The research field of environmental biology focusses on the species-based investigation of biodiversity change and the assessment of ecosystems. At the Centre for Biodiversity Monitoring and Conservation Research (zbm), species-based environmental biology research will gain important insights into the causes and consequences of biodiversity decline.
The Nature Conservation Ecology Section focuses on the following areas:
- Development and application of innovative technologies for biodiversity monitoring
- Documentation of changes in biodiversity
- Research into the ecological structure of species communities
- Investigating the causes and consequences of biodiversity loss
- Modelling of future scenarios
- Evidence-based development of solutions for the protection and sustainable use of biodiversity
- Promoting cooperation between volunteers, authorities and researchers in biodiversity research
Understanding the effects of climate change
Recent climate and environmental changes caused by humans can also be recorded and evaluated. Large species, African ungulates and primates, marine mammals and bats are particular focal points of the collection. There is an extensive, well-documented collection of mammal skeletons - one of the most important in Germany. There is also a variety of skins as well as a collection of organs and embryos.
Contact person
- Head of section Conservation Ecology at the Center for Biodiversity Monitoring
- Research networks, international cooperation & science policy
Phone: +49 228 9122 352
E-Mail: l.schaeffler@leibniz-lib.de
Projects
PhenoRob2 - Robotics and phenotyping for sustainable plant production
Management: Prof. Dr. Christoph Scherber
LEPO - Lepidopteran-Pollinators and their most essential areas in Germany
Management: Prof. Dr. Christoph Scherber
Microcebus berthae Elevation
Management: Dr. Livia Schäffler
SynMon
Management: MSc Niklas W. Noll
GIBBS (Holistic Biodiversity Management in the Building Materials Industry)
Management: Prof. Dr. Christoph Scherber
Publications
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2025/03
Identifying conservation hotspots and assessing species commonness and rarity: Baseline arthropod diversity in German nature reserves via national Malaise trap monitoring
Insect Conservation and Diversity
2024/10
Coquerel’s Giant Mouse Lemur (Mirza coquereli). In Primates in Peril: The World’s 25 Most Endangered Primates 2024–2025, pp. 17-19. IUCN SSC Primate Specialist Group, Int. Primatological Society, Re:wild, Washington, DC
2024/10
Madame Berthe's Mouse Lemur (Microcebus berthae). In Primates in Peril: The World’s 25 Most Endangered Primates 2024–2025, pp. 9-11. IUCN SSC Primate Specialist Group, Int. Primatological Society, Re:wild, Washington, DC
2023/12
taxalogue: a toolkit to create comprehensive CO1 reference databases
PeerJ, 11
2023/11
Recommendations for effective insect conservation in nature protected areas based on a transdisciplinary project in Germany
Environmental Sciences Europe, 1, 35
2023/11
Monitoring der Biodiversität flugaktiver Insekten in NRW
Nat NRW, 2023, 3
2022/12
Improving insect conservation management through insect monitoring and stakeholder involvement
2, 32
2022/12
Spatial, temporal and taxonomic patterns of insect extinction in Germany
bioRxiv
2022/11
Repeated subsamples during DNA extraction reveal increased diversity estimates in DNA metabarcoding of Malaise traps
Ecology and Evolution, 11, 12
2022/10
Emerging technologies revolutionise insect ecology and monitoring
Trends in ecology & evolution, 10, 37
2022/09
Madame Berthe’s Mouse Lemur Microcebus berthae.
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
2022/04
Developing a novel bioacoustic monitoring for Garden Dormice using passive sound recorders and machine learning
ARPHA Conference Abstracts, 5
2022/01
A universal insect trait tool (ITT, v1.0) for statistical analysis and evaluation of biodiversity research data
2022/01
Recommendations for tissue homogenisation and extraction in DNA metabarcoding of Malaise trap samples
2021/10
Pooling size sorted Malaise trap fractions to maximize taxon recovery with metabarcoding
PeerJ, 9
2021/07
Diversity of Insects in Nature protected Areas (DINA): an interdisciplinary German research project
Biodiversity and conservation, 8-9, 30
2021/03
Mouse Lemurs in an Assemblage of Cheirogaleid Primates in Menabe Central, Western Madagascar – Three Reasons to Coexist
Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, 9
2020/10
Langfristige Biodiversitätsveränderungen in Deutschland erkennen - mit Hilfe der Vergangenheit in die Zukunft schauen
Natur und Landschaft : Zeitschrift für Naturschutz und Landschaftspflege, 11, 95
2020/02
Microcebus berthae. The IUCN Red List of Threatened The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Microcebus berthae–published in 2020
6
2019/10
Identifying Key Knowledge Gaps to Better Protect Biodiversity and Simultaneously Secure Livelihoods in a Priority Conservation Area
20, 11
2016/01
Grünbuch Citizen Science Strategie 2020 für Deutschland
2016/01
Green Paper Citizen Science Strategy 2020 for Germany
DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.1.4964.0563
2015/03
Agent-mediated spatial storage effect in heterogeneous habitat stabilizes competitive mouse lemur coexistence in Menabe Central, Western Madagascar
1, 15
2015/02
NBS Indikator "Dauer der Vegetationsperiode"
2014/12
Distribution and abundance of three cheirogaleid species in Menabe Central, Western Madagascar
Lemur News, 18
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Employees
MSc Niklas W. Noll
zbm Nature conservation ecology Doctoral candidatePhone: +49 228 9122 459
E-mail: n.noll@leibniz-lib.deDr. Livia Schäffler
zbm Nature conservation ecology ScientistPhone: +49 228 9122 352
E-mail: l.schaeffler@leibniz-lib.de