My research is focused on plant-environment relationships against the background of global change. In my work, I am particularly interested in fundamental research on the mechanisms of the spread and distribution of plants and plant communities. My studies address effects of edaphic and climatic factors just as interactions with biotic factors including soil biota, pathogens, herbivores, and human impact. My research is related to questions of community ecology and evolutionary ecology. Most notably, I am interested in the role of biodiversity for ecosystem functions and mechanisms of biological invasions. To address research questions both from an ecological and an evolutionary perspective, I conduct experimental field studies, common garden and greenhouse experiments, lab studies just as observational studies in temperate and subtropical regions.
Keywords: Plant invasions, plant evolutionary ecology, plant-environment-relationships, biodiversity-ecosystem functioning

photo: Jolan Kieschke