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Exploring species and functional diversity in the biodiverse grasslands of Baden-Württemberg

Beschreibung

Are you interested in biodiversity and fieldwork? Join us this summer to explore the fascinating world of species-rich grasslands in Baden-Württemberg!

Grasslands on the Swabian Alb and in the Black Forest are home to an incredible variety of plants and insects. These habitats harbour rare and specialized species, making them important for biodiversity and ecosystem stability. Despite being protected, these habitats are under pressure from human activities, invasive species, and climate change. Understanding how biodiversity is changing in these grasslands is essential for conservation efforts. Therefore, in this project we are taking the first step and assess the current conservation status of these grasslands and look at the relationships between species richness and functional richness. Understanding the interplay between these types of richness is important for understanding ecosystem functionality and vulnerability.

In this project, you will help investigate how species richness (the number of species in an area) and functional diversity (differences in traits like plant height or leaf characteristics) are related. Fieldwork will involve surveying plant communities on two ecologically significant grassland types in Baden-Württemberg: calcareous grasslands on the Swabian Alb and siliceous grasslands in the Black Forest. Additional lab work will be part of the project in order to analyze plant traits and environmental factors. 

Main questions of this project are:

  • What is the species richness and functional richness in these grasslands?
  • What is the relationship between functional richness and species richness in these two grassland habitats?

What you will do:

- Identify plant species in the field
- Measure plant traits in the field and in the lab
- Analyze how biodiversity patterns vary between calcareous and siliceous grasslands

This is a great opportunity to gain hands-on research experience in ecology and conservation. You will work in an interdisciplinary environment, collaborating with researchers at the State Museum of Natural History Stuttgart and the Universities of Tübingen and Hohenheim, gaining insights into both academic research and museum-based biodiversity studies. If you enjoy working outdoors and are curious about how ecosystems function, we’d love to have you on board!

Project Supervisor: Undine Schöllkopf (undine.schoellkopf@uni-hohenheim.de) 

 

Projektzeitraum
Sommersemester 2025
Bewerbungszeitraum
01. bis 13.04.2025
Durchführung
geblockt
Details zu Projektzeitraum und Durchführung

Geblockt vom 26.05. - 27.06.2025

Studienfach
Agrarbiologie
Agrarwissenschaften
Biologie
Biologie - Lehramt
Nachwachsende Rohstoffe und Bioenergie
Sustainability & Change
Betreuende
Stephan Merz
Institut
Institut für Landschafts- und Pflanzenökologie (320) (Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde Stuttgart (SMNS))
Sprache
deutsch/englisch
Teilnehmendenanzahl
min. 1, max. 2
Arbeitsaufwand
ca. 180 Stunden pro Teilnehmende:r | 6 ECTS-Punkte

Arbeitsaufwand (Stunden und ggf. ECTS) sind ungefähre Angaben. Die tatsächlich vergebenen ECTS-Punkte ergeben sich aus der tatsächlich geleisteten Arbeit.

 
Für dieses Projekt ist kein Motivationsschreiben des Studierenden erforderlich
Projektart
experimentell
Lernziele

Die Teilnehmende lernen in diesem Projekt:

  • Practical experience of hands-on fieldwork in plant ecology 
  • Identification of grassland plant species
  • Measurement of functional plant traits, such as plant height and leaf characteristics, to assess functional diversity
  • Analysis of scientific data using the statistical software R
Anmerkungen für Studierende

Please note that the fieldwork will also be conducted in the Black Forest, and participants should be prepared for the possibility of overnight stays in the area. Transport and accommodation costs will be covered. 

For any questions please email undine.schoellkopf@uni-hohenheim.de