2. Biodiversity: Patterns, Function and Protection

An estimated 7-15 million species live on earth. For the vast majority of them, we do not know who they are, where they live, what they do, how they interact, or how they react to the environment.

At BayCEER, we study present and past biodiversity patterns at various scales and assess the mechanisms driving them. We examine the role of biodiversity for ecosystems and their stability, and we devise strategies to protect species richness for the future. Studies are conducted in controlled lab settings, in field experiments and through documenting natural patterns. We work with plants, animals, fungi and microorganisms, we consider genetic, species and functional diversity, and work in a variety of systems from temperate grasslands to tropical forests.

Research in this field:

• Animal Ecology I
• Animal Ecology II
• BayCEER - Laboratory of Isotope Biogeochemistry
• Biogeographical Modelling
• Biogeography
• Disturbance Ecology
• Ecological Botanical Gardens
• Ecological Microbiology
• Ecology and ecophysiology of tropical plants
• Environmental Geochemistry
• Mycology
• Plant Genetics
• Plant Physiology
• Soil Ecology