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

    Population genetics and ecological niche modelling reveal high fragmentation and potential future extinction of the endangered relict butterfly Lycaena helle

    Habel, J. C., Augenstein, B., Meyer, M., Nève, G., Rödder, D. & Aßmann, T., 2010, Relict species: Phylogeography and Conservation Biology. Habel, J. C. & Assmann, T. (eds.). Heidelberg [u.a.]: Springer, p. 417-439 23 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksChapterpeer-review

  2. Published

    Review: Refugial areas and postglacial colonisations in the Western Palaearctic

    Habel, J. C., Drees, C., Aßmann, T. & Schmitt, T., 2010, Relict species: Phylogeography and Conservation Biology. Assmann, T. & Habel, J. C. (eds.). Heidelberg [u.a.]: Springer, p. 189-197 9 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksChapterpeer-review

  3. Published

    Relict species: Phylogeography and conservation biology

    Habel, J. C. & Aßmann, T. (Editor), 2010, Heidelberg [u.a.]: Springer. 449 p.

    Research output: Books and anthologiesBook

  4. Published

    Review: The dark side of relict species biology: Cave animals as ancient lineages

    Aßmann, T., Casale, A., Drees, C., Habel, J. C., Schuldt, A. & Matern, A., 2010, Relict species: Phylogeography and conservation biology. Habel, J. C. & Assmann, T. (eds.). Heidelberg [u.a.]: Springer, p. 91-103 13 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksChapterpeer-review

  5. Published

    Community assembly during secondary forest succession in a Chinese subtropical forest

    Bruelheide, H., Böhnke, M., Both, S., Fang, T., Aßmann, T., Baruffol, M., Bauhus, J., Buscot, F., Chen, X.-Y., Ding, B.-Y., Durka, W., Erfmeier, A., Fischer, M., Geißler, C., Guo, D., Guo, L.-D., Härdtle, W., He, J.-S., Hector, A., Kröber, W., Kühn, P., Lang, A. C., Nadrowski, K., Pei, K., Scherer-Lorenzen, M., Shi, X., Scholten, T., Schuldt, A., Trogisch, S., Oheimb, G., Welk, E., Wirth, C., Wu, Y.-T., Yang, X., Zeng, X., Zhang, S., Zhou, H., Ma, K. & Schmid, B., 02.2011, In: Ecological Monographs. 81, 1, p. 25-41 17 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  6. Published

    Macroecological patterns of spider species richness across Europe

    Finch, O.-D., Blick, T. & Schuldt, A., 11.2008, In: Biodiversity and Conservation. 17, 12, p. 2849-2868 20 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  7. Published

    Genetic erosion in a stenotopic heathland ground beetle (Coleoptera: Carabidae): a matter of habitat size ?

    Drees, C., Vries, H., Härdtle, W., Matern, A., Persigehl, M. & Aßmann, T., 01.02.2011, In: Conservation Genetics. 12, 1, p. 105-117 13 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  8. Published

    Strong genetic cohesiveness between Italy and North Africa in four butterfly species

    Habel, J. C., Rödder, D., Stefano, S., Meyer, M. & Schmitt, T., 04.2010, In: Biological Journal of the Linnean Society. 99, 4, p. 818-830 13 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

  9. Published

    Relict species: From past to future

    Habel, J. C., Assmann, T., Schmitt, T. & Avise, J. C., 2010, Relict Species: Phylogeography and Conservation Biology. Habel, J. C. & Assmann, T. (eds.). Springer, p. 1-5 5 p.

    Research output: Contributions to collected editions/worksOtherResearch

  10. Published

    Molecular analysis meets morphology-based systematics-a synthetic approach for Chalarinae (Insecta: Diptera: Pipunculidae)

    Kehlmaier, C. & Aßmann, T., 01.2010, In: Systematic Entomology. 35, 1, p. 181-195 15 p.

    Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

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