Research Groups
The emphasis of our research is on Terrestrial Ecology. As the basis of all terrestrial life is soil, Soil Ecology, which deals with soil biodiversity, soil function and ecosystem services as well as soil fertility and carbon storage, plays a pertinent role in our research. Another focus is on Community Ecology. Typical research questions are: What determines the numbers of species (biodiversity) in a community? How do predators affect the composition of prey species? How are biodiversity, ecosystem functioing and services related? For more information click here
We are chemical ecologist who are fascinated by the interactions of Daphnia with their environment. Daphnia show a variety of impressive inducible defenses in response to infochemicals from predators. We aim to find out what these infochemicals are. Further we want to understand what makes phytoplankton good, bad or even toxic food for Daphnia. We are performing experiments with living Daphnia and use state-of-the-art chromatography, mass-spectrometry and metabolomics and molecular biology. For more information click here
We do ecological genomic research what means that we ask ecological questions that we try to answer with genomic data. How can this work? Evolution of populations always leaves signatures on their genomes – from these, we can read demographies and identify genomic footprints of adaptation to ecological changes. This helps us to understand eco-evolutionary dynamics. Our research involves different taxa (freshwater organisms, soil nematodes, mosquitos) and different systems (Rhine River, hyper-arid desert soils of the Atacama and Namib, climate gradient in the Himalaya). For more Information click here
My group investigates the evolutionary and ecological impact of genetic diversity. In this context I am mainly interested in species that are influenced by anthropogenic disturbance and/or reproduce clonally. We investigate diversity and adaptation using population genetic and phylogenetic methods. The molecular data are always interpreted in an ecological and if possible behavioural context to understand the evolutionary history and predict a population’s future. For more information click here
Ecological Research Station Rees
Our research at the Ecological Research Station Rees at the Lower Rhine focuses on Aquatic Ecosystem processes. We study the factors involved in structuring the aquatic food web and the manifold pathways that connect aquatic and terrestrial habitats. Most of the projects are conducted at the River Rhine and the surrounding waters, including gravel pit lakes. For more information click here