GLOBIS - Global change and biodiversity in soils Wolters V , Anderson J, Bengtsson J, Gourbiere F, Kallimanis A, Lindberg N, Persson Τ, Pflug A, Schroeter D, Sgardelis S, Stamou G, Taylor AR, Tsiafouli M, Van Maanen A, Wilkinson A GLOBIS (GLObal change and Biodiversity In Soils) is an investigation of present and foreseen effects of global climatic change on the biodiversity in forest soils and its impact on ecosystem processes. Species diversity, functional diversity and trophic connectivity of the animal and microbial communities are considered. The project utilises the natural environmental variation by carrying out studies along a European transect (e.g. Figure 1). This strategy is combined with both field experiments, where relevant environmental conditions are controlled, and manipulation experiments in the laboratory to evaluate the importance of different factors. 0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400 1600 altitude (m) Figure 1: Geographical distribution of Veriicicladium trifidttm. (A) Latitudinal distribution on Pinus and Cedras litter in western Europe. The line connects maximal values for each latitudinal group of values (open circles). (B) Altitudinal distribution on Pinus sylvestris between 40° and 55° Ν (solid circles in A). Institute of Zoology, Department of Animal Ecology, Stephanstrasse 24, D-35390 Giessen, Germany 128