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.
- 2001
- Published
Zur Käferfauna von Sandtrockenrasen und Heidegesellschaften in Hudelandschaften des Emslandes (Nordwest-Deutschland)
Falke, B. & Aßmann, T., 2001, In: Drosera. 1/2, p. 35-52 18 p.Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research
- 2000
- Published
Competition in the woodland? phenology, body mass and body length of coexisting Carabus species, preliminary results (Coleoptera, Carabidae)
Aßmann, T. & Günther, J., 2000, Natural history and applied ecology of carabid beetles: Proceedings of the IX European Carabidiologists Meeting, Cosenza, Italy, 26-31 July, 1998. Casale, A. (ed.). Pensoft Publishers Ltd., p. 185-195 11 p.Research output: Contributions to collected editions/works › Article in conference proceedings › Research
- Published
Ground beetle diversity of a medieval wood-pasture reserve in north-west Germany (Coleoptera, Carabidae)
Falke, B., Oevermann, S. & Aßmann, T., 2000, Natural history and applied ecology of carabid beetles: Proceedings of the IX European Carabidiologists Meeting, Cosenza, Italy, 26-31 July, 1998. Casale, A. (ed.). Sofia: Pensoft Publishers Ltd., p. 259-269 11 p.Research output: Contributions to collected editions/works › Article in conference proceedings › Research
- Published
Konkurrenz im Wald? Populationsbiologische Untersuchungen an Carabus-Arten in der Lüneburger Heide (Coleoptera, Carabidae)
Aßmann, T. & Günther, J., 2000, Westdeutscher Entomologentag Düsseldorf: Verhandlungen. Löser, S. (ed.). Düsseldorf: Entomologische Gesellschaft Düsseldorf e.V., p. 111-123 13 p.Research output: Contributions to collected editions/works › Article in conference proceedings › Research
- Published
Morphological differentiations of tarsal structures in ground beetles living in reedbed hatitats (Coleoptera, Carabidae)
Schürstedt, H., Rossbach, A. & Aßmann, T., 2000, Natural history and applied ecology of carabid beetles: Proceedings of the IX European Carabidiologists Meeting, Cosenza, Italy, 26-31 July, 1998. Casale, A., Brandmayr, P., Brandmayr, T. Z., Taglianti, A. V. & Lövei, G. (eds.). Sofia / Moscow: Pensoft Publishers Ltd., p. 81-87 7 p. (Pensoft Series Faunistica; vol. 19).Research output: Contributions to collected editions/works › Article in conference proceedings › Research
- Published
Morphometric differentiation in a specialised snail predatior: Carabus pyrenaeus (Coleoptera, Carabidae)
Aßmann, T., Schröder, E. & Terlutter, H., 2000, Natural history and applied ecology of carabid beetles: Proceedings of the IX European Carabidiologists Meeting, Cosenza, Italy, 26-31 July, 1998. Casale, A. (ed.). Pensoft Publishers Ltd., p. 171-178 8 p.Research output: Contributions to collected editions/works › Article in conference proceedings › Research
- Published
Relict populations in ancient woodlands: genetic differentiation, variability, and power of dispersal of Carabus glabratus (Coleoptera, Carabidae) in north-western Germany
Aßmann, T. & Günther, J., 2000, Natural history and applied ecology of carabid beetles: Proceedings of the IX European Carabidiologists Meeting, Cosenza, Italy, 26-31 July, 1998 (Pensoft Series Faunistica, 19) . Casale, A. (ed.). Pensoft Publishers Ltd., p. 197-206 10 p.Research output: Contributions to collected editions/works › Article in conference proceedings › Research
- Published
The role and benefits of population biological research for nature conservation monitoring
Aßmann, T. & Günther, J., 2000, European monitoring for nature conservation: Proceedings of the International Symposium “Monitoring for Nature Conservation at a European Level”, Isle of Vilm, Germany, 1-5 March 1999. Bischoff, C. & Dröschmeister, R. (eds.). Bonn, Bad Godesberg: Bundesamt für Naturschutz, p. 127-139 13 p. (Schriftenreihe für Landschaftspflege und Naturschutz; vol. 62).Research output: Contributions to collected editions/works › Article in conference proceedings › Research