Photographic Documentation of Light-Microscopic Permanent Specimens in Unstable Embedding Media

Scientifically motivated digitization is not viewed as a new technology, but rather as the norm.

DFG- Practical Guidelines on “Digitization” 02/2013, funded by the DFG: DFG XY 12/6-1

This digitization enables researchers to access the objects quickly and preserves the originals. The networking of a wide variety of online resources creates a research infrastructure that opens up entirely new possibilities for science. In order to use the digital images of the objects in research, the digitized materials must have been produced under the same documented conditions. This requires the establishment of clear standards for digitization.

For transparent and semi-transparent three-dimensional microscopic objects, such as microinvertebrates or microscopic parts of fungi, plants, or other animals, the development of such standards is still in its early stages. This DFG-funded project aims to develop these standards and recommendations.

We recommend the following standard procedure for digitizing three-dimensional objects in permanent microscopic slides of soil animals: (1) the creation of image series across different focal planes or optical sections (Z-stacks); (2) the use of a microscope with motorized focus; (3) at least one image with a scale bar and length measurement; (4) brightfield microscopy, particularly differential interference contrast (DIC); (5) the following data should be recorded as metadata: photographer/person who took the images, date of capture, manufacturer/model of microscope, model/manufacturer of camera.

The advantages of Virmisco:

• Virtual access to collections
  for taxonomic studies, such as type specimens: Borrowing becomes obsolete and prevents damage or loss, especially in the case of old or poorly preserved material.
• New possibilities for taxonomic publications: The inclusion of image series in VIRMISCO to supplement descriptions leads to more objective and traceable documentation of the examined objects.
• Teaching and taxonomic training, as it serves as a virtual reference collection.

Virmisco contains more than 4,700 image series of approximately 172 species and over 354 specimens from the collections of the Senckenberg Museum of Natural History in Görlitz; Acari (Gamasina, Uropodina, Oribatida), Collembola, Myriapoda (Diplopoda, Chilopoda, Pauropoda), Nematoda, Plathelminthes, Tardigrada, Insecta (Diptera).

Primary Succession

In collaboration with the BTU Cottbus, we have been studying the spatial and temporal colonization dynamics of soil animals in a 6-hectare artificially created initial ecosystem since 2005. Until 2009, the research was conducted as part of the DFG Collaborative Research Center Transregio 38. Just a few weeks after their formation, the new soils were colonized by nematodes and microarthropods. The Mesofauna, Nematoda, Apterygota, Arachnida, and Oribatida sections are investigating the temporal sequence of colonization by additional species, the population establishment of already immigrated species within the study area, and thus the spatio-temporal community development during primary succession. In addition to the dependence of such processes on the concurrent vegetation establishment and soil development, the study examines the ecological requirements of primary colonizing species as well as the temporal development of trophic levels in the soil food web.

German Barcode of Life – Inventory and molecular biological characterization of Germany’s animals, plants, and fungi

As part of the GBOL consortium of German research institutes, funded by the BMBF, Senckenberg’s soil zoologists conducted an inventory of selected groups of soil animals in Germany:

Collembola (springtails), Nematoda (nematodes), Oribatida (horn mites), and Gamasina (predatory mites) in subproject GBOL4, as well as Myriapoda (centipedes and millipedes) in eastern Germany for subproject GBOL1. The inventory also included the creation of a genetic fingerprint (DNA barcode), thereby providing the first insights for Germany to assess soil biodiversity at the genetic level.

Based on soil animals collected throughout Germany and their molecular data, it became possible to identify and characterize cryptic species groups and to determine intraspecific diversity among geographically distant populations.

Contactt:

Dr. Karin Hohberg +49 3581 476055-31, karin.hohberg@senckenberg.de
Dr. Ulrich Burkhardt +49 3581 476055-89, ulrich.burkhardt@senckenberg.de

For more information about the overall project, visit  www.bolgermany.de

Functional Adaptation of Soil-Dwelling Decomposers to Climate Change

As part of the “Forest of the Future” project at the LOEWE Research Center “Biodiversity and Climate” (BiK-F), the effects of southern European oak species on native soil fauna and, in particular, on soil biological processes of litter decomposition were investigated. In the Rhine Valley of southern Hesse, severe drought-related damage occurred in existing oak forests, prompting an evaluation of drought-resistant oak species from southern Europe regarding their potential as future forest trees.

Concurrently, the effects of the litter from these oak species (Quercus ilex, Q. frainetto, and Q. pubescens) on the soil fauna and its functions were investigated. A long-term monitoring program documented potential community-ecological changes in the native litter decomposers. Preference and turnover experiments in the laboratory examined the ability of the most important “leaf fragmenters” to decompose the litter of the experimental trees compared to native deciduous species (Q. robur, Fagus sylvatica). Net bag experiments measured the decomposition rates and pathways of these tree species in the field.

The role of human activities in the introduction of non-native species into Antarctica and in the distribution of organisms within the Antarctic

UBA Research & Development Project 01.10.2009 – 30.09.2011

FKZ 3709 85 157a

The main goal of the project was to assess the potential influence on Antarctic terrestrial ecosystems by increasing tourism. The project aimed at estimating the anthropogenic influence on the distribution of organisms within as well as on the introduction of non-native species into Antarctica, both in areas frequently visited by tourists and near research stations. Furthermore, the efficiency of possible preventive and precautionary measures was be investigated and evaluated.

Changes in species’ distributions are best considered within the framework of landscape ecology, which is, however, difficult to study in continents such as Antarctica. Due to their very small radius of action and their extreme habitat fidelity, soil organisms allowed the study of landscape-level processes at very small spatial scales. Taxonomically, soil organisms have been relatively well studied in Antarctica and are important, species- and individual-rich components of terrestrial ecosystems, especially in biotically relatively simple ecosystems as in Antarctica. Therefore, the present study concentrated on soil organisms (flora and fauna), which allowed the research questions to be answered in a necessarily limited area of the Antarctic Peninsula.

Although literature concerning Antarctic soil flora and fauna as well as biological databanks for the Antarctica exist, with which taxonomic results could be compared, data from the possible origins of neobiota, e.g., the southern regions of South America, was practically non-existent. It was thus nearly impossible to evaluate whether detected but unknown species were undescribed endemics of Antarctica or originated from southern hemispheric continents. The evaluation of possible anthropogenic affects on species’ distributions was therefore be approached indirectly at different levels:

• Changes in the ß-diversity, i.e. the biodiversity of different microhabitats, within single locations. Especially in fragile and ecologically limited ecosystems as in Antarctica, undisturbed sites contain diverse microhabitats. These microhabitats harbour different species compositions and community structures, i.e. ß-diversity is high. In locations with high tourism pressure, species introduction can be higher between microhabitats of a single location than between continents, resulting in a biotic homogenisation of microhabitats and an overall reduction in the ß-diversity of a location.
• Zoogeographical distribution patterns. Different locations along the coast of Antarctica will be sampled, allowing the evaluation of the biogeographical distribution patterns of the registered species at larger spatial scales. In sites with high tourism pressure, a species composition containing more species with a wide distribution range and fewer locally endemic species than undisturbed sites, can indicate an anthropogenic influence on the distribution patterns of Antarctic organisms. Depending on the presence of locally endemic or more widely distributed species, possibly endangered locations (i.e., those with high levels of endemism) will be identified that should be exempted from tourism.
• Possible direct proof of introduced species. Despite the lack of taxonomic knowledge of southern-hemispheric soil organisms, introduction of some non-native species in Sub Antarctic islands, where the climatic conditions are not as harsh, is known. Registration of these species on the Antarctic continent – while not very probable due to climatic differences – will directly and explicitly indicate the introduction of none-native species.
• Evaluation of possible direct mechanisms of species introduction (“bootwashing”). A likely mechanism of species’ introduction is direct dispersal by, i.e., the footwear of visiting tourists. Therefore, the shoes and boots of tourists will be sampled and studied before and after visiting locations on the Antarctic continent for the presence of soil organisms.

The research project was commissioned by the German Federal Environment Agency and is carried out by the Senckenberg Museum of Natural History Görlitz, Germany, in close co-operation with international experts on soil invertebrates (Mikhail Potapov, Moscow; Alexander Brückner, Vienna; Sandra McInnes, Oxford). It is graciously supported by two cruise tour operators (Hapag-Lloyd and Delphin Tours) and their expedition leaders.

In the Antarctic summer of 2009/2010 soil samples were taken from nine different sites of the Antarctic Peninsula; six of which were frequently visited by tourists, three by research personal .

Sampling occurred in a statistical block design, comparing areas of high human impact with closely neighbouring areas without impact. Samples were transported back to Germany, where soil animals were extracted by various methods – on average 1-2 weeks after sampling – and then sorted into the animal groups Collembola, Oribatida, Gamasina, Prostigmata, Nematoda and Tardigrada. All animals were individually embedded on microscopic slides and determined to species level by the participating European taxonomic specialists. Ground vegetation occurring on the samples (mostly mosses, lichens and algae) were determined directly after animal extraction. Soil chemical and physical analyses of the samples were subsequently performed to ensure comparability of the contrasted sampling areas.

Determination of some animal groups is still ongoing. To date over 70 species of soil organisms have been identified, with many more still expected. Antarctic sites frequented by tourists are generally areas with high wildlife density (penguins, seals). The influence of this wildlife on soils and soil organisms can mask human trampling effects. Despite such difficulties, reduced

Example of the microarthropod densities in the sampling sites of one location (Arctowski Station, King George Island) densities in human-impacted areas could be detected for soil animals in general and especially for Collembola and Oribatida. These preliminary results were, however, site specific. Due to the still ongoing determination, effects on total species richness have not yet been determined. Nonetheless, based on data from Collembola and Oribatida, a reduced variability between species assemblages of human-impacted sites could be statistically identified, albeit somewhat marginally. This indicates a reduced ß-diversity of soil animal communities (“community homogenization”) within these localities due to human influence. This must still be confirmed with the data from all organism groups. As of yet, possibly introduced non-indigenous species (Collembola, Prostigmata) have only been identified from one location (Deception Island). Especially this site has a long history of human activity and, in particular, has warmer soils due to volcanic activity, which allows occurrence of species not adapted to Antarctic environmental conditions.

In the Antarctic summer of 2010/2011 seven sites – five of which were different from the previous year – were sampled as described above.

Sample processing, again as stated above, is presently ongoing. Additionally, on one cruise ship tour, the efficacy of on-board boot-washing techniques was tested by spot tests of a representative subset of the passenger’s boots after they were returned to the passenger’s lockers. Preliminary results show that boot-washing was not 100% effective, as sporadic individuals of soil animals (mainly Nematoda) could be identified from the boots after disinfection and boot-washing. This is most probably not due to an inherent inefficiency of the boot-washing methods, but rather to tourist behaviour regarding the methods. Furthermore, it could not be determined whether the soil animals remained
viable after disinfection, which should be tested by direct ecotoxicological experiments with the disinfectant. Final results of the study are expected by mid-2012.

Besides direct comparison of the identities of registered species with known non-native species, the biological data will be analysed using various biodiversity parameters (α-, β- and γ-diversity) of microhabitats, locations and all locations together. Comparison of the ß-diversity within anthropogenically influenced and relatively uninfluenced sites will allow identification of the level of disturbance on species’ distributions and thus potential introduction of species at small spatial scales. Based on the observed distribution of registered species throughout all sampling sites, species will be indentified that have wide and limited (= “locally endemic”) distributions. The proportions of these species groups will then be evaluated for each sampled location. A comparison of these proportions in touristically frequently and infrequently visited locations will provide an indication of anthropogenic species dispersal at larger spatial scales.

Projektpartner

German Federal Environmental Agency    (Section I 3.5 – Protection of the Antarctic)
Fritz Hertel

Senckenberg Museum für Naturkunde Goerlitz, Germany   
Dr. Axel Christian (Gamasida)
Dr. Karin Hohberg (Nematoda)
Dr. Volker Otte (Mosses, Lichens)
Dr. David Russell (Actinedida)

Pedagogical University Moscow, Russia
Dr. Mikhail Potapov (Collembola)

University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna, Austria
Prof. Dr. Alexander Brückner (Oribatida)

British Antarctic Survey, Cambridge, UK
Dr. Sandra McInnes (Tardigrada)

The Edaphobase online database links data and metadata on the occurrence of soil animals with habitat parameters of the collection sites, as well as with a wealth of additional information. It features analysis tools and a user-friendly data input and output interface. Data storage and retrieval are free of charge for all users. Within the department, a team leads the development of this central Senckenberg research infrastructure.

Since 2008, the Senckenberg Museum in Görlitz has been publishing the international, peer-reviewed journal *Soil Organisms*. The editors are Prof. Dr. Willi Xylander, Prof. Dr. Nico Eisenhauer, and Prof. Dr. Anton Potapov, with contributions from researchers in the Department of Soil Zoology. The journal publishes articles on the systematics, ecology, biology, and biogeography of soil organisms. The articles are available online via Open Access (free of charge for authors and users).

More information is available on the Soil Organisms website.

With a website and an app (Android, iOS), “BODENTIER hoch 4” makes it easier for all nature-loving teens and adults to EXPERIENCE, IDENTIFY, RECORD, and EXPLORE soil animals.

Click here to visit the website.

We encourage students to attend our practical courses to get hands-on experience with soil zoology and ecology (Ecology of soil animals and Key taxa)

Annelid fauna of an extensively managed meadow orchard

Supervisor: Nicole Scheunemann

Type: Internship (earthworms) or MSc thesis (Enchytraeidae + earthworms)

Extensively managed meadow orchards can be hotspots of biodiversity where populated areas meet farmland. Soil biodiversity benefits from microhabitats (hedgerows, stone piles etc.) as well as pesticide-free management and low-intensity sheep grazing or mowing. In the vicinity of Görlitz, one such meadow orchard is being investigated for its aboveground as well as belowground biodiversity. In this project, we will add to the already existing data set by investigating biodiversity of earthworms and Enchytraeidae (potworms) biodiversity in grazed as compared to mowed areas of the meadow orchard, and will also investigate the effect of different microhabitats for these animal groups. The work will consist of 1-2 days field work, followed mainly by morphological identification of animals using (stereo) microscopes. The following analysis and report will focus on differences in biodiversity between different parts of the meadow orchard, as well as comparison to other animals groups (existing data set) and literature, highlighting advantages and disadvantages of individual management practices.

Enchytraeidae area mass regression

Supervisor: Nicole Scheunemann

Type: Internship

Enchytraeidae (potworms) fulfil important ecosystem functions e.g., in decomposition of organic material, turbation of soil, and in the food web. Next to the rather time-consuming species identification, biomass of these animals provides important information on their share in ecosystem functioning. But estimating the biomass has been complicated and needed precise length measurements in the past. In this project, biomass of a number of Enchytraeidae will be measured alive and in dried animals. In addition, animals will be scanned using a paper scanner to estimate the area covered by their body. From these scans, together with the real biomass measurements, an area-mass relationship (regression) will be built to make future estimates of biomasses possible from easy scans instead of complicated length measurements. The project will not include neither field work nor identification work. Instead, delicate weight measurements and computer work will be conducted.

Enchytraeidae of German grassland sites

Supervisor: Nicole Scheunemann

Type: MSc thesis (plus preceding internship), available from October 2026

Within the framework of DFG Biodiversity Exploratories, the BE-DEF project investigates the effect of land use intensity on the biodiversity and ecosystem functions mediated by Enchytraeidae (potworms) in grasslands. This MSc project will investigate a subset of sampling sites of the BE-DEF project and focusses on comparing Enchytraeidae community composition between either grazed vs. mowed, high vs. low intensity grazed sites, or fertilized vs. unfertilized grasslands. There will be no fieldwork included, but morphological identification of Enchytraeidae using microscopes, evaluation of individual morphological traits, and analysis of proteome fingerprints or stable isotope patterns of Enchytraeidae. For these analyses, preparation of lab measurements and anaylsis of results will be conducted, but not the measurement itself.

Trends in soil fauna communities over time

Supervisors: Nicole Scheunemann, Borbála Szabó

Type: Internship

The TrenDiv project (“Trends in hidden taxa and habitats – understanding the extent and impact of the biodiversity crisis”) investigates how communities of different soil animal taxa have changed over the last 40-50 years. We resample sites where soil animal communities have been described during the 1980s and 1990s to find out how the biodiversity crisis is affecting soil ecosystems. This internship will focus on single datasets, i.e. sampling sites, from this project, and compare historical and recent animal densities, biomass and/or diversity. There is no fieldwork or animal extraction included. Instead, Collembola or Oribatida will be sorted from pre-extracted animal communities using stereo microscopes. Identification to morphospecies or evaluation of morphological traits can be learned, and biomass estimates will be conducted using a scanner. Further, environmental factors like soil pH, soil texture, and C:N ratio will be measured.

Molecular methods and population genetics. High throughput sequencing of “legacy” DNA markers to explore the biodiversity of soil organisms.

Supervisor: Clément Schneider

Type: Internship+Thesis

The aim of this project is to improve molecular laboratory methods for the sequencing of so called legacy DNA markers (nu-rDNA, mtDNA) useful for streamlined phylogenetic placement and identification of soil organisms. We propose an internship that focus on methodology. The offer could be further expended as a master thesis, in which you would analyses the diversity and connectivity of Springtails species populations in three monitoring sites of Germany, through population genetics.   The project offers training in molecular method, laboratory work and bio-informatics, including first hand insight into third generation high-throughput DNA sequencing (Oxford Nanopore).   Your main qualities are motivation, thoroughness and ability to show autonomous thinking, in particular in bibliography search and reading to find new ideas. Determination is also required to break through the lab work (lots of trial and error and troubleshooting is anticipated). Familiarity with a coding language and/or Linux environment is a major plus to harness the bio-informatics steps.  

MSc Thesis: Establishment of a fine grain monitoring scheme for soil mesofauna communities combining meta-genomics and image analysis (Deep-Learning).

Supervisor: Clément Schneider

Type: Thesis

Soil mesofauna communities are an essential part of soil ecosystems and their richness and composition can provide bio-indicators of soil wellness. However their analysis through traditional means is time-consuming The aim of this project is to establish a fine grain monitoring scheme of soil mesofauna communities combining image analysis (deep-learning) and meta-genomics. During the master thesis, the student goal is to establish a protocol and strategy to leverage innovative approaches (image analysis and meta-genomics) to allow monitoring of soil animals at high spatial and temporal resolution. In practice, the imaging and laboratory methods are pre-established and will require only transfer knowledge to the student. In turn the student is expected to help fine-tuning the methods and apply them to a real world study case. The project is for students interested the development and application of innovative tools for biodiversity monitoring. Programming skills are required (R or Python).“

Laboratory experiment: How environmental structure supports biodiversity?

Supervisor: Anton Potapov

Type: Internship+Thesis

What drives biodiversity in ecosystems? This is one of the most fundamental questions in ecology. However, there is still a lot to learn. In this innovative project, we would like to run experiment(s) to understand how ecosystem structure (distribution of resources and habitats in space and time) affects biodiversity of organisms at different scales (micro/macro). During the project, the student will construct different mini-ecosystems in the laboratory and populate them with organisms to see responses in soil biodiversity. The project is suitable for students who are interested to develop and test new bold ideas in the field of general ecology.

Field experiment: How soil detritivores support litter carbon sequestration in soil organic matter

Supervisor: Anton Potapov

Type: Internship+Thesis (not earlier than autumn 2024)

Did you know that soil invertebrates can consume >90% of fallen leaves in the forest? In fact, top layers of the soil are often consisting mainly of invertebrate faeces. This facilitates microbial growth in soil, but can it also facilitate productions and stabilisation of soil organic matter? To address this question, we participate in a cross-European pilot experiment with isotopically labelled invertebrate faeces. The student would prepare and implement a subset of the experiment near of Görlitz as a part of international team. The project is suitable for students who are interested in experimentation with soil functions and carbon cycling.