Prof. Wirth is a plant ecologist who studies how natural and human-induced changes in plant biodiversity affect ecosystem processes such as carbon storage, water consumption and energy balance. He is the founding director and spokesperson of the DFG Center iDiv, director of the Botanical Garden and leader of the AG Special Botany of Leipzig University. After studying plant ecology at the University of Bayreuth, his initial interest was in the carbon cycle and fire ecology. Hence, he developed mainly trait-based approaches to study the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem functions in forest and grassland ecosystems, establishing the TRY database of functional plant traits. His most recent research is based on forest conservation, floodplain and canopy ecology (Leipzig Canopy Crane), and the impact of climate change on forest biodiversity and ecosystem services. He is currently leading the national biodiversity assessment (BMBF “Faktencheck für den Erhalt der Artenvielfalt”).