The Jena Experiment

Scientific Investigators

Christiane Roscher (PI)
Peter Dietrich
Anna Roeder
Tina Buchmann


About The Project:

The Jena Experiment is a long-term grassland biodiversity experiment established in 2002 (DFG FOR456/1451) with the major aim to understand the mechanisms underlying biodiversity-ecosystem functioning relationships. In the framework of the Jena Experiment we are involved in studying the development of the plant communities as well as the responses of individual plant species to plant community diversity. For example, we have quantified for the first time plant diversity effects on a large number of life-cycle characteristics of all species of the Jena Experiment.

One major focus of our current research is to study the role of evolutionary processes for plant species responses to plant community diversity, plant history and soil history.