Conservation Biology and Applied Ecolοgу

Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology

In the lecture an overview is given of theoretical basics and current issues in animal ecology. Thematic focal points are biodiversity and ecosystem functions, multitrophic interactions and food webs, evolutionary ecology, chemical ecology, tropical ecology, agroecology and global change. In the seminar current scientific publications on the above topics will be presented and discussed.

Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology 2

The lecture provides insights into basic principles in ecology with particular focus on the biology of tropical habitats including tropical biocenosis.  Special attention is given to the global importance of tropical systems (“ecosystem goods” and “ecosystem  services”)  as well as to biological specialties and aspects of particular adaption in  these highly diverse biomes. In the seminar the students learn to perform problem based scientific literature research, to present recent publications and to critically discuss these new findings.  

Conservation Biology

The lecture focuses on the essentials in conservation biology and the drivers and consequences of global change for organisms and ecosystems. Nature-conservation relevant topics from theory to application will be the main focus.

Neurobiology, Behavioural Physiology and Animal Ecology - Insects in a changing environment (Lecture series)

Changing environments impact all organisms on earth. The environment affects neurobiology, behaviour, and navigation. Animals make use of endogenous clocks to predict and adapt to daily or seasonal changes of the environment. Environmental changes, which are often man-made, like climate change, affect the individual behaviour, biotic interactions, the distribution of species, species communities, and chemical and evolutionary adaptations.
The lecture series gives a introduction to the effects of changing environments on different aspects in biology and the underlying neuronal, physiological, behavioural, and ecological mechanisms. Animal adaptations which have evolved to cope with these changes as well as extinction risks of species will be discussed.