Curriculum vitae: 

Research interests:

• soil ecology, grassland ecology, root feeding insect larvae, soil nematodes
• interaction between soil organisms and plants and consequences for plant communities
• consequences of global change (land use and/or climate) on biological processes in soil and consequences for plant communities

Current project:

resilience of grassland plant communities as influenced by root herbivores under different land use intensities

(DFG Priority Programm 1374: Biodiversity Exploratories, in collaboration with Florian Jeltsch, University Potsdam)

Ecosystem resilience is an essential factor underlying the sustained production of natural resources and ecosystem services in complex systems faced with uncertainty and surprise. Root herbivory can have significant impact on grassland productivity and biodiversity under constant conditions. However, knowledge on root herbivore impact under non-equilibrium conditions such as disturbances, short-term stresses or nutrient pulses is lacking. We combine empirical field work, controlled greenhouse experiments, and ecological modeling to determine the role of root herbivory in plant community resilience after various disturbances and stresses under different land use scenarios.

Publication list

Simons NK, Lewinsohn T, Blüthgen N, Buscot F, Boch S, Daniel R, Gossner MM, Jung K, Kaiser K, Müller J, Prati D, Rennerk SC, Socher SA, Sonnemannn I, Weiner CN, Werner M, Wubet T, Wurst S, Weisser WW (2017) Contrasting effects of grassland management modes on species-abundance distributions of multiple groups. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment 237: 143-153

Gossner MM, Lewinsohn T, Kahl T, Grassein F, Boch S, Prati D, Birkhofer K, Renner SC, Sikorski J, Wubet T, Arndt H, Baumgartner V, Blaser S, Blüthgen N, Börschig C, Buscot F, Diekötter T, Ré Jorge L, Jung K, Keyel AC, Klein A-M, Klemmer S, Krauss J, Lange M, Müller J, Overmann J, Pašalić E, Penone C, Perović DJ, Purschke O, Schall P, Socher SA, Sonnemann I, Tschapka M, Tscharntke T, Türke M, Venter PC, Weiner CN, Werner M, Wolters V, Wurst S, Westphal C, Fischer M, Weisser WW, Allan E (2016). Land-use intensification causes multitrophic homogenisation of grassland communities. Nature, doi:10.1038/nature20575

Johnson SN, Benefer CM, Frew A, Griffiths BS, Hartley SE, Karley AJ, Rasmann S, Schumann M, Sonnemann I, Robert CAM (2016) New frontiers in belowground ecology for plant protection from root-feeding insects. Applied Soil Ecology 108: 96-107, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.apsoil.2016.07.017

Soliveres S, van der Plas F, Manning P, Prati D, Gossner MM, Renner SC, Alt F, Arndt H, Baumgartner V, Binkenstein J, Birkhofer K, Blaser S, Blüthgen N, Boch S, Böhm S, Börschig C, Buscot F, Diekötter T, Heinze J, Hölzel N, Jung K, Klaus VH, Kleinebecker T, Klemmer S, Krauss J, Lange M, Morris EK, Müller J, Oelmann Y, Overmann J, Pašalić E, Rillig MC, Schaefer HM, Schloter M, Schmitt B, Schöning I, Schrumpf M, Sikorski J, Socher SA, Solly EF, Sonnemann I, Sorkau E, Steckel J, Steffan-Dewenter I, Stempfhuber B, Tschapka M, Türke M, Venter PC, Weiner CN, Weisser WW, Werner M, Westphal C, Wilcke W, Wolters V, Wubet T, Wurst S, Fischer M, Allan E (2016) Biodiversity at multiple trophic levels is needed for ecosystem multifunctionality. Nature, doi:10.1038/nature19092

Soliveres S, Manning P, Prati D, Gossner M M, Alt F, Arndt H, Baumgartner V, Binkenstein J, Birkhofer K, Blaser S, Blüthgen N, Boch S, Böhm S, Börschig C, Buscot F, Diekötter T, Heinze J, Hölzel N, Jung K, Klaus V H, Klein A-M, Kleinebecker T, Klemmer S, Krauss J,  Lange M, Morris E K, Müller J, Oelmann Y, Overmann J, Pasalic E, Renner S C, Rillig M C, Schaefer H M, Schloter M, Schmitt B, Schöning I, Schrumpf M, Sikorski J, Socher S A, Solly E F, Sonnemann I, Sorkau E, Steckel J, Steffen-Dewenter I, Stempfhuber B, Tschapka M, Türke M, Venter P,  Weiner C N, Weisser W W, Werner M, Westphal C, Wilcke W, Wolters V, Wubet T, Wurst S, Fischer M, Allan E (2016) Locally rare species influence grassland ecosystem multifunctionality. Philosophical Transactions B 371: 20150269

Sonnemann I, Buchholz Y, Rautenberg D, Wurst S (2016) Land use intensity modulates the impact of root herbivores on plant interactions with above- and belowground organisms. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment 219: 26-31

Pfestorf H, Koerner K, Sonnemann I, Wurst S, Jeltsch F (2016) Coupling experimental data with individual based modelling reveals differential effects of root herbivory on grassland plant coexistence along a resource gradient. Journal of Vegetation Science 27: 269–282

Sonnemann I, Pfestorf H, Jeltsch F, Wurst S (2015) Community-weighted mean plant traits predict small scale distribution of insect root herbivore abundance. PLoS ONE 10(10): e0141148

Morris EK, Caruso T, Buscot F, Fischer M, Hancock C, Maier TS, Meiners T, Müller C, Obermaier E, Prati D, Socher SA, Sonnemann I, Wäschke N, Wubet T, Wurst S, Rillig MC (2014) Choosing and using diversity indices: insights for ecological applications from the German Biodiversity Exploratories. Ecology & Evolution 4(18): 3514-3524

Sonnemann I, Grunz S, Wurst S (2014) Horizontal migration of click beetle (Agriotes spp.) larvae depends on food availability. Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata 150: 174-178

Sonnemann I, Hempel S, Beutel M, Hanauer N, Reidinger S, Wurst S (2013) The root herbivore history of the soil affects the productivity of a grassland plant community and determines plant response to new root herbivore attack. PLoS ONE 8(2): e56524

Sonnemann I, Baumhaker H, Wurst S (2012) Species specific responses of common grassland plants to a generalist root herbivore (Agriotes spp. larvae). Basic and Applied Ecology 13: 579-586

Ladygina N, Henry F, Kant MR, Koller R, Reidinger S, Rodriguez A, Saj S, Sonnemann I, Witt C, Wurst S (2010) Additive and interactive effects of functionally dissimilar soil organisms on a grassland plant community. Soil Biology & Biochemistry 42(12): 2266-2275

Nagy P, Bakonyi G, Peli E, Sonnemann I, Tuba Z (2008) Long term response of the nematode community to elevated atmospheric CO2 in a temperate dry grassland soil. Community Ecology 9: 167-173

Sonnemann I, Streicher NM, Wolters V (2005) Root associated organisms modify the effectiveness of chemically induced resistance in barley. Soil Biology & Biochemistry 37: 1837-1842

Sonnemann I, Wolters V (2005) The microfood web of grassland soils responds to a moderate increase of atmospheric CO2. Global Change Biology 11: 1148-1155

Sonnemann I, Finkhäuser K, Wolters V (2002) Does induced resistance in plants affect the belowground community? Applied Soil Ecology 21: 179-185

Sonnemann I, Finkhäuser K, Wolters V (2001) Effects of induced systemic resistance on the functional diversity of soil biota. In: Verhandlungen der Gesellschaft für Ökologie, Band 31 (Hrsg. Zotz G, Körner C). Parey Buchverlag, Berlin, p. 369

Sonnemann I, Dogan H, Klein A, Pieper B, Ekschmitt K, Wolters V (1999) Response of soil microflora to changes in nematode abundance - evidence for large scale effects in grassland soil. Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science 162: 385-391