Anja Schmidt

Dr. Anja Schmidt is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, specifically within the Department of Conservation Biology & Social-Ecological Systems. She has been affiliated with UFZ since 2020 and previously worked at the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) and UFZ's Community Ecology Department. Her research focuses on ecosystem processes, particularly decomposition dynamics driven by invertebrates in tropical and agricultural systems, climate change impacts, and biodiversity conservation.

• PhD in Ecology (UFZ, 2012–2015)
• Master's in Ecology, Environmental Science, Bioinformatics (University of Giessen, 2008–2011)
• BSc in Biotechnology, Animal Physiology, Organismic Biology (University of Erlangen/Nuremberg, 2005–2008)

Her work explores the interplay between decomposition processes, invertebrate biodiversity, and human-driven environmental changes. She investigates how climate change, land use, and pollution affect soil and aquatic ecosystems, with a focus on multitrophic interactions. Her research integrates experimental platforms like the iDiv Ecotron and UFZ's environmental observatories (TERENO, MOSES) to simulate and monitor real-world conditions.

Dr. Schmidt's recent publications highlight her contributions to understanding invertebrate decline and its cascading effects on microbiomes, soil biodiversity assessments, and policy frameworks for conservation. She collaborates extensively with networks such as iDiv, STACCATO, and LEGATO, bridging experimental ecology with societal decision-making through projects like Faktencheck Artenvielfalt.

She is associated with experimental infrastructures including:

• iDiv Ecotron Project (2018–2020)
• Global Change Experimental Facility (GCEF)
• TERENO (Terrestrial Environmental Observatories)
• MOSES (Modular Observation Solutions for Earth Systems)
• MOBICOS (Mobile Stream Laboratories)
• River Experiment Leipzig