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:
None
Past:
EnergyEFFAIR - Efficient and Fair Allocation of Renewable Energy Production at the National Level (BMBF: 2011-2014)
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)
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)
Teaching
Organisation of a summer school on Ecological-economic Modelling for Biodiversity Conservation (2006-2008)
Lecture "Ecological-economic Modelling for Biodiversity Conservation" (Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus 2015/16, 2017; University of Leipzig (2016/17)
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)