Biodiversity and the Functioning of Selected Terrestrial Ecosystems: Agricultural Systems

Microalgae in Ecology: Ecosystem Functioning Experiments

Ecosystem functioning is one of the most striking topics in ecological research. All human beings depend on the functioning of ecosystems and the services provided by ecosystems [1]. Ecosystem services provide food from e.g. agriculture and fish as well as clean water and air. Thus, the functioning of ecosystems is a crucial topic of experimental studies in ecology. The first known ecological e...

Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning of Selected Terrestrial Ecosystems: Grasslands

Expanding scales in biodiversity-based research: challenges and solutions for marine systems

As in terrestrial biodiversity, human influences over marine biodiversity will alter the way ecosystems contribute to biogeochemical or ecosystem processes. While many studies have documented how alterations of terrestrial biology affect ecosystem functioning, few studies have examined marine systems. The main challenge faced by biodiversity and ecosystem functioning (BEF) research in marine ec...

Diversity of Plants and Animals in Mountain Ecosystems in Tajikistan

Tajikistan is a hotspot of plant and animal species diversity and endemism andis important for the conservation of biodiversity on a global scale. The country is located ata biological crossroads. Species from Central and Northern Europe, Central Asia, theMiddle East, and North Africa mingle here with endemics found nowhere else. Therichness of Tajikistan‘s biodiversity shows up at the genetic,...

Global environmental impacts of agricultural expansion: the need for sustainable and efficient practices.

The recent intensification of agriculture, and the prospects of future intensification, will have major detrimental impacts on the nonagricultural terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems of the world. The doubling of agricultural food production during the past 35 years was associated with a 6.87-fold increase in nitrogen fertilization, a 3.48-fold increase in phosphorus fertilization, a 1.68-fold i...