Our work aims to understand patterns and constraints of species distributions. This includes studies on the composition of vertebrate communities, their biogeographic evolution, physiological constraints, inter- and intraspecific interactions, and reactions to changing environmental conditions. Conceptually our work is based on an extended socio-ecological model on the evolution of life history traits. According to this model predators and parasites (top-down) and food characteristics (bottom-up) influence the distribution of individuals. The utilization of different resources has different costs. These costs vary in different (anthropogenic and natural) environments and have consequences for reproduction and population dynamics. The concept is independent of the geographical and taxonomic context. It is applicable in an urban as well as in a pristine setting. The results are used to develop concepts for conservation activities.

• Taxonomic expertise: Mammals, Birds, Amphibians, Dragonflies, parasitoid Hymenoptera
• Thematic expertise: community ecology, feeding ecology, animal plant interactions (herbivory, grazing, seed dispersal, plant reaction), energy metabolism, endangered species, land use (forestry, pasture, mining), parasitoid interactions, biodiversity conservation
• Methodological expertise: Inventories, standard methods in field ecology, chemical plant analyses, (standard wet chemical analyses, GC, Near Infrared spectrometry, calorimetry), indirect calometry to measure basal metabolic rates, Establishing and handling museum collections.

Research

• Endangered species conservation (Primates, Carnivores, Tortoises, Amphibians, Dragonflies) (Madagascar)
• Phylogeographic evolution of biota (Madagascar)
• Effects and interactions of food chemistry, food selection and consumer communities (worldwide)
• Energy metabolism (mammals, reptiles) (Madagascar, South Africa)
• Trophic interactions (Germany, Madagascar)
• Conservation (fragmentation, degradation, restoration, land use and biodiversity conservation) (Germany, Madagascar)

Consulting:

• Regional Chair for the IUCN Species Survival Commission, Primates, Madagascar
• Research committee WWF Germany
• Kuratorium: Max Planck Institute Evolutionary Biology
• Biodiversity Committee for QIT Madagascar Minerals (RioTinto)
• Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust (DWCT), Madagascar
• Conservation International, Madagascar

• Animal-Plant interactions in the context of livestock and native grazers and browsers.
• Endangered species research
• Developing indicator systems for biodiversity conservation in the context of different land use systems (pasture, agriculture, forestry, mining, fragmentation, degradation)

International Cooperations and Summer schools
Within a 10-year project funded by VW and DAAD we established graduate and postgraduate training programs for collaborative projects between Germany, Madagascar and South Africa. These include regular field schools in Madagascar and Hamburg, lab visits and training for writing of proposals and papers. Similar activities could be established within the context of the RSSC.

Technical training
Technical training could include: Field inventories, Standard methods in field ecology, Chemical plant analyses, (e.g. Standard wet chemical analyses, GC, Near Infrared Spectrometry), Indirect calometry to measure basal metabolic rates, Statistics.

Grass-root capacity development
Training of para-ecologists

Joint development of projects and international networking.