GRK 2300:  Enrichment of European beech forests with conifers: impacts of functional traits on ecosystem functioning (EnriCo)

• Subject Area: Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine
• Term: since 2017
• Website: Homepage
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 316045089

The recent hot and dry years left the German forest sector with 285,000 ha of damaged forests. This underscores the need to identify science-based silvicultural concepts to establish forests able to cope with predicted climate change. One widely discussed option is establishment of mixed stands. However, the effects of tree mixtures on ecosystem functions beyond biomass production have not yet been studied in sufficient detail. The proposed Research Training Group (RTG) aims to increase understanding of the performance of major pure and mixed Central European stand types by exploring the functional traits of the tree species involved and their impact on biogeochemical cycles, diversity of associated taxa, and productivity. It is generally assumed that species’ functional characteristics are more important for ecosystem functioning than species diversity per se. To test this assumption, key functional traits and the related mechanisms that drive ecosystem functioning are currently being studied in pure and mixed stands of European beech (a native deciduous hardwood tree species), Norway spruce (a native conifer widely cultivated outside its natural range), and Douglas-fir (a non-native conifer of high yield and economic value). Results from the first cohort of doctoral researchers highlighted a strong effect of abiotic site conditions on many response traits, and these turn out to be further modulated by tree species composition. In the new phase, eleven linked sub-projects will explore ecosystem processes in 40 pure and mixed stands in northern Germany that differ in soil fertility and climate. A combination of experiments and observational research will be paired with statistically sophisticated modelling approaches focusing on stand structure, growth, and the assessment of ecosystem services. In addition to strong interdisciplinary doctoral theses, the RTG programme offers a comprehensive qualification option for the doctoral researchers using a research-oriented combination of competences in interdiscipli-narity, expert knowledge, knowledge of methods, capacity for reflection, and internationality. This qualification concept is based on a demanding and structured study programme that includes intensive supervision of and support for the doctoral researchers. Using this approach, the doctoral researchers will gain key competences in the field of forest ecology in a changing climate. This can in turn open diverse career paths within and outside of academia.

• DFG Programme: Research Training Groups
• Applicant Institution: Georg-August-Universität Göttingen
• Spokesperson: Professor Dr. Christian Ammer
• Participating Researchers: Dr. Matthias Albert; Professor Niko Balkenhol, Ph.D.; Dr. Dietrich Hertel; Professor Dr. Thomas Kneib; Professor Dr. Norbert Lamersdorf; Professor Dr. Christoph Leuschner; Professorin Dr. Carola Paul; Professorin Dr. Andrea Polle; Professor Dr. Stefan Scheu; Professor Dr. Andreas Schuldt; Professor Dr. Dominik Seidel