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.

• Hemiparasite-density effects on grassland plant diversity, composition and biomass
  Heer, N; Klimmek, F; Zwahlen, C; Fischer, M; Holzel, N; Klaus, VH; Kleinebecker, T; Prati, D; Boch, S
  PERSPECTIVES IN PLANT ECOLOGY EVOLUTION AND SYSTEMATICS, 32 22-29; 10.1016/j.ppees.2018.01.004 JUN 2018
• Intra- and interspecific tree diversity promotes multitrophic plant-Hemiptera-ant interactions in a forest diversity experiment
  Cao, HX; Klein, AM; Zhu, CD; Staab, M; Durka, W; Fischer, M; Fornoff, F
  BASIC AND APPLIED ECOLOGY, 29 89-97; 10.1016/j.baae.2018.03.005 JUN 2018
• High land-use intensity exacerbates shifts in grassland vegetation composition after severe experimental drought
  Stampfli, A; Bloor, JMG; Fischer, M; Zeiter, M
  GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY, 24 (5):2021-2034; https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.14046 MAY 2018
• Effects of mowing, grazing and fertilization on soil seed banks in temperate grasslands in Central Europe
  Authors: Klaus, VH; Schafer, D; Prati, D; Busch, V; Hamer, U; Hoever, CJ;
  Kleinebecker, T; Mertens, D; Fischer, M; Holzel, N
  Source: AGRICULTURE ECOSYSTEMS & ENVIRONMENT, 256 211-217; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agee.2017.11.008 MAR 15 2018
• Redefining ecosystem multifunctionality
  Authors: Manning, Peter; van der Plas, Fons; Soliveres, Santiago; Allan, Eric;
  Maestre, Fernando T.; Mace, Georgina; Whittingham, Mark J.; Fischer,
  Markus
  Source: NATURE ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION, 2 (3):427-436; https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-017-0461-7 MAR 2018
• Two closely related species differ in their regional genetic differentiation despite admixing
  Authors: Schmidt, Lisanna; Fischer, Markus; Oja, Tatjana
  Source: AOB PLANTS, 10 (1): https://doi.org/10.1093/aobpla/ply007 FEB 2018
• Phylogenetic classification of the world's tropical forests 
  Author(s): Slik, J. W. Ferry; Franklin, Janet; Arroyo-Rodriguez, Victor; et al. 
  Source: PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, 115 (8): 1837-1842 FEB 20 2018 
  Document Type: Article (Details)
• Biodiversity-multifunctionality relationships depend on identity and number of measured functions
  Authors: Meyer, ST; Ptacnik, R; Hillebrand, H; Bessler, H; Buchmann, N; Ebeling,
  A; Eisenhauer, N; Engels, C; Fischer, M; Halle, S; Klein, AM; Oelmann,
  Y; Roscher, C; Rottstock, T; Scherber, C; Scheu, S; Schmid, B; Schulze,
  ED; Temperton, VM; Tscharntke, T; Voigt, W; Weigelt, A; Wilcke, W;
  Weisser, WW
  Source: NATURE ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION, 2 (1):44-49; https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-017-0391-4 JAN 2018

• 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.