Student assistants
©Leuphana / Temperton
Come work as a student helper in an exciting Real-World Lab (Sowing Lab) biodiversity project that spans both agriculture and ecological restoration:
We are looking for one or two students to come help take plant samples and work in the exciting GrünlandVielfalt project run by Lunja Ernst, Ute Petersen - Schlapkohl and Nadine Köller at the Aktion Fischotterschutz in Hankensbüttel in Lower Saxony (1 h south of Lüneburg) in collaboration with Prof. Vicky Temperton at the Institute of Ecology at Leuphana. This is a project testing knowledge from academic biodiversity and priority experiments in the real world, with the Aktion Fischerotterschutz and local farmers, all with the aim of increasing the biodiversity and multifunctionality of the grasslands of the area. Outcomes from this work will very likely have a real impact in the real world around Gifhorn and further afield. See Webpage: https://aktion-fischotterschutz.de/projekte/laufende-projekte/gruenlandvielfalt/das-gruenlandvielfalt-projekt.
When? As of 9th June until around end of June 2025 – for a period of either one full week or preferably two full weeks help in collecting hay biomass samples from the different grassland and experimental plots.
What? In this project the aim is to restore grasslands near Hankesbüttel by a) sowing different biodiversity and priority treatments b) rewetting drained moorland and grassland and c) reconnecting more biodiverse patches across the river catchment of the Ise river. Within the Sowing Lab (Ansaat-Labor) Lunja and co have set up large experimental plots across around fourteen different grassland sites along the Ise river south of Wahrenholz.
- Biodiversity and Fertilizer plots with either medium or high diversity seed mixtures sown in autumn 2024, and plots that will either receive no fertilizer, 25kg N per hectare per year or 50 kg N per ha /yr. Fourteen different grasslands have been sown.
- A priority experiment on 9 grasslands sites – where either grasses, legumes or forbs are sown 6 weeks before the remaining seed mixtures to test whether order of arrival can affect ecosystem functioning (including hay productivity). Five of the 16 sites could not be sown in autumn 2024 due to extremely wet conditions – these will be sown in October 2025. Each treatment (see Figure 1).
Who are you? We are looking for someone who with the help of Lunja Ernst and Ute and their team. Will collect hay (plant biomass samples aboveground) in the different grassland sites and experimental plots either in the Biodiversity or the Priority Experiment plots within the Living Lab.
You preferably have a driver’s license and are willing to work in the field (in the grasslands) near Hankensbüttel for a week at a time in June 2025 (for a maximum of two weeks, probably the week of the 9th June and the week of the 23rd June). There is the option to stay at the Youth Hostel (payment will be covered by the Temperton Professorship at Leuphana). During these phases, it will be necessary to work full days and stay overnight near the field sites. Lunja and co are a fun group, and this is a rewarding experience that will also equip you with important ecological fieldwork skills.
If you are interested, please contact Professor Vicky Temperton (Vicky.temperton@leuphana.de) soon!
Many thanks!
Look forward to meeting you.