CV

Career

  • 1986-1991: University of Braunschweig and University of Göttingen: Diplom (M.Sc.) in Physics (Theoretical Physics). Thesis: Crossover from BCS superconductivity to Bose condensation.
  • 1992-1994: Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department of Ecological Modelling. PhD Thesis: Stochastic models for the extinction of metapopulations.
  • 1995-1996: University of Melbourne, Environmental Science Group at the School of Botany: Postdoctoral research funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG). Main research: Population viability analysis of the endangered Orange-bellied Parrot.
  • since 1997: Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department of Ecological Modelling. Senior scientist.
  • 2012: PhD in Economics (Thesis: Modellbasierte Analysen zur kosteneffizienten räumlich-zeitlichen Allokation von Naturschutzmaßnahmen)

Research interests

  • Ecological and economic modelling of conservation strategies and instruments
  • (Meta)population ecology and management
  • Environmental and Ecological Economics
  • Optimisation and decision theory
  • Spatial optimisation of conservation strategies
  • Dynamic optimisation of conservation strategies
  • Multi-criteria analysis
  • Dealing with risk and uncertainty
  • Modelling strategies
  • Complex systems

Professional activities

  • Referee for American Naturalist, Biological Conservation, Conservation Biology, European Journal of Operations Research, Journal of Environmental Management, Ecological Economics, …
  • Referee for the European Science Foundation (ESF) and the (US) National Science Foundation (NSF).
  • Subcontractor consultant for Biosis Research Ltd., Port Melbourne, Australia (2001)
  • Editor (with Frank Wätzold) of special issue "Ecological-economic modelling for the sustainable use and conservation of biodiversity" in Ecological Economics (2007)
  • Convenor (with Felix Rauschmayer) of annual meeting of the European Working Group on Multi-criteria Decision Aid (2001)
  • Convenor (with Frank Wätzold) of ESF funded Explorative Workshop "Ecological-economic modelling for designing and evaluating biodiversity conservation policies" (2004)
  • Organisor (with Frank Wätzold) of symposia at the annual conferences of the Ecological Society of Germany, Austria and Switzerland (GfOe, 2006) and European Society of Ecological Economists (ESEE, 2007).
  • Organiser (with Frank Wätzold) of annual summer school on ecological-economic modelling (since 2006)

Partner/co-ordinator of externally funded projects

Present:

  • SOKO Bio - SOftware-basierte Entscheidungshilfe zur Bestimmung kosteneffizienter KOmpensationszahlungen für Biodiversitätsschutzmaßnahmen in einer sich ändernden Umwelt (Decision suport software for designing cost-effective compensation payments for biodiversity conservation in a changing environment) (Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt, DBU: 2008-2011)
  • EnergyEFFAIR - Efficient and Fair Allocation of Renewable Energy Production at the National Level (BMBF: 2011-2014)

Past:

  • AEDA - Applied Environmental Decision Analysis (Australian Government funded: 2006-2010)
    EcoTRADE - Ecological Thresholds for Reshaping Ecosystem Networks: Ameliorating landscapes Driven by Economic development (ESF funded: 2006-2009)
  • FlaechEn - Nachhaltige Landnutzung im Spannungsfeld umweltpolitisch
    konfligierender Zielsetzungen am Beispiel der Windenergiegewinnung / Sustainable land-use under conflicting policy objectives on the example of wind energy production (national BMBF funded: 2007-2010)
  • ALTER-Net - A Long-Term Biodiversity, Ecosystem and Awareness Research Network (EU funded: 2004-2009)
  • EcolEconMod - Ecological-Economic Modelling for the Assessment of the Efficiency of Conservation Policies (EU funded (Marie Curie): 2004-2008)
  • Multagri - Capitalisation of research results on the multifunctionality of agriculture and rural areas (EU funded: 2004-2006)
  • Fragland - Survival of Species in Fragmented Landscapes (EU funded: 1998-2002)

Conference presentations

  • Various annual conferences of the European Society of Ecological Economics (ESEE)
  • Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft (DPG; German Physical Society)
  • European Society of Operations Research (EURO)
  • Resource Modeling Association (RMA)
  • Verein für Socialpolitik (society of economic and social sciences) (VfS)
  • European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists (EAERE)
  • Gesellschaft für Ökologie (GfOe; Ecological Society of Germany, Austria and Switzerland)
  • European Working Group on Multi-criteria Decision Aid (EWG-MCDA)
  • World Reneweable Energy Conference - WREC (Linköping, 2011)
  • Second Europan Conference on the Conservation of Biodiversity (Prague, 2009)
  • First Europan Conference on the Conservation of Biodiversity (Eger, 2006)
  • Protecting Nature on Private Land - from Conflicts to Agreements (Lahti,2002)
  • World conference on population viability analysis (San Diego, 1999) VII International Congress of Ecology (Florence, 1998)