Our third Reassembly newsletter is out! Thanks to all the PhD researchers and postdocs who contributed their chapters. Martin added a thoughtful introductory piece through the lens of tropical forest conservation and Jocotoco. What a great selection of insights from the third year of our research endeavor. We hope you …
Throughout my doctorate, I have been driven by a fascination with natural cycles and the efficiency of the natural world. My early background as a chemist allowed me to explore these processes on a microscopic scale, focusing on the turnover of matter and energy. Transitioning to ecological research, I expanded …
Within the context of REASSEMBLY, I study dung beetle trophic network reassembly across a forest recovery gradient in the Ecuadorian Chocó. Dung beetles are good predictors of habitat quality. First, because they are sensitive to environmental changes brought about by deforestation and because they depend upon medium- to large-bodied mammals …
I realized I would study frogs only when I turned 20. During a field trip to the Ecuadorian rainforest, I heard the call of a frog perched on a branch over a river. After a long search, I finally spotted one of the most breathtaking creatures—a glass frog. Since then, …
Tenemos el placer de presentar el segundo boletín de Reassembly. Este año reflexionamos sobre nuestro segundo año de trabajo de campo, las pequeñas victorias en el trabajo, así como los nuevos amigos que conocimos en el camino. También presentamos con gran alegría nuestros primeros hallazgos sobre la recuperación del bosque. Les invitamos a …
As a biologist, I have always been interested in community ecology, and what is more incredible than ecology in the Tropics? So, I have spent the last years of my career working on understanding forest recovery after human disturbances, from the perspective of tree communities in the tropical forests of …
Tropical Ecology – University of Ulm (Germany) / Museo de Zoología – Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador (PUCE – Ecuador). Among my main research interests is the ecology of communities and the study of their structure, diversity as well as their taxonomic and functional composition, which allow understanding the assemblages …
A very lively video summarizes the key questions and methods in our subproject about predator-prey interactions, featuring Karla Neira, Mark-Oliver Rödel and countless colorful or brownish frogs as the main actors. Well worth watching! And… an exciting podcast about their work is also available in the Museum’s “Beats and bones” …
I have always been fascinated by tropical ecology and biodiversity research. In my former studies, I investigated the diversity of Afrotropical termites, one of the most important decomposers in African savannahs. Now, during my Ph.D. in the Reassembly project, my research focuses on the interactions between saproxylic insects (termites and …
Here’s our second Reassembly Newsletter. Again, all PhD candidates and postdoctoral scientists nicely summarized their challenges, experience and insights in the second year of our Research Unit. It’s a must-read for all project participants, but hopefully also enjoyable for anyone interested in such a scientific endeavor and recovering tropical forests. …
