Exploratories for Large-Scale and Long-Term Functional Biodiversity Research (SPP 1374)
Deadline: 01. April 2022
In the framework of the Infrastructure Priority Programme „Exploratories for Large-Scale and Long-Term Functional Biodiversity Research“ (SPP 1374), established in 2006, the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) invites the submission of research grant proposals.
Research in the Biodiversity Exploratories encompasses comparative, experimental and theoretical approaches, as well as scientific syntheses, addressing the following themes:
- relationships of land use and land-use intensity with all facets of biodiversity;
- consequences of changes in land use, land-use intensity and biodiversity for the functioning of ecosystems, communities, populations and for ecosystem services;
- the social-ecological context of the relations between land use, biodiversity and ecosystem services.
A more mechanistic understanding of land use – biodiversity – ecosystem functioning relationships is an important ambition for the new phase. The common research design and joint efforts of all involved projects provided an unprecedented density of information, samples, data and time series, which is all available to create added value with further research. Moreover, joint multi-site experiments in grasslands and forests are available for work toward further mechanistic insights.
In addition to projects from the fields of the life sciences and natural sciences working on all aspects of the two first themes mentioned above, research is also welcome on the social-ecological context in which the relations between land use, biodiversity and ecosystem services are embedded. Such social-ecological research (e.g. on, but not limited to, social, economic, or governance aspects) should specifically address the context of the forest and grassland sites of the Biodiversity Exploratories.
