How do plants, soils, and entire ecosystems respond to climate change, drought, and rising CO₂ levels? The “Research Greenhouse for Biodiversity & Ecosystem Function” project is creating a state-of-the-art greenhouse at Leuphana University, where researchers can experimentally investigate the effects of global environmental changes on vegetation development and biodiversity. This will generate new insights for the protection of biodiversity and knowledge for a sustainable future.
The project is establishing a new research infrastructure that will provide new insights into the relationships between biodiversity, climate, and ecosystem functions. Environmental changes can be specifically simulated under controlled conditions. The project combines basic ecological research with practical issues. This will generate reliable knowledge about which plant communities are resilient. The aim is to better understand mechanisms, identify resilient vegetation systems, and provide knowledge for nature conservation, agriculture, and forestry.
Climate change, land use pressure, and nutrient inputs often affect ecosystems simultaneously. Their interactions have been difficult to assess until now. Field studies have their limitations because the conditions there can hardly be separated or specifically controlled. It therefore often remains unclear how multiple stress factors jointly affect biodiversity and ecosystem services.
This is precisely where the project's innovative potential lies: controlled, multifactorial experiments in greenhouses make these interactions visible and comparable—a prerequisite for reliable predictions and solutions.
The research greenhouse enables experiments with precisely adjustable climate and environmental conditions. Temperature, water availability, and nutrient inputs can be modified individually or in combination. Plants, soils, and their interactions are systematically observed and analysed. Close links to existing laboratories, modern measurement technology, and professional data management enable rapid evaluation. This combines infrastructure and research in a new way.
The project aims to have a long-term impact. Essentially, the greenhouse will provide a permanent infrastructure for biodiversity and climate research. The results achieved will be systematically integrated into research networks, teaching, and the promotion of young talent. Open transfer to nature conservation, agriculture and forestry will strengthen practical application. Together, these beacons increase the visibility, relevance, and sustainable impact of the project work.