The Jena Experiment
@jena-experiment.bsky.social
One of the longest-running grassland biodiversity experiments worldwide (since 2002).
Uncovering the mechanisms that drive biodiversity-ecosystem functioning (BEF) relationships over time.
https://the-jena-experiment.de
Funding: @dfgpublic.bsky.social
Uncovering the mechanisms that drive biodiversity-ecosystem functioning (BEF) relationships over time.
https://the-jena-experiment.de
Funding: @dfgpublic.bsky.social
Reposted by The Jena Experiment
Huge congratulations to Pamela Medina van Berkum on successfully defending her PhD! Supervised by @sunsicker.bsky.social and Jonathan Gershenzon, her work on how plant biodiversity shapes chemical defenses bridges ecology, chemistry, and evolution. Pam is now part of Sybille’s group at @uni-kiel.de.
November 7, 2025 at 3:49 PM
Huge congratulations to Pamela Medina van Berkum on successfully defending her PhD! Supervised by @sunsicker.bsky.social and Jonathan Gershenzon, her work on how plant biodiversity shapes chemical defenses bridges ecology, chemistry, and evolution. Pam is now part of Sybille’s group at @uni-kiel.de.
This week, we had a great retreat with our PhDs, Postdocs & PIs in Leipzig @idiv-research.bsky.social
Apart from sharing our progress, we hosted a session on extreme events with guest speakers @sebastian-sippel.bsky.social & @miguelmahecha.bsky.social
Thanks for the insightful talks & discussion!
Apart from sharing our progress, we hosted a session on extreme events with guest speakers @sebastian-sippel.bsky.social & @miguelmahecha.bsky.social
Thanks for the insightful talks & discussion!
November 13, 2025 at 3:36 PM
This week, we had a great retreat with our PhDs, Postdocs & PIs in Leipzig @idiv-research.bsky.social
Apart from sharing our progress, we hosted a session on extreme events with guest speakers @sebastian-sippel.bsky.social & @miguelmahecha.bsky.social
Thanks for the insightful talks & discussion!
Apart from sharing our progress, we hosted a session on extreme events with guest speakers @sebastian-sippel.bsky.social & @miguelmahecha.bsky.social
Thanks for the insightful talks & discussion!
Reposted by The Jena Experiment
#Chemodiversity is an important driver for plant–arthropod interactions 🌿 🪲 🐝. For more info check out this very impressive work by RU members Lina Ojeda-Prieto, @robinheinennl.bsky.social binheinennl.bsky.social and Wolfgang W. Weisser together with Eliecer L. Moreno doi.org/10.1111/1365...
Intraspecific plant chemodiversity at plot level has contrasting effects on arthropod functional groups
Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.
doi.org
November 11, 2025 at 12:41 PM
#Chemodiversity is an important driver for plant–arthropod interactions 🌿 🪲 🐝. For more info check out this very impressive work by RU members Lina Ojeda-Prieto, @robinheinennl.bsky.social binheinennl.bsky.social and Wolfgang W. Weisser together with Eliecer L. Moreno doi.org/10.1111/1365...
New paper from our JenaTron facility:
Bröcher et al. show that reciprocal effects between plants and invertebrate herbivores vary with plant species richness, plant history and soil history.
Herbivores want nutritious plants with soil history, while they reduce plant height in monocultures
🐛🌱
Bröcher et al. show that reciprocal effects between plants and invertebrate herbivores vary with plant species richness, plant history and soil history.
Herbivores want nutritious plants with soil history, while they reduce plant height in monocultures
🐛🌱
📰Published📰Plant-insect interactions are shaped by plant diversity and the history of plants and soil🌱
buff.ly/QZsolZQ
🧪🌍
buff.ly/QZsolZQ
🧪🌍
Plant-insect interactions are shaped by plant diversity and the history of plants and soil.
Maximilian Bröcher, Anne Ebeling, Leonardo Bassi, Pamela Medina-van Berkum, Nicole M. van Dam, Nico Eisenhauer, Anna-Maria Madaj, Sybille Unsicker, Alexandra Weigelt, Sebastian T. Meyer This is a p…
buff.ly
October 16, 2025 at 8:30 AM
New paper from our JenaTron facility:
Bröcher et al. show that reciprocal effects between plants and invertebrate herbivores vary with plant species richness, plant history and soil history.
Herbivores want nutritious plants with soil history, while they reduce plant height in monocultures
🐛🌱
Bröcher et al. show that reciprocal effects between plants and invertebrate herbivores vary with plant species richness, plant history and soil history.
Herbivores want nutritious plants with soil history, while they reduce plant height in monocultures
🐛🌱
A new paper co-led by @henneckejustus.bsky.social
in @newphyt.bsky.social shows that
Grassland & forest community-level root traits along the fast-slow & the collaboraton gradient relate to many ecosystem functions.
➡️ future changes in plant composition may strongly alter ecosystem functioning
🌱🌲
in @newphyt.bsky.social shows that
Grassland & forest community-level root traits along the fast-slow & the collaboraton gradient relate to many ecosystem functions.
➡️ future changes in plant composition may strongly alter ecosystem functioning
🌱🌲
Super excited to see that the last chapter of my PhD on root trait - ecosystem functioning relationships is now published in @newphyt.bsky.social!
nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
Rooting for function: community‐level fine‐root traits relate to many ecosystem functions
Humans are driving biodiversity change, which also alters community functional traits. However, how changes in the functional traits of the community alter ecosystem functions—especially belowground...
nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
October 7, 2025 at 9:19 AM
A new paper co-led by @henneckejustus.bsky.social
in @newphyt.bsky.social shows that
Grassland & forest community-level root traits along the fast-slow & the collaboraton gradient relate to many ecosystem functions.
➡️ future changes in plant composition may strongly alter ecosystem functioning
🌱🌲
in @newphyt.bsky.social shows that
Grassland & forest community-level root traits along the fast-slow & the collaboraton gradient relate to many ecosystem functions.
➡️ future changes in plant composition may strongly alter ecosystem functioning
🌱🌲
Reposted by The Jena Experiment
#iDivConference2025 today I present our study co-lead w C Guimaraes-Steinicke. Great work by our student K Wende.
& great collaborators
@agwirthweigelt.bsky.social A Weigelt, S Saxena & A Anwar.
Floral vs veg structure fingerprints from #TLS intensity
#JenaExperiment #Phenology #biodiversity
& great collaborators
@agwirthweigelt.bsky.social A Weigelt, S Saxena & A Anwar.
Floral vs veg structure fingerprints from #TLS intensity
#JenaExperiment #Phenology #biodiversity
October 1, 2025 at 6:59 AM
#iDivConference2025 today I present our study co-lead w C Guimaraes-Steinicke. Great work by our student K Wende.
& great collaborators
@agwirthweigelt.bsky.social A Weigelt, S Saxena & A Anwar.
Floral vs veg structure fingerprints from #TLS intensity
#JenaExperiment #Phenology #biodiversity
& great collaborators
@agwirthweigelt.bsky.social A Weigelt, S Saxena & A Anwar.
Floral vs veg structure fingerprints from #TLS intensity
#JenaExperiment #Phenology #biodiversity
Reposted by The Jena Experiment
Three exciting #PostDoc 🧑🔬👩🔬🧕 positions on #Ecological #Synthesis at TU Darmstadt @tuda.bsky.social for Reassembly #rainforest 🇪🇨 🌱🌴🦜 & #Biodiversity Exploratories 🌲🐄🚜🪲🐝🥀@bexplo.bsky.social
Please spread widely ✉️♥️▶️ & apply quickly 🙃
www.reassembly.de/the-team/job...
Please spread widely ✉️♥️▶️ & apply quickly 🙃
www.reassembly.de/the-team/job...
September 20, 2025 at 12:36 PM
Three exciting #PostDoc 🧑🔬👩🔬🧕 positions on #Ecological #Synthesis at TU Darmstadt @tuda.bsky.social for Reassembly #rainforest 🇪🇨 🌱🌴🦜 & #Biodiversity Exploratories 🌲🐄🚜🪲🐝🥀@bexplo.bsky.social
Please spread widely ✉️♥️▶️ & apply quickly 🙃
www.reassembly.de/the-team/job...
Please spread widely ✉️♥️▶️ & apply quickly 🙃
www.reassembly.de/the-team/job...
Two new studies from our site show that
1. Plant diversity decreases the competitive superiority of non-native invaders (Roscher 2025)
doi.org/10.3897/neob...
2. Traits of the leaf economics spectrum do not always relate to species biomass (Bachmann et al. 2025)
doi.org/10.1002/ece3...
🌱🍃
1. Plant diversity decreases the competitive superiority of non-native invaders (Roscher 2025)
doi.org/10.3897/neob...
2. Traits of the leaf economics spectrum do not always relate to species biomass (Bachmann et al. 2025)
doi.org/10.1002/ece3...
🌱🍃
Traits of the Leaf Economics Spectrum Do Not Always Relate to Species Biomass Proportions in Grassland Communities of Varying Diversity
We studied traits of the “leaf economics spectrum” (LES) in 138 experimental grassland communities composed of 20 grassland species, which represented different strategies in spatial resource acquisi...
doi.org
September 12, 2025 at 9:23 AM
Two new studies from our site show that
1. Plant diversity decreases the competitive superiority of non-native invaders (Roscher 2025)
doi.org/10.3897/neob...
2. Traits of the leaf economics spectrum do not always relate to species biomass (Bachmann et al. 2025)
doi.org/10.1002/ece3...
🌱🍃
1. Plant diversity decreases the competitive superiority of non-native invaders (Roscher 2025)
doi.org/10.3897/neob...
2. Traits of the leaf economics spectrum do not always relate to species biomass (Bachmann et al. 2025)
doi.org/10.1002/ece3...
🌱🍃
Reposted by The Jena Experiment
Why are we losing arthropod biomass? Because we're losing species? Because of which species we lose? Or because of declining abundances?
Synthesizing time series from @jena-experiment.bsky.social & @bexplo.bsky.social I will present some answers @gfoesoc.bsky.social
#gfoe2025
Tue 2 Sept, 11 am 🕷️🪲
Synthesizing time series from @jena-experiment.bsky.social & @bexplo.bsky.social I will present some answers @gfoesoc.bsky.social
#gfoe2025
Tue 2 Sept, 11 am 🕷️🪲
August 30, 2025 at 10:48 AM
Why are we losing arthropod biomass? Because we're losing species? Because of which species we lose? Or because of declining abundances?
Synthesizing time series from @jena-experiment.bsky.social & @bexplo.bsky.social I will present some answers @gfoesoc.bsky.social
#gfoe2025
Tue 2 Sept, 11 am 🕷️🪲
Synthesizing time series from @jena-experiment.bsky.social & @bexplo.bsky.social I will present some answers @gfoesoc.bsky.social
#gfoe2025
Tue 2 Sept, 11 am 🕷️🪲
Reposted by The Jena Experiment
Stay tuned for more updates and make sure to tag us with #gfoe2025 so we can feature your insights of the conference. We are looking forward to see you next week!
@cofeuniwue.bsky.social
@globalchangeeco.bsky.social
@ecoresearchzoo3.bsky.social
@uni-wuerzburg.de
@cofeuniwue.bsky.social
@globalchangeeco.bsky.social
@ecoresearchzoo3.bsky.social
@uni-wuerzburg.de
August 29, 2025 at 5:56 PM
Stay tuned for more updates and make sure to tag us with #gfoe2025 so we can feature your insights of the conference. We are looking forward to see you next week!
@cofeuniwue.bsky.social
@globalchangeeco.bsky.social
@ecoresearchzoo3.bsky.social
@uni-wuerzburg.de
@cofeuniwue.bsky.social
@globalchangeeco.bsky.social
@ecoresearchzoo3.bsky.social
@uni-wuerzburg.de
Reposted by The Jena Experiment
It was a short visit, but wonderful to catch up with @eisenhauerlab.bsky.social again and to see some inspirational experimental sites at Bad Lauchstädt!
August 14, 2025 at 2:01 PM
It was a short visit, but wonderful to catch up with @eisenhauerlab.bsky.social again and to see some inspirational experimental sites at Bad Lauchstädt!
Reposted by The Jena Experiment
🌱 #Fieldwork days at The Jena Experiment - @jena-experiment.bsky.social!
Scanning roots with a minirhizotron, tracking seasonal changes & traits, plus plant surveys & soil checks. Led by PhD candidate Srijna Saxena with support from Tom Künne. Can’t wait to see what the data reveal!
#RootTraits
Scanning roots with a minirhizotron, tracking seasonal changes & traits, plus plant surveys & soil checks. Led by PhD candidate Srijna Saxena with support from Tom Künne. Can’t wait to see what the data reveal!
#RootTraits
August 8, 2025 at 9:29 AM
🌱 #Fieldwork days at The Jena Experiment - @jena-experiment.bsky.social!
Scanning roots with a minirhizotron, tracking seasonal changes & traits, plus plant surveys & soil checks. Led by PhD candidate Srijna Saxena with support from Tom Künne. Can’t wait to see what the data reveal!
#RootTraits
Scanning roots with a minirhizotron, tracking seasonal changes & traits, plus plant surveys & soil checks. Led by PhD candidate Srijna Saxena with support from Tom Künne. Can’t wait to see what the data reveal!
#RootTraits
That's us in the picture! 🖼️
Read about diversity-stability relationships in biodiversity experiments such as ours in @natecoevo.nature.com
Read about diversity-stability relationships in biodiversity experiments such as ours in @natecoevo.nature.com
In this News & Views commentary, Frank Pennekamp discusses a new study that sheds light on the mechanisms that underlie biodiversity–ecosystem stability relationships, www.nature.com/articles/s41... 🧪
Free to read: rdcu.be/ewDdf
Free to read: rdcu.be/ewDdf
July 17, 2025 at 2:41 PM
That's us in the picture! 🖼️
Read about diversity-stability relationships in biodiversity experiments such as ours in @natecoevo.nature.com
Read about diversity-stability relationships in biodiversity experiments such as ours in @natecoevo.nature.com
Reposted by The Jena Experiment
Meng et al. develop a theoretical approach and show that empirical diversity–stability relationships in grasslands are best explained by species-specific dynamics rather than by interspecific interactions www.nature.com/articles/s41... 🧪
Stabilizing effects of biodiversity arise from species-specific dynamics rather than interspecific interactions in grasslands - Nature Ecology & Evolution
The role of interspecific interactions in biodiversity–ecosystem stability relationships is unclear. Here the authors develop a theoretical approach and show that empirical diversity–stability relatio...
www.nature.com
July 16, 2025 at 1:22 PM
Meng et al. develop a theoretical approach and show that empirical diversity–stability relationships in grasslands are best explained by species-specific dynamics rather than by interspecific interactions www.nature.com/articles/s41... 🧪
👇Out in @oikosjournal.bsky.social
New research from our Ecotron facility by @elisabethboenisch.bsky.social, @eisenhauerlab.bsky.social et al 🌱
New research from our Ecotron facility by @elisabethboenisch.bsky.social, @eisenhauerlab.bsky.social et al 🌱
⚖️↔️Resource inequality limits transfer of nutrients from soils to plants in experimental grassland
vist.ly/3y5kj
#EcosystemFunctioning #Ecotron #GiniCoefficient #Grassland #NutrientDynamics #ResourceInequality
vist.ly/3y5kj
#EcosystemFunctioning #Ecotron #GiniCoefficient #Grassland #NutrientDynamics #ResourceInequality
July 16, 2025 at 5:50 PM
👇Out in @oikosjournal.bsky.social
New research from our Ecotron facility by @elisabethboenisch.bsky.social, @eisenhauerlab.bsky.social et al 🌱
New research from our Ecotron facility by @elisabethboenisch.bsky.social, @eisenhauerlab.bsky.social et al 🌱
Reposted by The Jena Experiment
Wie Artenvielfalt der Landwirtschaft nützt und wie der Rückgang der #Biodiversität unsere Lebensgrundlagen bedroht, schildert Roland Schulz in seinem Artikel über das seit 18 Jahren laufende @jena-experiment.bsky.social im Tagesspiegel (€) www.tagesspiegel.de/wissen/das-j...
Das Jena-Experiment läuft seit 18 Jahren: Wie der Rückgang von Biodiversität unsere Lebensgrundlage bedroht
Im Jena-Experiment untersuchen Forschende, welche Folgen der Verlust biologischer Vielfalt für Ökosysteme hat. Dabei beobachten sie auch ein Phänomen, das sie „Social Distancing auf der Wiese“ nennen.
www.tagesspiegel.de
July 10, 2025 at 2:58 PM
Wie Artenvielfalt der Landwirtschaft nützt und wie der Rückgang der #Biodiversität unsere Lebensgrundlagen bedroht, schildert Roland Schulz in seinem Artikel über das seit 18 Jahren laufende @jena-experiment.bsky.social im Tagesspiegel (€) www.tagesspiegel.de/wissen/das-j...
Reposted by The Jena Experiment
‼️Fresh out @natcomms.nature.com
Un(der)explored links between #plant #diversity and #POM and #MAOM in soil
nature.com/articles/s41...
@idiv-research.bsky.social
@eisenhauerlab.bsky.social
@akademievedcr.bsky.social
@charlesuni.cuni.cz
@kevin-e-mueller.bsky.social
Un(der)explored links between #plant #diversity and #POM and #MAOM in soil
nature.com/articles/s41...
@idiv-research.bsky.social
@eisenhauerlab.bsky.social
@akademievedcr.bsky.social
@charlesuni.cuni.cz
@kevin-e-mueller.bsky.social
July 1, 2025 at 2:00 PM
‼️Fresh out @natcomms.nature.com
Un(der)explored links between #plant #diversity and #POM and #MAOM in soil
nature.com/articles/s41...
@idiv-research.bsky.social
@eisenhauerlab.bsky.social
@akademievedcr.bsky.social
@charlesuni.cuni.cz
@kevin-e-mueller.bsky.social
Un(der)explored links between #plant #diversity and #POM and #MAOM in soil
nature.com/articles/s41...
@idiv-research.bsky.social
@eisenhauerlab.bsky.social
@akademievedcr.bsky.social
@charlesuni.cuni.cz
@kevin-e-mueller.bsky.social
Reposted by The Jena Experiment
🌿 ☘️ 🌱 A new study shows plant diversity boosts soil carbon — especially in under-saturated ecosystems.
Learn more about this study in a report by #iDiv's Dr. @gangst.bsky.social: www.idiv.de/plant-divers...
@natcomms.nature.com
@eisenhauerlab.bsky.social
Learn more about this study in a report by #iDiv's Dr. @gangst.bsky.social: www.idiv.de/plant-divers...
@natcomms.nature.com
@eisenhauerlab.bsky.social
July 2, 2025 at 6:45 AM
🌿 ☘️ 🌱 A new study shows plant diversity boosts soil carbon — especially in under-saturated ecosystems.
Learn more about this study in a report by #iDiv's Dr. @gangst.bsky.social: www.idiv.de/plant-divers...
@natcomms.nature.com
@eisenhauerlab.bsky.social
Learn more about this study in a report by #iDiv's Dr. @gangst.bsky.social: www.idiv.de/plant-divers...
@natcomms.nature.com
@eisenhauerlab.bsky.social
Reposted by The Jena Experiment
My colleague Tanja and I had a flash visit to Jena today, where we sampled our chemodiversity field experiment. Tomorrow, we will start a new greenhouse experiment based on these samples. Hopefully more insights from this field very soon!
June 11, 2025 at 8:29 PM
My colleague Tanja and I had a flash visit to Jena today, where we sampled our chemodiversity field experiment. Tomorrow, we will start a new greenhouse experiment based on these samples. Hopefully more insights from this field very soon!
Public broadcasting visited our experiment today to shoot a science education clip on #biodiversity
Happy to contribute to "Planet Schule" #SWR & looking forward to seeing the finished clip soon 🌱🪲🪱
Happy to contribute to "Planet Schule" #SWR & looking forward to seeing the finished clip soon 🌱🪲🪱
June 6, 2025 at 1:17 PM
Public broadcasting visited our experiment today to shoot a science education clip on #biodiversity
Happy to contribute to "Planet Schule" #SWR & looking forward to seeing the finished clip soon 🌱🪲🪱
Happy to contribute to "Planet Schule" #SWR & looking forward to seeing the finished clip soon 🌱🪲🪱
Reposted by The Jena Experiment
Excited to share our new study published in JoVE! We explore how plant history and soil history influence the functioning of grassland ecosystems. Have a look!
app.jove.com/v/67496/jena...
app.jove.com/v/67496/jena...
JenaTron - An Experimental Approach to Study the Effects of Plant History and Soil History on Grassland Ecosystem Functioning
The global loss of biodiversity has motivated many studies that experimentally vary plant species richness and examine the consequences for ecosystem ...
app.jove.com
May 19, 2025 at 11:59 AM
Excited to share our new study published in JoVE! We explore how plant history and soil history influence the functioning of grassland ecosystems. Have a look!
app.jove.com/v/67496/jena...
app.jove.com/v/67496/jena...
What a great week for Max, he also defended his PhD with great success - congratulations!
Stay tuned for more of his research on plant-consumer interactions 🌱🪲
With proud supervisors @ebelingae.bsky.social, Sebastian Meyer @terrecolgroup.bsky.social & Holger Schielzeth
Stay tuned for more of his research on plant-consumer interactions 🌱🪲
With proud supervisors @ebelingae.bsky.social, Sebastian Meyer @terrecolgroup.bsky.social & Holger Schielzeth
May 15, 2025 at 11:51 AM
What a great week for Max, he also defended his PhD with great success - congratulations!
Stay tuned for more of his research on plant-consumer interactions 🌱🪲
With proud supervisors @ebelingae.bsky.social, Sebastian Meyer @terrecolgroup.bsky.social & Holger Schielzeth
Stay tuned for more of his research on plant-consumer interactions 🌱🪲
With proud supervisors @ebelingae.bsky.social, Sebastian Meyer @terrecolgroup.bsky.social & Holger Schielzeth
Reposted by The Jena Experiment
One more day to submit abstracts for this year's international conference of the Ecological Society of Germany, Austria and Switzerland #gfoe2025: Join us in beautiful Würzburg for great ecological science, amazing keynotes and great wine! @gfoesoc.bsky.social www.gfoe-conference.de/index.php?ca...
GfÖ Annual Meeting 2025 September 01 to 05, 2025 in Würzburg, Germany
www.gfoe-conference.de
May 11, 2025 at 9:10 PM
One more day to submit abstracts for this year's international conference of the Ecological Society of Germany, Austria and Switzerland #gfoe2025: Join us in beautiful Würzburg for great ecological science, amazing keynotes and great wine! @gfoesoc.bsky.social www.gfoe-conference.de/index.php?ca...
The handsome click beetle on the cover of Ecology's May issue is one of nearly 1,400 arthropods (insects, spiders & the like) from Germany's Jena Experiment whose traits are compiled in a new Data Paper by Bröcher et al.
Find the full issue: esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/toc/19399170...
Find the full issue: esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/toc/19399170...
May 7, 2025 at 6:15 PM
Reposted by The Jena Experiment
What an honor! Thanks to the many group members and project collaborators!!! 🧪 @icos-ri.eu @fluxnet.bsky.social @jena-experiment.bsky.social
🌟Thrilled to share that @nbuchmann.bsky.social and @nicolaspaldin.bsky.social have been elected international members of the @NationalAcademies! 🇺🇸 Their groundbreaking research has earned them this incredible honour, a testament to scientific excellence. Huge congrats!
ethz.ch/staffnet/en/...
ethz.ch/staffnet/en/...
Two ETH Zurich professors elected to the National Academy of Sciences
The U.S. National Academy of Sciences inducts Nina Buchmann and Nicola Spaldin.
ethz.ch
May 6, 2025 at 3:26 PM
What an honor! Thanks to the many group members and project collaborators!!! 🧪 @icos-ri.eu @fluxnet.bsky.social @jena-experiment.bsky.social