Conservation Ecology

[19] [20]

Reiter

Info

Species-based environmental research for monitoring of ecosystem health and biodiversity change is an emerging field in biology. Our newly established Center for Biodiversity Monitoring (Zentrum für Biodiversitätsmonitoring - zbm) [21] will amend the profile of the ZFMK with aspects of species-based environmental research and deliver extremely important evidence on causes and consequences of biodiversity loss. Research in the zbm will complement the infrastructural German research landscape and strengthen the field of species-based environmental research by adding the fields of population biology and conservation ecology.

The new zbm section Conservation Ecology is dedicated

to the development and application of innovative biodiversity monitoring approaches,
to detecting trends in biodiversity change,
to investigating the ecological structure in natural communities and species assemblages,
to understanding causes and consequences of species decline,
to modelling scenarios for the future,
to providing evidence-based solutions for biodiversity conservation and the sustainable use of natural resources,
to improving cooperation between amateurs, agencies and researchers in the field of biodiversity research.

Already today, we are implementing large joint research projects within the zbm section Environmental Biology, such as SustainCBW [22] (obstacles to nature conservation and sustainable development in biodiversity hotspots), INPEDIV [23] (causes of insect declines and consequences for ecological communities in German protected areas), DINA [24] (agricultural impact on biodiversity in German protected areas and implications for spatial planning), and AMMOD [25] (construction of automated multi-sensor stations for biodiversity monitoring).

Those large third-party funded collaborative research projects - partly initiated and led by ZFMK – aim at detecting biodiversity change over time and at understanding underlying causes and resulting consequences. Our hypotheses-based research will pave the ground for adaptive solutions to halt biodiversity loss and for evidence-based policy recommendations. By these means, the zbm section Environmental Biology will complement insights from research conducted by government departments at the state and federal level in Germany and deliver scientific support to meet monitoring obligations.

Innovative technological developments and application-oriented interdisciplinary research in the section Environmental Biology is closely linked to the other two zbm sections Metabarcoding [6] and Environmental Genomics [7]. Moreover, the zbm will generate added value by employing and advancing existing infrastructures at the zmb [3] (Biobank, GBOL database) and the zte [2] (biodiversity informatics, morphological reference collections).

Staff

Scientist, permanent position

[26]

Dr. Livia Schäffler [26]

Head of section Conservation Ecology at the Center for Biodiversity Monitoring, Chief scientific advisor for research networks, international cooperation & science policy

Tel: +49 228 9122-352

Fax: +49 228 9122-212

E-Mail: l.schaeffler [at] leibniz-zfmk.de

Technical or laboratory assistant

[27]

Alice Scherges [27]

Technical Assistant

Tel: +49 228 9122-354

Fax: +49 228 9122-212

E-Mail: A.Scherges [at] leibniz-zfmk.de

Postdoc

[28]

Dr. Vera Zizka [28]

Postdoc

Tel: +49 228 9122-354

Fax: +49 228 9122-212

E-Mail: v.zizka [at] leibniz-zfmk.de

Ph.D. student

[29]

Niklas Noll [29]

PhD Student

Tel: +49 228 9122-354

Fax: +49 228 9122-212

E-Mail: n.noll [at] leibniz-zfmk.de

Research Assistant, student or graduate

[30]

Marvin Applegate [30]

E-Mail: m.applegate [at] leibniz-zfmk.de

[31]

Iris Madge Pimentel [31]

INPEDIV Project

Tel: +49 228 9122-352

Fax: +49 228 9122-212

E-Mail: iris.madge [at] t-online.de

Projects

2019

[24]

DINA – Diversity of Insects in Nature Protected Areas [24]

In collaboration with the German NABU the ZFMK has been an active partner to initiate a large joint project to understand drivers of insect decline, the DINA project (2019-2022). The goal of the project is to assess and monitor the insect fauna in 21 selected Nature-protected areas using a Malaise trap transect approach. A particular goal of this project is to demonstrate the power of metabarcoding for the rapid and efficient assessment of the insect fauna relying on the GBOL database. Additionally to the insect fauna, landscape parameters including anthropogenic influence will be recorded.

Project lead:

Dr. Livia Schäffler [26]

Funding:

Federal Ministry of Education and Research

[23]

Integrative Analysis of the influence of pesticides and land use on biodiversity in Germany (INPEDIV) [23]

The interdisciplinary joint project INPEDIV is funded for 3 years by the Leibniz Competition (March 2019 – February 2022). The aim of this study is to investigate consequences of organic and conventional farming for biodiversity in protected areas. By use of traditional methods and new technologies, we will examine agricultural land use effects on a broad range of plant and animal taxa across trophic levels at study sites in the Rhineland and in Brandenburg.

Project lead:

Dr. Livia Schäffler [26]

Funding:

Leibniz Association

2018

[32]

SolBioM [32]

The main objective of the BMBF-funded project is the diversification of an international research consortium, consisting mainly of partners from Eastern and Southeastern Europe, in order to apply for funding for a multinational R&D project within the framework of Horizon 2020 or other EU programme.

Project lead:

Prof. Dr. J. Wolfgang Wägele [33]

Funding:

Federal Ministry of Education and Research

[22]

Towards a future sustainable world where climate, biodiversity, natural resources and human well-being are safeguarded (SustainCBW) [22]

Six Leibniz institutes cooperate the joint interdisciplinary project sustainCBW to analyze targets of the SDG, the CBD, and the Paris Agreement with respect to interdependencies that hamper an adequate consideration of biodiversity concerns and to develop solutions for conflicts of interest.

Project lead:

Dr. Livia Schäffler [26]

Funding:

Leibniz Association

Publications

Published in

2021

Leese F., Sander M., Buchner D., Elbrecht V., Haase P., Zizka V.M.A. (2021). Improved freshwater macroinvertebrate detection from environmental DNA through minimized nontarget amplification. Environmental DNA, 00:1-16. DOI: 10.1002/edn3.177

[read more] [35]

2020

Leese, F., Beermann, A.J., Zizka, V. unter Mitarbeit von Astrin, J., Bálint, M., Bourlat, S., Buchner, D., Elbrecht, V., Hörren, T., Krehenwinkel, H., Monaghan, M., Morinière, J., Pauls, S.U., Schäffler, L., Weigand, A. 2020 Potenzial genetischer Methoden für die Erfassung und das Monitoring von Insekten. Ausarbeitung im Rahmen des F+E-Vorhabens „Konzeptentwicklung zum bundesweiten Insektenmonitoring"

[read more] [36]

Schäffler, L., Zizka, V. & Noll, N. (2020): Sektion Umweltbiologie am Zentrum für Biodiversitätsmonitoring (zbm) - Mitteilungen der Fachgruppe Umweltchemie und Ökotoxikologie der Gesellschaft Deutscher Chemiker, 26. Jahrgang Juni 2020

[read more] [37]

Zizka, V.M.A., Weiss, M., Leese, F. (2020) Can metabarcoding resolve intraspecific genetic diversity changes to environmental stressors? A test case using river macrozoobenthos. - Metabarcoding and Metagenomics 4:23-34.

[read more] [38]

Laini, A., Beermann A. J., Bolpagni R., Burgazzi G., Elbrecht V., Zizka V. M. A., Leese F., Viaroli P. (2020) Exploring the potential of metabarcoding to disentangle macroinvertebrate community dynamics in intermittent streams. - Metabarcoding and Metagenomics 4:65-79.

[read more] [39]

Eichenberg, D., Bernhard-Römermann, M., Bowler, D., Bruelheide, H., Conze, K.-J., Dauber, J., Dengler, J., Engels, D., Fartmann, T., Frank, D., Geske, C., Grescho, V., Harter, D., Henle, K., Hofmann, S., Jandt, U., Jansen, F., Kamp, J., Kautzner, A., König-Ries, B., Krämer, R., Krüss, A., Kühl, H., Ludwig, M., Lueg, H., May, R., Musche, M., Oppitz, A., Ronnenberg, K., Schacherer, A., Schäffler, L., Schiffers, K., Schulte, U., Schwarz, J., Sperle, T., Stab, S., Stöck, M., Theves, F., Trockur, B., Wesche, K., Wessel, M., Winter, M., Wirth, C. & Bonn, A. (2020): Langfristige Biodiversitätsveränderungen in Deutschland erkennen - Mit Hilfe der Vergangenheit in die Zukunft schauen. - Natur und Landschaft 11: 479–491

[read more] [40]

Beermann, A. J., Werner, M-T., Elbrecht, V., Zizka, V. M. A., Leese F (2020): DNA metabarcoding improves the detection of multiple stressor responses of stream invertebrates to increased salinity, fine sediment deposition and reduced flow velocity. - Science of The Total Environment 750.

[read more] [41]

Elbrecht, V., Bourlat, S.J., Lindner, A., Mordente, A., Noll, N., Sorg, M., Zizka, V. (2020) Pooling size sorted malaise trap fractions to maximise taxon recovery with metabarcoding. https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.06.09.118950v1

[read more] [42]

Markolf, M., Schäffler, L. & Kappeler, P. 2020. Microcebus berthae. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020: e.T41573A115579496.

[read more] [43]

Links:

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020: e.T41573A115579496. [44]

Zizka, V.M.A., Geiger, M.F., Leese, F. (2020): DNA metabarcoding of stream invertebrates reveals spatio-temporal variation but consistent status class assessments in a natural and urban river, Ecological Indicators, Volume 115, 106383. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2020.106383.

[read more] [45]

2019

Blackman RC, Mächler E, Altermatt F, Arnold A, Beja P, Boets P, Egeter B, Elbrecht V, et al. (2019) Advancing the use of molecular methods for routine freshwater macroinvertebrate biomonitoring – the need for calibration experiments. Metabarcoding and Metagenomics 3: e34735. https://doi.org/10.3897/mbmg.3.34735

[read more] [46]

Links:

https://mbmg.pensoft.net/article/34735/ [47]

Zizka, V. M. A., Elbrecht, V., Macher, J.-N., & Leese, F. (2019). Assessing the influence of sample tagging and library preparation on DNA metabarcoding. Molecular Ecology

[read more] [48]

Links:

https://doi.org/10.1111/1755-0998.13018 [49]

Frank, A.S.K. & Schäffler, L. (2019). Identifying Key Knowledge Gaps to Better Protect Biodiversity and Simultaneously Secure Livelihoods in a Priority Conservation Area. Sustainability 11: 5695

[read more] [50]

Links:

https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/11/20/5695/pdf [51]

2018

Macher, J.-N., Zizka, V.M.A., Weigand, A.M., Leese F. (2018): A simple centrifugation protocol for metagenomic studies increases mitochondrial DNA yield by two orders of magnitude. -Methods in Ecology and Evolution 9 (4): 1070-1074.

[read more] [52]

Kuhn, T., Zizka V.M.A, Münster R., Mattiucci S., Kochmann J., Klimpel S. (2018) Lighten up the dark: metazoan parasites as indicators from the ecology of Antarctic crocodile icefish (Channichthyidae) from the north-west Antarctic Peninsula. - PeerJ 6:e4638.

[read more] [53]

Beermann, A. J., Zizka, V. M. A., Elbrecht, V., Baranov, V., & Leese, F. (2018). DNA metabarcoding reveals the complex and hidden responses of chironomids to multiple stressors. Environmental Sciences Europe, 1–15.

[read more] [54]

Links:

http://doi.org/10.1186/s12302-018-0157-x [55]

Heiland, S., Schliep, R., Bartz, R., Schäffler, L., Dziock, S., Radtke, L., Trautmann, S., Kowarik, I., Dziock, F., Sudfeldt, C. & Sukopp, U. (2018). Indikatoren zur Darstellung von Auswirkungen des Klimawandels auf die biologische Vielfalt. Natur und Landschaft 93.1: 2-13

[read more] [56]

Zizka, V., Leese, F., Peinert, B., Geiger, M.F. (2018): DNA metabarcoding from sample fixative as a quick and voucher-preserving biodiversity assessment method.- Genome (na) doi.org/10.1139/gen-2018-0048

[read more] [57]

Links:

Genome journal [58]

2017

Lammers, F., Janke, A., Rückle, C., Zizka, V., Nilsson M.A. (2017): Screening for the ancient polar bear mitochondrial genome reveals low integration of mitochondrial pseidogenes (numts) in bears. - Mitochondrial DNA Part B 2 (1): 251-254.

[read more] [59]

Schliep, R., Bartz, R. Dröschmeister, R., Dziock, F., Dziock, S., Fina, S., Kowarik, I., Radtke, L., Schäffler, L., Siedentop, S., Sudfeldt, C., Trautmann, S., Sukopp, U. & Heiland, S. (2017). Indikatorensystem zur Darstellung direkter und indirekter Auswirkungen des Klimawandels auf die biologische Vielfalt. BfN-Skripten 470

[read more] [60]

Contact person

[26]

Dr. Livia Schäffler [26]

Head of section Conservation Ecology at the Center for Biodiversity Monitoring

Chief scientific advisor for research networks, international cooperation & science policy

Directorate [61]

Conservation Ecology [62]

Research Networks [63]

+49 228 9122-352

+49 228 9122-212

l.schaeffler [at] leibniz-zfmk.de

Conservation Ecology

Reiter

Scientist, permanent position

Technical or laboratory assistant

Postdoc

Ph.D. student

Research Assistant, student or graduate

2019

DINA – Diversity of Insects in Nature Protected Areas [24]

Integrative Analysis of the influence of pesticides and land use on biodiversity in Germany (INPEDIV) [23]

2018

SolBioM [32]

Towards a future sustainable world where climate, biodiversity, natural resources and human well-being are safeguarded (SustainCBW) [22]

Pages

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

Pages

Contact person