Hauptinhalt

Research & Projects

In the research group Ecological Plant Geography, plants are studied from the level of the individual (ecophysiology, functional ecology) up to the ecosystem (plant interactions, spatial ecology). In particular we study how spatial distribution patterns of plant functional groups, at various spatial scales, can be explained and predicted based on the plants’ physiological, physiognomical and ecological properties and possibilities.

Central questions are:

  • Where and why do plants reach their limits?
  • How do distributional limits shift when conditions (e.g. climate) change?
  • What role do plant-plant interactions play in the dynamics of distributional limits and plant communities?


Systems of our special interest are plants in the alpine zone, including the alpine treeline, epiphytic plants and bryophytes (mosses and liverworts), especially in the tropics. 

Themes