From 13-17 October 2025, the iDiv in Leipzig hosted the joint conference of the research projects TreeDí and MultiTroph. The week was filled with scientific inspiration, lively discussions, and intensive exchange among researchers from a wide range of ecological disciplines despite the mostly cloudy and rainy weather.
A central highlight of the week were the five keynote lectures, which offered a broad range of perspectives: Yi Li from the Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences (Beijing), and Georg Albert from the University of Göttingen presented their latest synthesis research on BEF-China (and beyond). Dominique Gravel from the University of Sherbrooke explored, under which conditions a loss of species may translate into a loss of ecosystem functioning. Benoit Gauzens (iDiv) delivered an engaging talk on energy flows, and Anna Mrazova from the University of South Bohemia introduced the newest developments in the recording of multi-trophic interactions. We were especially happy that Yi Li and Chao-Dong Zhu made the long journey from China to join us in person.
In addition to the keynotes, 20 Phd and Master students presented their current research projects, sparking lively debates and inspiring new ideas. The programme was further enriched by seven workshops, which created space for methodological deep dives (Structural equation modelling, meta-analysis, conceptualisation), theoretical discussions, and cross-project collaboration.
The conference offered a varied social programme. A guided city tour of Leipzig gave international guests and new group members the chance to explore the city’s history and culture. A particular highlight was the excursion to the research arboretum (ARBOfun) in Großpösna, expertly led by Christian Wirth, where participants gained valuable insights into current experiments and long-term forest research. For those willing to get up early, the conference days even began with a shared (very early!) morning run.
For MultiTroph, the week also provided an opportunity for in-depth strategic discussions regarding the planned second phase of the project. Although many details still need to be developed, one particularly promising idea emerged: experimentally excluding a major group of forest invertebrates to better understand how such species loss may affect biodiversity–ecosystem functioning relationships.
Overall, the joint TreeDí and MultiTroph conference delivered a dense, productive, and inspiring week that strengthened existing collaborations and generated new scientific momentum. For MultiTroph, this conference was a huge success! We are already looking forward to the next steps that will emerge from these intense and stimulating days.