Our research is centred on testing principles and mechanisms structuring biodiversity and plant-animal communities (mostly plant-insect communities). In particular, we do so in a global change context by focusing on human activity that brings about changes in land use (agriculture and urbanization), which are often accompanied by artificial light at night.

Key to our research are plants and insects and their direct and indirect interactions. Our research is based on principles of fundamental ecology, and it combines integrated methods that include the analysis of large datasets, landscape experiments, garden or mesocosm experiments and laboratory experiments. The group is affiliated with the URPP Global Change and Biodiversity of the University of Zürich and is part of the Division Agroecology and Environment at Agroscope.