Effects of climate and land use change on biodiversity and ecosystem functioning of pollinators and decomposers

The research unit “Kilimanjaro ecosystems under global change: Linking biodiversity, biotic interactions and biogeochemical ecosystem processes" comprises two central projects and seven subprojects from various disciplines at the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Africa. Subproject (SP) 7 analyses two important ecosystem processes: pollination and decomposition. The group in Marburg studies decomposition with SP7. From combined litter and soil samples the meso- and macrofauna will be extracted. Furthermore the epigaeic fauna is sampled using pitfall traps. Identification to morphospecies, measuring of body size and DNA-barcoding will be applied to estimate biodiversity and size structure (SP 8). Diversity, abundance and size structure of soil fauna taxa will be related to floral diversity, climate, land use, biogeochemical processes (SP1-3) and aboveground diversity (SP4-8). Decomposition rates and the contribution of size classes of decomposers will be measured using litter bags differing in mesh size. Experiments with litter mixtures will be performed to test for adaptations of decomposers to local conditions as well as the effect of litter diversity on decomposition rates along altitudinal gradients.

Further information: http://www.bayceer.uni-bayreuth.de/kilimanjaro/

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