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.
- 2007
- Published
Nutrient leaching in dry heathland ecosystems: effects of atmospheric deposition and management
Haerdtle, W., von Oheimb, G., Niemeyer, M., Niemeyer, T., Aßmann, T. & Meyer, H., 01.11.2007, In: Biogeochemistry. 86, 2, p. 201-215 15 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- Published
Dynamics in a butterfly-plant-ant system: influence of habitat characteristics on turnover rates of the endangered lycaenid Maculinea alcon
Habel, J. C., Schmitt, T., Härdtle, W., Lütkepohl, M. & Aßmann, T., 10.2007, In: Ecological Entomology. 32, 5, p. 536-543 8 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research
- Published
Modelling habitat and spatial distribution of an endangered longhorn beetle: a case study for saproxylic insect conservation
Buse, J., Schroeder, B. & Aßmann, T., 01.07.2007, In: Biological Conservation. 137, 3, p. 372-381 10 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- Published
Can prescribed burning compensate for atmospheric nutrient loads in wet heathlands?
Haerdtle, W., Niemeyer, T., Assmann, T., Meyer, H. & von Oheimb, G., 20.06.2007, In: Phytocoenologia. 37, 2, p. 161-174 14 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- Published
Strongly diverging population genetic patterns of three skipper species: the role of habitat fragmentation and dispersal ability
Louy, D., Habel, J. C., Schmitt, T., Aßmann, T., Meyer, M. & Müller, P., 01.06.2007, In: Conservation Genetics. 8, 3, p. 671-681 11 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- Published
Habitat modelling for the conservation of the rare ground beetle species Carabus variolosus (Coleoptera, Carabidae) in the riparian zones of headwaters
Matern, A., Drees, C., Kleinwachter, M. & Aßmann, T., 01.05.2007, In: Biological Conservation. 136, 4, p. 618-627 10 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research › peer-review
- Published
Tag- und Nachtaktivität von Spinnen und Laufkäfern
Drees, C., Hagen, K. & Huk, T., 04.2007, In: Praxis der Naturwissenschaften - Biologie in der Schule. 56, 3, p. 25-31 7 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Transfer
- Published
Aphaenopidius kamnikensis Drovenik 1987 in Kärnten
Drovenik, B., Weber, F., Paill, W. & Aßmann, T., 2007, In: Angewandte Carabidologie. 8, p. 73-76 4 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research
- Published
Carl H. Lindroth und sein Beitrag zur Carabidologie
Aßmann, T., Drees, C., Vermeulen, H. J. W. & Matern, A., 2007, In: Angewandte Carabidologie. 8, p. 77-83 7 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research
- Published
Mythos Artenarmut: Biodiversität von Buchenwäldern
Aßmann, T., Drees, C., Schröder, E. & Ssymank, A., 2007, In: Natur und Landschaft. 82, 9/10, p. 401-406 6 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research