Research projects
Research Geobotany Section
We aim to understand how plant communities are structured, maintained, and transformed across spatial and temporal scales under environmental change. Our research focuses on the mechanisms shaping plant diversity, community assembly, and ecosystem functioning, integrating phytosociology, vegetation ecology, and biogeography with functional trait approaches and quantitative methods. Particular emphasis is placed on linking plant–environment interactions with early life-cycle stages, such as reproduction, regeneration, and establishment, to better understand vegetation dynamics. By combining field studies, long-term vegetation records, and trait datasets across diverse ecosystems, we connect short-term processes with long-term biodiversity change. In doing so, we contribute to a broader understanding of ecosystem dynamics and resilience within the Institute of Earth System Sciences.
Library: a unique collection
The section hosts and curates a comprehensive and historically significant reference library, maintained as a non-circulating (Präsenz-) library and available to interested researchers upon prior arrangement with the secretariat. The collection comprises extensive vegetation-ecological literature from across the world and reflects the long tradition of phytosociological (“Geobotanik”) research at the site. The library and associated archives are currently being digitized to ensure long-term preservation and accessibility.
A central component is the scientific estate of Reinhold Tüxen, which has been curated at the institute since 1987 and represents a unique resource for phytosociological and long-term vegetation research. The archival holdings also include numerous diploma, Bachelor’s, and Master’s theses documenting patterns and drivers of plant diversity in Northern Germany.
Geobotanical research
Vegetation ecology and biodiversity
Prof. Dr. Sergey Rosbakh
