We present The Madingley Model, which simulates how the structure and function of ecosystems emerges from the ecology of individuals. Combining various aspects of ecology (e.g. foraging, metabolism) with a cohort-based approximation, we simulate every organism in each 1 x 1 degree grid-cell on Earth for 1000 years. Do emergent life histories and ecosystem properties look like the real world?

We review the requirements for a model designed to predict future state of a forest ecosystem and draw parallels with models of population dynamics. Good data available on some aspects of forest ecology but there are large gaps. We outline these gaps and discuss how they might be filled. We present results from a model of a deciduous woodland.

We analysed beta diversity, species area relationships and food web structural similarity in 48 soil food webs across forests in Germany. Community similarity decreased with increasing differences of environmental factors and with increasing geographic distance. Beta diversity was more influenced by geographic distance. Food web structure was influenced by environmental factors but not by geographic distance.

Evidence based decision making in conservation requires quantitative forecasts of the impacts of human pressures and the consequences of mitigation actions. We demonstrate several conservation relevant metrics calculated using a novel, individual- and process-based model of global ecosystems. Could such metrics of ecosystem state (e.g. stability, resilience, functional diversity) enable a joined-up approach to conservation?

Understanding ecosystems requires synthesis between biodiversity, function and the role of environmental stressors on community assemblages. Here, metagenetic (the meta-molecular genetic analysis of biodiversity) analyses revealed heterogeneous communities and drivers of interstitial microbial metazoan diversity in two contrasting estuarine ecosystems. Accordingly, microbial eukaryotic biodiversity is unlikely to adhere to generalised biodiversity models and is strongly affected by local ecosystem effects. 

Since a heathland was left to free succession in the late 1800´s, the development of the community of  woody species has been monitored. Successional pathways and rates are analyzed, both in time and space and in relation to former land use. Furthermore, the effects of dispersal limitation as a driver of community composition is discussed.

The extreme environmental conditions of saline lakes result in ‘simple’ yet often highly productive aquatic communities which can be an ‘oasis’ of energy to their typically depauperate catchment. Using δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N isotope ratios we explore the aquatic-terrestrial link from donor soda lake ecosystems via two vectors: periodic, high energy, chironomid emergence; and continuous, low energy, flamingo feather detritus.

It is widely believed that forest productivity is regulated by air temperature.   We show that most New Zealand tree species do indeed grow faster in warmer places.  However, shifts in forest composition result in stand-level productivity being almost invariant of temperature.  We discuss this surprising finding in relation to global patterns of productivity and metabolism.