My work centers around the theoretical aspects of ecosystem restoration. I use models and computer simulations to find out how ecological communities recover and especially how species interaction networks (re-)assemble after a large disturbance. My overarching goal is to explain observations from the field with theories how they could have …
Our ambitious perturbation experiment was an enormous, unexpected effort – on a total of 30 plots. Four 10 x 10 m treatments had to be marked per plot, two of them fenced, vegetation and litter was removed from two treatments, and the amount removed was quantified. Seed/litter traps were installed, …
Quite calmly, our research activities in one of the best tropical field labs have just begun earlier this year. What a fantastic new place, equipped with modern lab interior and great working conditions and (still) a lot of space for our large group and more. What an incredible view on …
Does our research contribute to restoring biodiversity and climate? There is an ongoing discussion around ‘natural solutions’ for climate, and the potential of forest restoration for carbon capture and mitigation of global warming. One of the key papers in this controversial debate was a Science paper in 2019 from Thomas …
First exciting network results of our first Bachelor student in Reassembly, Jan Johann (in SP6). His analysis supports one of our key hypotheses: networks become more complex when forest recover, shown by an increase in the exponential Shannon diversity of links (eH2). Here, the trophic network is represented the distribution …
While part of the team already disappeared in the djungle, some of us just had a first inspiring meeting across different subprojects on how to connect theory and empiry when it comes to mutualistic network assembly. Our theoreticists from SP1 kicked off the meeting with an input presentation about their …
Four snapshots from a wildlife camera campaign across our study plots performed by the Team Fabrikschleichach. A puma (Puma concolor), jaguar (Panthera onca), tayra (Eira barbara) and an ozelot (Leopardus pardalis) walked through the forest plots in November 2021.
This 10-min video shows the hypotheses behind, and implementation of, the perturbation – recovery experiment.
