Nadja Simons

Research Interests

I am interested in the influence of land use practices on biodiversity and ecosystem functioning, with a focus on arthropods. On the one hand, I am interested in how management decisions affect the functional diversity of communities at different spatial and temporal scales and how this translates into changes in the provision of ecosystem functions. On the other hand, I am also interested in how biodiversity and ecosystem services are considered in management decisions and planning, and how they can be integrated into decision-making processes.

My research focuses on forest and grassland systems because both systems face similar conflicts between management and conservation. Grasslands and forests have great potential for integrative management strategies because they are relatively stable systems, even under management, and are therefore important refugia for biodiversity. Managers of forests and grasslands face increased public sensitivity and demands for insect conservation in these systems. By applying basic ecological methods and experiments in contexts relevant to managers and decision makers, my research contributes to making informed management decisions and communicating them effectively to the public.

Since May 2023: Juniorprofessor for Applied Biodiversity Science
2018-2023: Postdoc at Ecological Networks at TU Darmstadt
2015-2018: Postdoc at Terrestrial Ecology at the TU Munich
2011-2015: PhD at Terrestrial Ecology at the TU Munich
2009-2011: Master of Science in Biology at JLU Giessen
2006-2009: Bachelor of Science in Biology at University Oldenburg

Organised Special Issues

[2023]

Special Feature „Insect decline“ in Biology Letters edited together with Dr. Florian Menzel and Prof. Dr. Martin Gossner

Other publications

Publications with Peer-Review-Process & Pre-prints

[2024]

Berger, J.L., M. Staab, M. Hartlieb, N.K. Simons, K. Wells, M.M. Gossner, J. Vogt, R. Achury, S. Seibold, A. Hemp, W.W. Weisser, N. Blüthgen (2024): The day after mowing: time and type of mowing influence grassland arthropods. Ecological Applications. e3022. https://doi.org/10.1002/eap.3022 Link

[2023]

Neyret M., G. Le Provost, A.L. Boesing, F.D. Schneider, D. Baulechner, J. Bergmann, F. de Vries, A.M. Fiore-Donno, S. Geisen, K. Goldmann, A. Merges, R.A. Saifutdinov, N.K. Simons, J.A. Tobias, A.S. Zaitsev, M.M. Gossner, K.Jung, E. Kandeler, J. Krauss, C. Penone, M. Schloter, S. Schulz, M. Staab, V. Wolters, A. Apostolakis, K. Birkhofer, S. Boch, R.S. Boeddinghaus, R. Bolliger, M. Bonkowski, F. Buscot, K. Dumack, M. Fischer, H.Y. Gan, J.Heinze, N. Hölzel, K. John, V.H. Klaus, T. Kleinebecker, S.Marhan, J. Müller, S.C. Renner, M. Rillig, N.V. Schenk, I. Schöning, M.Schrumpf, S. Seibold, S. Socher, E.F. Solly, M. Teuscher, M. van Kleunen, T. Wubet & P. Manning (2023): A fast-slow trait continuum at the level of entire communities. bioRxiv. doi.org/10.1101/2023.07.12.548516 Link (pre-print)

Staab M., M.M. Gossner, N.K. Simons, R. Achury, D. Ambarli, S. Bae, P. Schall, W.W. Weisser & N. Blüthgen (2023): Insect decline in forests depends on species’ traits and may be mitigated by management. Communications Biology. 6:338 doi.org/10.1038/s42003-023-04690-9 Link

Gossner, M.M., F. Menzel & N.K. Simons (2023): Less overall, but more of the same: drivers of insect population trends lead to community homogenization. Biology Letters. 19:20230007 doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2023.0007 Link

Wehner, K., M. Brandt, A. Hilpert, N.K. Simons & N. Blüthgen (2023): Little evidence for land-use filters on intraspecific trait variation in three arthropod groups. Web Ecology. 23(1):35–49. doi.org/10.5194/we-23-35-2023 Link

[2022]

Scherreiks P., M.M. Gossner, D. Ambarlı, M. Ayasse, N. Blüthgen, M. Fischer, V.H. Klaus, T. Kleinebecker, F. Neff, D. Prati, S. Seibold, N.K. Simons, W.W. Weisser, K. Wells, C. Westphal & J. Thiele (2022): Present and historical landscape structure shapes current species richness in Central European grasslands. Landscape Ecology. 37 (745-762). doi.org/10.1007/s10980-021-01392-7 Link

[2021]

Neyret M., M. Fischer, E. Allan, N. Hölzel, V.H. Klaus, T. Kleinebecker, J. Krauss, G. Le Provost, S. Peter, N. Schenk, N.K. Simons, F. van der Plas, J. Binkenstein, C. Börschig, K. Jung, D. Prati, M. Schäfer, D. Schäfer, I. Schöning, M. Schrumpf, M. Tschapka, C. Westphal & P. Manning (2021): Assessing the impact of grassland management on landscape multifunctionality. Ecosystem Services. 52:101366. doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoser.2021.101366 First published under bioRxiv. 208199. doi.org/10.1101/2020.07.17.208199 Link

Wehner, K., N.K. Simons, N. Blüthgen & M. Heethoff (2021): Drought, windthrow and forest operations strongly affect oribatid mite communities in different microhabitats. Global Ecology and Conservation 30:e01757. doi:10.1016/j.gecco.2021.e01757 Link

Neff, F., M. Brändle, D. Ambarlı, C. Ammer, J. Bauhus, S. Boch, N. Hölzel, V.H. Klaus, T. Kleinebecker, D. Prati, P. Schall, D. Schäfer, E.-D. Schulze, S. Seibold, N.K. Simons, W.W. Weisser, L. Pellissier & M.M. Gossner (2021): Changes in plant-herbivore network structure and robustness along land-use intensity gradients in grasslands and forests. Science Advances 7(20):eabf3985. doi: 10.1126/sciadv.abf3985 Link

Wehner, K., R. Schuster, N.K. Simons, R.A. Norton, N. Blüthgen & M. Heethoff (2021): How land-use intensity affects sexual and parthenogenetic oribatid mites in temperate forests and grasslands in Germany. Experimental & Applied Acarology (online first). doi:10.1007/s10493-020-00586-z Link

Wehner, K., C. Renker, N.K. Simons, W.W. Weisser & N. Blüthgen (2021): Narrow environmental niches predict land-use responses and vulnerability of land snail assemblages. BMC Ecology & Evolution 21(15). doi:10.1186/s12862-020-01741-1 Link

N.K. Simons, M.R. Felipe-Lucia, P. Schall, C. Ammer, J. Bauhus, N. Blüthgen, S. Boch, F. Buscot, M. Fischer, K. Goldmann, M.M. Gossner, F. Hänsel, K. Jung, P. Manning, T. Nauss, Y. Oelmann, R. Pena, A. Polle, S.C. Renner, M. Schloter, I. Schöning, E.-D. Schulze, E.F. Solly, E. Sorkau, B. Stempfhuber, T. Wubet, J. Müller, S. Seibold, W.W. Weisser (2021): National Forest Inventories capture the multifunctionality of managed forests in Germany. Forest Ecosystems 8(5). doi:10.1186/s40663-021-00280-5 Link

Seibold, S., T. Hothorn, M.M. Gossner, N.K. Simons, N. Blüthgen, J. Müller, D. Ambarlı, C. Ammer, J. Bauhus, M. Fischer, J.C. Habel, C. Penone, P. Schall, E.‐D. Schulze, W.W. Weisser (2021): Insights from regional and short‐term biodiversity monitoring datasets are valuable: a reply to Daskalova et al. 2021. Insect Conservation and Diversity doi.org/10.1111/icad.12467 Link

[2020]

Ambarlı, D., N.K. Simons, K. Wehner, W. Kämper, M.M. Gossner, T. Nauss, F. Neff, S. Seibold, W.W. Weisser & N. Blüthgen (2020): Animal-mediated ecosystem process rates in forests and grasslands are affected by climatic conditions and land-use intensity. Ecosystems doi.org/10.1007/s10021-020-00530-7 Link

Heidrich, L., S. Bae, S. Levick, S. Seibold, W. Weisser, P. Krzystek, P. Magdon, T. Nauss, P. Schall, A. Serebryanyk, S. Wöllauer, C. Ammer, C. Bässler, I. Doerfler, M- Fischer, M. M. Gossner, M. Heurich, T. Hothorn, K. Jung, H. Kreft, E.-D. Schulze, N.K. Simons, S. Thorn & J. Müller (2020): Heterogeneity–diversity relationships differ between and within trophic levels in temperate forests. Nature Ecology & Evolution. doi.org/10.1038/s41559-020-1245-z Link

Mody, K., D. Lerch, A.-K. Müller, N.K. Simons, N. Blüthgen & M. Harnisch (2020): Flower power in the city: Replacing roadside shrubs by wildflower meadows increases insect numbers and reduces maintenance costs. PLOS ONE 15(6): e0234327. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0234327 Link

[2019]

Seibold, S., M.M. Gossner, N.K. Simons, N. Blüthgen, J. Müller, D. Ambarli, C. Ammer, J. Bauhus, M. Fischer, J.C. Habel, K.E. Linsenmair, T. Nauss, C. Penone, D. Prati, P. Schall, E.-D. Schulze, J. Vogt, S. Wöllauer & W.W. Weisser (2019): Arthropod decline in grasslands and forests is associated with landscape-level drivers. Nature. 574:671–674. doi:10.1038/s41586-019-1684-3 Link

Vogt, J., V.H. Klaus, S. Both, C. Fürstenau, S. Gockel, M. M. Gossner, J. Heinze, A. Hemp, N. Hölzel, K. Jung, K. Till, R. Lauterbach, K. Lorenzen, A. Ostrowski, N. Otto, D. Prati, S. Renner, U. Schumacher, S. Seibold, N.K. Simons, I. Steitz, M. Teuscher, J. Thiele, S. Weithmann, K. Wells, K. Wiesner, M. Ayasse, N. Blüthgen, M. Fischer, W.W. Weisser (2019): Eleven years’ data of grassland management data in Germany. Biodiversity Data Journal. 7: e36387. doi:10.3897/BDJ.7.e36387 Link

Hotes, S., J. Hagge, F. Härtl, P. Sacher, N.K. Simons (2019): Biodiversitätsstrategien in Wäldern: Das BioHolz-Projekt. AFZ-DerWald. 16:16-20.

Schneider F.D., M. Jochum, G. Le Provost, A. Ostrowski, C. Penone, D. Fichtmüller, A. Güntsch, M.M. Gossner, B. König-Ries, P. Manning & N.K. Simons (2019): Towards an ecological trait‐data standard. Methods in Ecololgy & Evolution. 00:1-14. doi:10.1111/2041-210X.13288 Link

Neff, F., N. Blüthgen, M.N. Chisté, N.K. Simons, J. Steckel, W.W. Weisser, C. Westphal. L. Pellissier, M.M. Gossner (2019): Cross-scale effects of land use on the functional composition of herbivorous insect communities. Landscape Ecology. doi:10.1007/s10980-019-00872-1 Link

Wehner, K., C. Renker, A. Brückner, N.K. Simons, W.W. Weisser, N. Blüthgen (2019): Land‐use in Europe affects land snail assemblages directly and indirectly by modulating abiotic and biotic drivers. Ecosphere. doi:10.1002/ecs2.2726 Link

Heinze J., N.K. Simons, S. Seibold, A. Wacker, G. Weithoff, M.M. Gossner, D. Prati, T.M. Bezemer & J. Joshi (2019): The relative importance of plant-soil feedbacks for plant-species performance increases with decreasing intensity of herbivory. Oecologia. 190(3):651–664. doi:10.1007/s00442-019-04442-9 Link

Penone C., E. Allan, S. Soliveres, M.R. Felipe‐Lucia, M.M. Gossner, S. Seibold, N.K. Simons, P. Schall, F. van der Plas, P. Manning, R.D. Manzanedo, S. Boch, D. Prati, C. Ammer, J. Bauhus, F. Buscot, M. Ehbrecht, K. Goldmann, K. Jung, J. Müller, J.C. Müller, R. Pena, A. Polle, S.C. Renner, L. Ruess, I. Schönig, M. Schrumpf, E.F. Solly M. Tschapka, W.W. Weisser, T. Wubet, M. Fischer (2019): Specialisation and diversity of multiple trophic groups are promoted by different forest features. Ecology Letters. 22:170-180. doi:10.1111/ele.13782 Link

[2018]

Schneider F.D., M. Jochum, G. Le Provost, A. Ostrowski, C. Penone, D. Fichtmüller, A. Güntsch, M.M. Gossner, B. König-Ries, P. Manning & N.K. Simons (2018): Towards an Ecological Trait-data Standard. bioRxiv 328302. doi:10.1101/328302 Link (pre-print)

[2017]

Ebeling A., J. Hines, L.R. Hertzog, M. Lange, S.T. Meyer, N.K. Simons & W.W. Weisser. (2017): Plant diversity effects on arthropods and arthropod-dependent ecosystem functions in a biodiversity experiment. Basic and Applied Ecology. 26:50-63. doi:10.1016/j.baae.2017.09.014 Link

Simons N.K. & W.W. Weisser(2017): Agricultural intensification without biodiversity loss is possible in grassland landscapes. Nature Ecology & Evolution 1:1136-1145. doi: 10.1038/s41559-017-0227-2 Link

Simons N.K., T. Lewinsohn, N. Blüthgen, F. Buscot, S. Boch, R. Daniel, M.M. Gossner, K. Jung, K. Kaiser, J. Müller, D. Prati, S.C. Renner, S.A. Socher, I. Sonnemann, C.N. Weiner, M. Werner, T. Wubet, S. Wurst & W.W. Weisser (2017): Contrasting effects of grassland management modes on species-abundance distributions of multiple groups. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment 237:143-153. doi:10.1016/j.agee.2016.12.022 Link

[2016]

Chisté M.N., K. Mody, M.M. Gossner, N.K. Simons, G. Köhler, W.W. Weisser & N. Blüthgen (2016): Losers, winners, and opportunists: How grassland land-use intensity affects orthopteran communities. Ecosphere 7:e01545. doi:10.1002/ecs2.1545 Link

Simons N.K., W.W. Weisser & M.M. Gossner(2016): Multi-taxa approach shows consistent shifts in arthropod functional traits along grassland land-use intensity gradient. Ecology 97(3):754-764. doi:10.1890/15-0616.1 Link

Blüthgen N., N.K. Simons, K. Jung, D. Prati, S.C. Renner, S. Boch, M. Fischer, N. Hölzel, V.H. Klaus, T. Kleinebecker, M. Tschapka, W.W. Weisser & M.M. Gossner. (2016): Land use imperils plant and animal community stability through changes in asynchrony ratherthan diversity. Nature Communications 7:10697. doi:10.1038/ncomms10697 Link

[2015]

Gámez-Virués S., D.J. Perovic, M.M. Gossner, C. Borschig, N. Blüthgen, H. de Jong, N.K. Simons, A.-M. Klein, J. Krauss, G. Maier, C. Scherber, J. Steckel, C. Rothenwöhrer, I. Steffan-Dewenter, C.N. Weiner, W.W. Weisser, M. Werner, T. Tscharntke & C. Westphal (2015): Landscape simplification filters species traits and drives biotic homogenization. Nature Communications 6:8568. doi:10.1038/ncomms9568 Link

Gossner M.M., N.K. Simons, R. Achtziger, T. Blick, W.H.O. Dorow, F. Dziock, F. Köhler, W. Rabitsch & W.W. Weisser (2015): A summary of eight traits of Coleoptera, Hemiptera, Orthoptera and Araneae, occurring in grasslands in Germany. Scientific Data 2:150013. doi:10.1038/sdata.2015.13 Link

Gossner M.M., N.K. Simons, L. Höck L & W.W. Weisser(2015): Morphometric measures of Heteroptera sampled in grasslands across three regions of Germany: Ecological Archives E096-102. Ecology 96(4):1154. doi:10.1890/14-2159.1 Link

Simons N.K., M.M. Gossner, T.M. Lewinsohn, M. Lange, M. Türke & W.W. Weisser(2015): Effects of land-use intensity on arthropod species abundance distributions in grasslands. Journal of Animal Ecology 84:143–154. doi:10.1111/1365-2656.12278 Link

[2014]

Simons N.K., M.M. Gossner, T.M. Lewinsohn, S. Boch, M. Lange, J. Müller, E. Pašalic, S.A. Socher, M. Türke, M. Fischer & W. W. Weisser(2014): Resource-mediated indirect effects of grassland management on arthropod diversity. PLoS ONE 9(9):e107033. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0107033 Link

Lunow, J., Balducci, L., Burrascano, S., Dörfler, I., Hofmeister, J., Hošek, J., Ódor, P., Schall, P. , Sitzia T. & N. K. Simons: The interplay of carbon stocks and biodiversity in European managed forests and underlying mechanisms. 53rd Annual Meeting of the Ecological Society of Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Freising (Germany). 09/2024

Wenner, K. & N. K. Simons: UrbanPArt – Phenology of arthropods in urban green spaces and implications for urban grasslands restoration. 53rd Annual Meeting of the Ecological Society of Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Freising (Germany). 09/2024

Sacher, P., Mayer, M., Job, H. & N. K. Simons: Scenarios of forest type change & resulting shifts in ecosystem service potential. 52nd Annual Meeting of the Ecological Society of Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Leipzig (Germany). 09/2023.

J. Lunow & N. K. Simons: Walddiskurs: Can biodiversity and climate change mitigation be achieved simultaneously? 52nd Annual Meeting of the Ecological Society of Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Leipzig (Germany). 09/2023.

Simons N.K.: Drivers of insect decline in grasslands: mechanisms and solutions. EDGG Talk Grasslands Winter 2020-2021 Program. Online (edgg.org). 12/2020

Simons N.K. & N. Blüthgen: Session organisers on "Grasslands: causes and consequences of biodiversity decline". 49..Annual Meeting of the Ecological Society of Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Münster (Germany). 09/2019

Simons N.K., et al.: Costs and benefits of active deadwood restoration: short-term effects on biodiversity and ecosystem functions in an experimental setup. 49. Annual Meeting of the Ecological Society of German,y, Austria and Switzerland. Münster (Germany). 09/2019

Simons N.K.: Causes and consequences of changes in the arthropod community. 103. Annual Meeting of the Ecological Society of America. New Orleans (Louisiana, USA). 08/2018

2023

Lecture during the Summer School Planetary Health at the University of Würzburg: „Biodiversity loss in Europe: causes and consequences for ecosystem services and human well-being".

2021

Talk for the EvE Seminars at the University Tübingen: „Drivers of insect decline in grasslands - Mechanisms and solutions“

2020

Vortrag & Podiumsdiskussion "Insektenrückgänge in Grünland und Wald". 3. Insektentagung des NABU NRW & Instituts für Landschaftsökologie der Uni Münster
Abendvortrag "Insektenrückgänge in Grünland und Wald". Biodiversitätstag des Landratsamtes Reutlingen. Münsingen

2017

Studiogast bei "Planet Wissen" (Wissenschaftssendung) für eine Sendung zum Insektensterben. https://www.planet-wissen.de/sendungen/sendung-insektensterben-100.html

Reviews

49 reviews for 31 scientific journals since 2014

Memberships

Member of the Ecolocial Society of Germany, Austria and Switzerland (GfÖ) since 2010
Mentee with the mentoring program Mentoring Hessen - Women in Science and Business (ProCareerMint & ProProfessur)