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.

  1. Published

    Habitat continuity matters: Ancient woodlands tend to have higher biomass and catching rate of dung beetles, mainly driven by one large species

    Hülsmann, M., Boutaud, E., Buse, J., Frank, K., Schuldt, A. & Assmann, T., 01.01.2020, In: Acta Oecologica. 102, 7 p., 103501.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  2. Published
  3. Published

    Description of the first instar larvae of three species of Meloe with a key to the triungulins of Central European species of this genus (Coleoptera : Meloidae)

    Lückmann, J. & Scharf, S., 25.06.2004, In: European Journal of Entomology. 101, 2, p. 313-322 10 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  4. Published

    Terry Erwin’s legacy: from taxonomy and natural history to biodiversity research and conservation biology

    Assmann, T., 16.06.2021, In: ZooKeys. 1044, p. 23-39 17 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  5. Published

    The ground beetle tribe platynini bonelli, 1810 (Coleoptera, carabidae) in the southern levant: Dichotomous and interactive identification tools, ecological traits, and distribution

    Assmann, T., Boutaud, E., Buse, J., Drees, C., Friedman, A. L. L., Harry, I., Khoury, F., Orbach, E., Renan, I., Schmidt, C., Schmidt, K., Wrase, D. W. & Zumstein, P., 16.06.2021, In: ZooKeys. 2021, 1044, p. 449-478 30 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  6. Published

    What shapes ground beetle assemblages in a tree species-rich subtropical forest?

    Zumstein, P., Bruelheide, H., Fichtner, A., Schuldt, A., Staab, M., Härdtle, W., Zhou, H. & Aßmann, T., 16.06.2021, In: ZooKeys. 2021, 1044, p. 907-927 21 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  7. Published

    The Caterpillar Hunter Beetles Calosoma Weber (Coleoptera: Carabidae) in the southern Levant

    Aßmann, T., Boutaud, E., Buse, J., Drees, C., Friedmann, A.-L.-L., Hetzel, A., Orbach, E., Renan, I., Reuter, C. & Wrase, D. W., 31.12.2020, In: Israel Journal of Entomology. 50, 2, p. 133-158 26 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  8. Published

    A new Parazuphium Jeannel, 1942 species (Coleoptera, Carabidae) from the Zagros Mountains in Iran

    Wrase, D. W. & Assmann, T., 18.01.2021, In: ZooKeys. 2021, 1011, p. 41-49 9 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  9. Published

    Habitat diversity and peat moss cover drive the occurrence probability of the threatened ground beetle Carabus menetriesi (Coleoptera: Carabidae) in a Bavarian mire

    Harry, I., Assmann, T., Dormann, C. F. & Skarbek, C. J., 01.12.2022, In: Journal of Insect Conservation. 26, 6, p. 863-871 9 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  10. Published

    Taxonomic revision of the African and Southwest Asian species of Platyderus Stephens, subg. Eremoderus Jeanne (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Sphodrini)

    Guéorguiev, B., Wrase, D. W., Assmann, T., Muilwijk, J. & Machard, P., 13.06.2022, In: Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift. 69, 1, p. 71-122 52 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review