I am a plant ecologist with a great passion for experimental biology. My previous research focused on invasion biology, plant stress (UVB and drought) and plant-soil feedback. I joined iDiv because it is a great opportunity for me to learn different approaches in ecology and to expand my scientific and personal horizon.

Assembly of native and exotic grassland communities – the role of mutual invasibility, priority effects and time

My research project aims to understand under which circumstances priority effects of earlier arriving plant species are more important than mutual invasibility (i.e. the “rare species advantage”) and vice versa. I expect coexistence and therefore mutual invasibility should to be of higher importance among native species, in particular among different functional groups, while interspecific priority effects should be more important between invasive exotic species and native species, and within the same plant functional group of either native or exotic species.

To test my hypotheses I will conduct field and greenhouse experiment with native and exotic plant species of different functional groups (grasses, herbs and legumes). Furthermore I will include a fungicide treatment that allows me investigate to role of soil fungi and therefore plant-soil feedbacks.

Since 2017

PhD student at Martin-Luther University Halle-Wittenberg

2012-2016

Master of Science Biology, Martin-Luther University Halle-Wittenberg

Master thesis: The role of soil biota in the invasion process of Verbascum thapsus in New Zealand: A comparison of native and invasive populations.

2012-2013

Study abroad, Faculty of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Lincoln University, New Zealand

2009-2012

Bachelor of Science Biology, Martin-Luther University Halle-Wittenberg

Bachelor thesis: Adaptation of Echium vulgare to simulated UV-B stress: morphological and physiological comparison of native and invasive populations.

09/2015

Dieskau, J., Bruelheide, H., Erfmeier, A. (2015): Exotic Verbascum thapsus populations: interaction with novel soil biota communities in plant invasions?
Poster presentation at 45th Annual Meeting of the Ecological Society of Germany, Austria and Switzerland, Göttingen.