Lara Braun

Lara Braun is a PhD Student at the Institute of Evolution and Ecology (EvE), part of the Faculty of Science at Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen. Her research focuses on understanding how habitat heterogeneity influences species composition and biodiversity in grassland communities. She critically evaluates the Area-Heterogeneity Trade-off (AHTO) model proposed by Kadmon and Allouche (2012), examining both niche partitioning opportunities and stochastic extinction risks caused by habitat heterogeneity.

Her experimental work involves long-term microcosm studies simulating diverse habitat and land-use scenarios, tracking species abundance and biomass over consecutive years. This research bridges theoretical ecological models with empirical field observations to clarify biodiversity dynamics.

Part of the Plant Ecology group within the EvE Institute, Lara’s work contributes to broader questions in community ecology and conservation strategies for grassland ecosystems.