Professorship for Ecology, especially Animal Ecology
Organisational unit: Professoship
Organisation profile
The Animal Ecology group is led by Prof. Dr. Thorsten Aßmann and is affiliated with the Institute of Ecology, Faculty of Sustainability at Leuphana University Lüneburg.
Research focuses on the influence of invertebrates on ecosystem functions (species as ecosystem engineers, herbivory, predation), large-scale distribution patterns of species and species groups (biodiversity) and their characteristics, in the Palaearctic and worldwide (macroecology), Molecular ecology (population genetics, phylogeography, conservation genetics and landscape genetics), conservation biology (conservation genetics, consequences of habitat fragmentation, restoration ecology) Biospeleology (biogeography, adaptive mechanisms), taxonomy and systematics of insects (especially ground beetles).
We teach the basics of ecology and other fields of biology. Lectures and seminars are supplemented by identification exercises and field trips.
Main research areas
The working group Animal Ecology focuses on
- the role of invertebrates in ecosystem functioning
(including habitat engineering, herbivory, predation) - large-scale distribution patterns of biodiversity and species traits in the Palaearctic and worldwide
(macroecology) - molecular ecology (population genetics, phylogeography, conservation genetics and landscape genetics)
- conservation biology (conservation genetics, fragmentation biology, restoration ecology)
- biospeleology (biogeography, adaptation)
- taxonomy and systematics of insects (especially carabids beetles)
(classical and modern approaches: morphology, morphometry, DNA technics)
Projects are performed mainly in Germany, the Middle East (especially Israel), Spain, and China.
- Published
Value of semi-open corridors for simultaneously connecting open and wooded habitats: A case study with ground beetles
Eggers, B., Matern, A., Drees, C., Eggers, J., Haerdtle, W. & Aßmann, T., 02.2010, In: Conservation Biology. 24, 1, p. 256-266 11 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- Published
Global warming will affect the genetic diversity and uniqueness of Lycaena helle populations
Habel, J. C., Rödder, D., Schmitt, T. & Nève, G., 01.2011, In: Global Change Biology. 17, 1, p. 194-205 12 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- Published
Eresus kollari (Araneae: Eresidae) calls for heathland management.
Krause, R. H., Buse, J., Matern, A., Schröder, B., Härdtle, W. & Aßmann, T., 12.2011, In: The Journal of Arachnology. 39, 3, p. 384–392 9 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- Published
Genetic erosion in habitat specialist shows need to protect large peat bogs
Drees, C., Zumstein, P., Buck-Dobrick, T., Härdtle, W., Matern, A., Meyer, H., Oheimb, G. & Aßmann, T., 12.2011, In: Conservation Genetics. 12, 6, p. 1651-1656 6 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- Published
Predator diversity and abundance provide little support for the enemies hypothesis in forests of high tree diversity
Schuldt, A., Both, S., Bruelheide, H., Härdtle, W., Schmid, B., Zhou, H. & Aßmann, T., 28.07.2011, In: PLoS ONE. 6, 7, 8 p., e22905.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- Published
Habitat preferences of the Levant Green Lizard, Lacerta media israelica (Peters, 1964): (Reptilia: Lacertidae)
Loos, J., Dayan, T., Drescher, N., Levanony, T., Maza, E., Shacham, B., Talbi, R. & Aßmann, T., 01.01.2011, In: Zoology in the Middle East. 52, 1, p. 17-28 12 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- Published
Carabid Beetles as Bioindicators: Biogeographical, Ecological and Environmental Studies
Kotze, J. (Editor), Aßmann, T. (Editor), Nordijk, J. (Editor), Turin, H. (Editor) & Vermeulen, R. (Editor), 20.05.2011, Sofia: Pensoft Publishers Ltd. 573 p. (Zoo Keys; no. 100)Research output: Books and anthologies › Conference proceedings › Research
- Published
Eucamaragnathus desenderi, a new ground beetle species from Africa (Coleoptera, Carabidae)
Aßmann, T., Drees, C., Matern, A. & Schuldt, A., 20.05.2011, In: ZooKeys. 100, SPEC. ISSUE, p. 37-46 10 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- Published
When to sample in an inaccessible landscape: A case study with carabids from the Allgäu (northern Alps) (Coleoptera, Carabidae)
Harry, I., Drees, C., Hofer, H. & Aßmann, T., 20.05.2011, In: ZooKeys. 100, SPEC. ISSUE, p. 255-271 17 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- Published
Repeated sampling detects gene flow in a flightless ground beetle in a fragmented landscape
Drees, C., Hüfner, S., Matern, A., Nève, G. & Aßmann, T., 01.02.2011, In: Hereditas. 148, 1, p. 36-45 10 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review