Spatial scaling of biodiversity and ecosystem functions in rainforest transformation landscapes

• Applicants: Professor Dr. Ingo Grass; Professorin Dr. Catrin Westphal
• Subject Area: Ecology and Biodiversity of Plants and Ecosystems
• Term: since 2024
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 532858005

The proposed project forms part of the bundle of projects “Conversion of rainforests: Biodiversity and landscape-scale perspectives”. It is grouped into six work packages, each of them heavily building on the previous work done in the project B09 (Aboveground biodiversity patterns and processes across rainforest transformation landscapes) of the CRC 990 “Ecological and socioeconomic functions of tropical lowland rainforest transformation systems, Sumatra (Indonesia)” (EFForTS). Three of the work packages (WPs 1-3) aim at continuing and finalizing work which had been anticipated to be done during the current Phase 3 of EFForTS but could not be achieved due to a moratorium on research permits issued by the Indonesian government during the Covid 19 pandemic. In Phase 3 of EFForTS, a major field campaign of biodiversity and ecosystem functions across in the framework of the EFForTS Landscape Assessment (EFForTS-LA) was conducted, covering 124 study sites and hundreds of smallholder households across Jambi Province, Indonesia. The proposed project aims at synthesizing the collected data to make full use of the unique, large-scale dataset for spatial scaling of biodiversity and ecosystem functions across the studied landscapes. In WP1, we will determine how land use at local and landscape scales affects the diversity of above- and belowground taxa and ecosystem functions across rainforest transformation systems, including nonlinear effects at different spatial scales. In WP2, we will predict variation in biodiversity and ecosystem functions from three-dimensional vegetation structure at plot and landscape level derived from airborne LiDAR. The goal of WP3 is to disentangle alpha, beta, and gamma diversity of taxonomic groups across the study region and identify species loss and replacement across sites due to environmental variation, land use, and spatial effects. The work in WP4 and WP5 involves interdisciplinary collaborations with other projects of the bundle application. In WP4, we will continue our collaboration with the EFForTS-BEE project and examine the long-term trajectories in bat and bird communities and predation rates in the experiment. In WP5, we will collaborate with the EFForTS-ABM and the Economics & Policy projects of the bundle application to conduct policy-based scenario modeling to identify landscapes that provide high multifunctionality and mitigate trade-offs between socio-economic and environmental goods. The task of WP6 is to continue the scientific coordination of research activities related to the EFForTS-LA, including data curation, communication, and facilitation of interdisciplinary syntheses activities. Overall, the proposed project will analyse in a comprehensive way the local and landscape level determinants of biodiversity and ecosystem functions in rainforest transformation landscapes, allowing to scale up from the plot to the landscape scale.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• International Connection: Indonesia
• Cooperation Partners: Professorin Dr. Damayanti Buchori; Dr. Yeni Mulyani; Dr. Fuad Nurdiansyah; Dr. Windra Priawandiputra; Ellena Yusti