Species community shifts
Topic & aims: There is a severe biodiversity crisis across the globe. Insects particularly suffer under ongoing habitat destruction and habitat deterioration due to agricultural intensification – as documented for major parts of Central Europe. We aim to study the dynamics of species losses, trends in relative abundances, and quantify changes in community structures, including the detection of potential drivers causing these negative trends.
Approaches & methods: The close integration of historical records from natural history collections is the prerequisite to study long-term trends. Apart from studying trends in species richness, relative abundances and community structures, we apply trait-based analyses to identify winners and losers in species communities, and identify drivers causing this biodiversity crisis.
Contact:
