Logistical Herculean Tasks

Intensively farmed experimental plot in a warm climate with a Malaise trap (in the background) for recording flying insects and a wild bee nesting trap (in the foreground) for recording plant-pollinator-parasite networks. The pieces of wood at the base of the nesting aid are used to determine the decomposition rate of wood. (Image: Sarah Redlich / Universität Würzburg) 11/22/2021 - The question of the causes of species extinction confronts science with complex tasks. Dr Sarah Redlich from the Biocentre on the challenge of creating a study design. Research groups all over the world are trying to disentangle the causes of biodiversity loss. One thing is clear: there is no single cause. Behind the decline of biodiversity lies a complex bundle of causes. That is why research in this field is enormously complex. Dr. Sarah Redlich from the Biocenter of Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg (JMU) in Bavaria, Germany, accepted that challenge in the LandKlif project, which investigates the effects of climate change and land use on species diversity. Before researchers start researching, they have to come up with a plan. In technical jargon, this is called "study design". Sarah Redlich was instrumental in developing the sophisticated study design of the collaborative project LandKlif (part of the Bavarian climate research network bayklif). The design is presented in the current issue of the journal Methods in Ecology and Evolution . 179 study areas across Bavaria. The main research question was: What influence do climate warming and land use have on the decline of plants and animals, including flying insects, but also on their ecological services such as pollination and pest control?