Most of our research is concerned with drivers and functional consequences of biodiversity change, with the ecology and evolution of rare and invasive plants, with Alpine ecology, with Botanical Gardens (Botanical Garden of the University of Bern), and with conservation biology.

• Plant traits alone are poor predictors of ecosystem properties and long-term ecosystem functioning
  van der Plas, Fons; Schroeder-Georgi, Thomas; Weigelt, Alexandra; Barry, Kathryn; Meyer, Sebastian; et al.
  Nature Ecology & Evolution  DOI: 10.1038/s41559-020-01316-9  DEC 2020
• The results of biodiversity-ecosystem functioning experiments are realistic
  Jochum, Malte; Fischer, Markus; Isbell, Forest; Roscher, Christiane; van der Plas, Fons; Boch, Steffen; Boenisch, Gerhard; Buchmann, Nina; Catford, Jane A; Cavender-Bares, Jeannine; Ebeling, Anne; Eisenhauer, Nico; Gleixner, Gerd; Hoelzel, Norbert; Kattge, Jens; Klaus, Valentin H.; Kleinebecker, Till; Lange, Markus; Le Provost, Gaetane; Meyer, Sebastian T.; Molina-Venegas, Rafael; Mommer, Liesje; Oelmann, Yvonne; Penone, Caterina; Prati, Daniel; Reich, Peter B.; Rindisbacher, Abiel; Schaefer, Deborah; Scheu, Stefan; Schmid, Bernhard; Tilman, David; Tscharntke, Teja; Vogel, Anja; Wagg, Cameron; Weigelt, Alexandra; Weisser, Wolfgang W.; Wilcke, Wolfgang; Manning, Peter
  Nature Ecology & Evolution Nov 2020, DOI: 10.1038/s41559-020-1280-9
• Nationwide revisitation reveals thousands of local extinctions across the ranges of 713 threatened and rare plant species
  Kempel, Anne; Bornand, Christophe N.; Gygax, Andreas; Juillerat, Philippe; Jutzi, Michael; et al.
  Conservation Letters 10.1111/conl.12749  SEP 2020
• Overview of past, current, and future ecosystem and biodiversity trends of inland saline lakes of Europe and Central Asia
  Zadereev, Egor; Lipka, Oksana; Karimov, Bakhtiyor; Krylenko, Marina; Elias, Victoria; et al.
  Inland Waters  DOI: 10.1080/20442041.2020.1772034  SEP 2020
• Heterogeneity-diversity relationships differ between and within trophic levels in temperate forests
  Heidrich, Lea; Bae, Soyeon; Levick, Shaun; Seibold, Sebastian; Weisser, Wolfgang; et al.
  Nature Ecology & Evolution  DOI: 10.1038/s41559-020-1245-z  SEP 2020
• Comparing experimental and field-measured traits and their variability in Central European grassland species
  Dostal, Petr; Fischer, Markus; Prati, Daniel
  Journal Of Vegetation Science 10.1111/jvs.12875  JUL 2020
• Rare species perform worse than widespread species under changed climate
  Vincent, Hugo; Bornand, Christophe N.; Kempel, Anne; Fischer, Markus
  Biological Conservation  DOI: 10.1016/j.biocon.2020.108586  Published: JUN 2020
• Can multi-taxa diversity in European beech forest landscapes be increased by combining different management systems?
  Schall, Peter; Heinrichs, Steffi; Ammer, Christian; Ayasse, Manfred; Boch, Steffen; et al.
  Journal Of Applied Ecology 10.1111/1365-2664.13635  JUL 2020
• Context dependency of biotic interactions and its relation to plant rarity
  Kempel, Anne; Vincent, Hugo; Prati, Daniel; Fischer, Markus
  Diversity And Distributions  DOI: 10.1111/ddi.13050 Published: JUN 2020
• Plant evolutionary assembly along elevational belts at Mt. Kilimanjaro: Using phylogenetics to asses biodiversity threats under climate change
  Molina-Venegas, Rafael; Fischer, Markus; Hemp, Andreas
  Environmental And Experimental Botany, Volume: 170, Special Issue: SI, Article Number: 103853, DOI: 10.1016/j.envexpbot.2019.103853
• Invasive knotweed has greater nitrogen-use efficiency than native plants: evidence from a N-15 pulse-chasing experiment
  Parepa, Madalin; Kahmen, Ansgar; Werner, Roland A.; Fischer, Markus; Bossdorf, Oliver
  Oecologia 191(2): 389-396, DOI: 10.1007/s00442-019-04490-1, Published: OCT 2019
• Transferring biodiversity-ecosystem function research to the management of 'real-world' ecosystems
  Manning, Peter; Loos, Jacqueline; Barnes, Andrew D.; Batary, Peter; Bianchi, Felix J. J. A.; et al.
  Mechanisms Underlying The Relationship Between Biodiversity And Ecosystem Function, Edited by: Eisenhauer, N; Bohan, DA; Dumbrell, AJ
  Book Series: Advances in Ecological Research 61: 323-356, DOI: 10.1016/bs.aecr.2019.06.009, published: 2019
• Radar vision in the mapping of forest biodiversity from space
  Bae, Soyeon; Levick, Shaun R.; Heidrich, Lea; Magdon, Paul; Leutner, Benjamin F.; et al.
  Nature Communications, Volume: 10, Article Number: 4757, DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-12737-x, Published: OCT 18 2019
• Arthropod decline in grasslands and forests is associated with landscape-level drivers
  Seibold, Sebastian; Gossner, Martin M.; Simons, Nadja K.; Bluethgen, Nico; Mueller, Joerg; et al.
  Nature, 10.1038/s41586-019-1684-3 OCT 2019
• Inferring competitive outcomes, ranks and intransitivity from empirical data: A comparison of different methods
  Feng, Yanhao; Soliveres, Santiago; Allan, Eric; Rosenbaum, Benjamin; Wagg, Cameron; Tabi, A; De Luca, E; Eisenhauer, N;  Schmid, B; Weigelt, A; Weisser, WW; Roscher, C; Fischer, M
  METHODS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION, DOI: 10.1111/2041-210X.13326,  2019
• Plant functional trait shifts explain concurrent changes in the structure and function of grassland soil microbial communities
  Boeddinghaus, RS; Marhan, S; Berner, D; Boch, S; Fischer, M; Holzel, N; Kattge, J; Klaus, VH; Kleinebecker, T; Oelmann, Y; Prati, D; Schafer, D;
  Schoning, I; Schrumpf, M; Sorkau, E; Kandeler, E; Manning, P
  JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY, 107 (5):2197-2210; 10.1111/1365-2745.13182 SEP 2019
• Exclusion of large herbivores affects understorey shrub vegetation more than herb vegetation across 147 forest sites in three German regions
  Schafer, D; Prati, D; Schall, P; Ammer, C; Fischer, M
  PLOS ONE, 14 (7):10.1371/journal.pone.0218741 JUL 10 2019
• Disentangling the fundamental branching patterns of phylogenetic divergence to refine eco-phylogenetic analyses
  Molina-Venegas, R; Fischer, M; Hemp, A
  JOURNAL OF BIOGEOGRAPHY, 10.1111/jbi.13692 
• Increasing plant diversity of experimental grasslands alters the age and growth of Plantago lanceolata from younger and faster to older and slower
  Roeder, A; Schweingruber, FH; Fischer, M; Roscher, C
  OIKOS, 128 (8):1182-1193; 10.1111/oik.05739 AUG 2019
• Will I stay or will I go? Plant species-specific response and tolerance to high land-use intensity in temperate grassland ecosystems
  Busch, V; Klaus, VH; Schafer, D; Prati, D; Boch, S; Muller, J; Chiste, M; Mody, K; Bluthgen, N; Fischer, M; Holzel, N; Kleinebecker, T
  JOURNAL OF VEGETATION SCIENCE, 30 (4):674-686; 10.1111/jvs.12749 JUL 2019
• Climatic controls of decomposition drive the global biogeography of forest-tree symbioses
  Steidinger, BS; Crowther, TW; Liang, J; … Fischer, M; …; Niklaus, P; …; Schmid, B; Schongart, J; Searle, E; Seben, V; Serra-Diaz, JM; Salas-Eljatib, C; Sheil, D; Shvidenko, A; Silva-Espejo, J; Silveira, M; Singh, J; Sist, P; Slik, F; Sonke, B; Souza, AF; Sterenczak, K; Svenning, JC; Svoboda, M; Targhetta, N; Tchebakova, N; ter Steege, H; Thomas, R; Tikhonova, E; Umunay, P; Usoltsev, V; Valladares, F; van der Plas, F; Do, TV; Martinez, RV; Verbeeck, H; Viana, H; Vieira, S; von Gadow, K; Wang, HF; Watson, J; Westerlund, B; Wiser, S; Wittmann, F; Wortel, V; Zagt, R; Zawila-Niedzwiecki, T; Zhu, ZX; Zo-Bi, IC
  Group Author(s): GFBI Consortium
  NATURE, 569 (7756):404-+; 10.1038/s41586-019-1128-0 MAY 16 2019
• Climate-land-use interactions shape tropical mountain biodiversity and ecosystem functions
  Peters, MK; Hemp, A; Appelhans, T; Becker, JN; Behler, C; Classen, A; Detsch, F; Ensslin, A; Ferger, SW; Frederiksen, SB; Gebert, F; Gerschlauer, F; Gutlein, A; Helbig-Bonitz, M; Hemp, C; Kindeketa, WJ; Kuhnel, A; Mayr, AV; Mwangomo, E; Ngereza, C; Njovu, HK; Otte, I; Pabst, H; Renner, M; Roder, J; Rutten, G; Costa, DS; Sierra-Cornejo, N; Vollstadt, MGR; Dulle, HI; Eardley, CD; Howell, KM; Keller, A; Peters, RS; Ssymank, A; Kakengi, V; Zhang, J; Bogner, C; Bohning-Gaese, K; Brandl, R; Hertel, D; Huwe, B; Kiese, R; Kleyer, M; Kuzyakov, Y; Nauss, T; Schleuning, M; Tschapka, M; Fischer, M; Steffan-Dewenter, I
  NATURE, 568 (7750):88-+; 10.1038/s41586-019-1048-z APR 4 2019
• Ectomycorrhizal and saprotrophic soil fungal biomass are driven by different factors and vary among broadleaf and coniferous temperate forests
  Awad, A; Majcherczyk, A; Schall, P; Schroter, K; Schoning, I; Schrumpf, M; Ehbrecht, M; Boch, S; Kahl, T; Bauhus, J; Seidel, D; Ammer, C; Fischer, M; Kues, U; Pena, R
  SOIL BIOLOGY & BIOCHEMISTRY, 131 9-18; 10.1016/j.soilbio.2018.12.014 APR 2019
• Identifying the tree species compositions that maximize ecosystem functioning in European forests
  Baeten, L; Bruelheide, H; van der Plas, F; Kambach, S; Ratcliffe, S; Jucker, T; Allan, E; Ampoorter, E; Barbaro, L; Bastias, CC; Bauhus, J; Benavides, R; Bonal, D; Bouriaud, O; Bussotti, F; Carnol, M; Castagneyrol, B; Charbonnier, Y; Checko, E; Coomes, DA; Dahlgren, J; Dawud, SM; De Wandeler, H; Domisch, T; Finer, L; Fischer, M; Fotelli, M; Gessler, A; Grossiord, C; Guyot, V; Hattenschwiler, S; Jactel, H; Jaroszewicz, B; Joly, FX; Koricheva, J; Lehtonen, A; Muller, S; Muys, B; Nguyen, D; Pollastrini, M; Radoglou, K; Raulund-Rasmussen, K; Ruiz-Benito, P; Selvi, F; Stenlid, J; Valladares, F; Vesterdal, L; Verheyen, K; Wirth, C; Zavala, MA; Scherer-Lorenzen, M
  JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY, 56 (3):733-744; 10.1111/1365-2664.13308 MAR 2019
• Landscape-Scale Mixtures of Tree Species are More Effective than Stand-Scale Mixtures for Biodiversity of Vascular Plants, Bryophytes and Lichens
  Heinrichs, S; Ammer, C; Mund, M; Boch, S; Budde, S; Fischer, M; Muller, J; Schoning, I; Schulze, ED; Schmidt, W; Weckesser, M; Schall, P
  FORESTS, 10 (1):10.3390/f10010073 JAN 2019
• Effects of structural heterogeneity on the diurnal temperature range in temperate forest ecosystems
  Ehbrecht, M; Schall, P; Ammer, C; Fischer, M; Seidel, D
  FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT, 432 860-867; 10.1016/j.foreco.2018.10.008 JAN 15 2019
• Effects of forest management on bryophyte species richness in Central European forests
  Muller, J; Boch, S; Prati, D; Socher, SA; Pommer, U; Hessenmoller, D; Schall, P; Schulze, ED; Fischer, M
  FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT, 432 850-859; 10.1016/j.foreco.2018.10.019 JAN 15 2019
• Towards the development of general rules describing landscape heterogeneity-multifunctionality relationships
  van der Plas, F; Allan, E; Fischer, M; Alt, F; Arndt, H; Binkenstein, J; Blaser, S; Bluthgen, N; Bohm, S; Holzel, N; Klaus, VH; Kleinebecker, T;
  Morris, K; Oelmann, Y; Prati, D; Renner, SC; Rillig, MC; Schaefer, HM; Schloter, M; Schmitt, B; Schoning, I; Schrumpf, M; Solly, EF; Sorkau, E;
  Steckel, J; Steffan-Dewenter, I; Stempfhuber, B; Tschapka, M; Weiner, CN; Weisser, WW; Werner, M; Westphal, C; Wilcke, W; Manning, P
  JOURNAL OF APPLIED ECOLOGY, 56 (1):168-179; 10.1111/1365-2664.13260 JAN 2019
• Specialisation and diversity of multiple trophic groups are promoted by different forest features
  Penone, C; Allan, E; Soliveres, S; Felipe-Lucia, MR; Gossner, MM; Seibold, S; Simons, NK; Schall, P; van der Plas, F; Manning, P; Manzanedo, RD; Boch, S; Prati, D; Ammer, C; Bauhus, J; Buscot, F;
  Ehbrecht, M; Goldmann, K; Jung, K; Muller, J; Muller, JC; Pena, R; Polle, A; Renner, SC; Ruess, L; Schonig, I; Schrumpf, M; Solly, EF; Tschapka, M; Weisser, WW; Wubet, T; Fischer, M
  ECOLOGY LETTERS, 22 (1):170-180; 10.1111/ele.13182 JAN 2019
• …

• Evolutionary Ecology
• Functional Biodiversity Research
• Conservation Biology
• Invasion Biology
• Alpine Ecology

Often in the framework of several larger research units in Switzerland, Germany, China and Africa we collaborate with

• Molecular biologists
• Population geneticists and biologists
• Biodiversity and ecosystem researchers of all kinds
• Modelers, mostly on plant interactions with other organisms.