About the Jena Experiment

Global as well as local biodiversity is undergoing drastic changes. Drivers of ecosystem change act in distinct ways in different ecosystems or habitats. Similar drivers (like climate change, land use) may result in different reaction of ecosystem and processes in different habitats or species communities. Over the past decades there was an increasing interest in these questions of how a diverse biotic community affects ecosystems and processes in habitats or species communities. Traditionally, biodiversity was seen as the consequence of the abiotic and biotic factors regulating a community and their species assemblages.
However, the emphasis has shifted towards understanding the consequences of biodiversity change for ecosystem functions, thus considering biodiversity itself as a driver rather than a dependent variable in an ecosystem. Measures to tackle the human impact on biodiversity require long term ecological research. A big challenge is therefore to understand how species diversity interacts with the ecosystem. However, biodiversity research cannot be successful if it limits itself to the species level. Moreover, biological interactions need to be considered, including pollination, seed dispersal, predation, soil processes and decomposition, and synthesis work as integral elements of functioning in an ecosystem.

Since 2002, therefore an international and interdisciplinary network of scientist was created for research on the complex relationship between ecosystems in an exemplary experimental field site nearby Jena in Germany. The strengths of the Jena Experiment, a full quantification of the most important element cycles as well as a coordinated investigation of above-ground and below-ground processes will be used to unravel the mechanisms underlying the observed biodiversity effects. These include species like decomposers (earthworms, arthropods and microbes), producers (60 species of plants), and consumers (species of herbivorous arthropods or parasitoids).
The idea of the Jena Experiment is unique. Its architecture permits replication and variation of spatial scale in experimental design. Project supports several aspects of research with respect to experiments in greenhouse or simulation in controlled environmental chambers (i.e. Ecotron). This artificial environment simulates natural conditions allowing experimental control over parameters like temperature, soil humidity, gas exchange. Hence, we integrate information from greenhouse tests, mesocosm studies and field experimentation at multiple sites. Combined with data mining, and modelling our integrative approach is intended to provide insights in ecosystem functioning.