The study of biodiversity contributes significantly to the understanding of biological processes in global biogeochemical cycles. Scientists from various institutes of the Friedrich Schiller University cover here a wide range from the ecology of higher organisms and microorganisms to biodiversity informatics. In cross-institutional projects, the effects of plant biodiversity in long-term experiments as well as functional biodiversity of subterranean habitats are investigated. The research is conducted in close cooperation with the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle- Jena -Leipzig.

Biodiversity and ecosystems are strongly influenced by climate change, and vice versa. For example, the Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry researches the material cycles of carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and water vapor that play an important role as atmospheric greenhouse gases.