Our working group investigates interactions between biodiversity, ecosystem functioning, and climate on spatiotemporal scales ranging local studies to the globe and from the past (mainly Neogene and Quaternary) to future scenarios.
We develop process-based and statistical computer models for simulating the dynamics of species and ecosystems, in particular dynamic regional to global vegetation models. The models are combined with various data types to improve system understanding. More applied research concerns climate impacts and the supply of ecosystems services to society. The future scenarios should inform climate adaptation measures and the identification of societal pathways to achieve sustainable development.
Furthermore we cooperate with the Hydrology Group at Goethe University Frankfurt to work on global water modelling with the aim to understand the impact of climate change on this important ressource.