title

Research for the Environment

Dr. Oliver Schweiger

Contact

Dr. Oliver Schweiger
Research Scientist

Department Communtiy Ecology
Helmholtz Centre for
Environmental Research - UFZ
Theodor-Lieser-Strasse 4
06120 Halle, Germany

Tel: (+49) 345 558 5306
Fax: (+49) 345 558 5329
E-MailE-Mailoliver.schweiger@ufz.de

Oliver Schweiger

Research interests

I am an animal ecologist with a fondness for insects (i.e. carabid beetles, wild bees and butterflies). My interests focus on examining and understanding the pattern and processes of ecological systems at a variety of temporal and spatial scales. I want to understand the structure, dynamics and function of ecosystems and examine the effects of systematic variations in environmental conditions. To get a preferably self contained insight into ecosystems I work on several disciplinary levels such as population genetics and dynamics (fragmentation & dispersal), community ecology (disentangling scale and environmental factors), ecosystem functioning (function & reliability) and macroecology (general rules).

Currently, I am investigating macroecological patterns of butterflies and plant traits across Europe with respect to global change. Therefore I analyse land use, climate, resource distribution and the distribution of butterfly species and plant traits on a macroecological scale, and I model possible future distributions of species and species traits based on climate and land-use change scenarios.

In the past, I did my diploma thesis in the Link externLink externNationalpark Bayerischer Wald on carabid communities of wind brake areas in different successional stages supervised by Wolfgang Scherzinger. My PhD thesis was about biodiversity of arthropods in European agricultural landscapes with respect to agricultural land-use intensity and landscape structure as well as climate and soil. It was supervised by Link externLink externRoland Brandl, Link externLink externUniversity of Marburg, and Link internLink internMark Frenzel and Link internLink internWalter Durka, both UFZ.

Projects

  • STEP - Status and Trends of European Pollinators (EU FP 7, Collaborative Project, 2010 - 2015) Link externLink externSTEP homepage
  • SCALES - Securing the Conservation of biodiversity across Administrative Levels and spatial, temporal, and Ecological Scales (EU FP 7, Integrated Project, 2009 - 2014) Link externLink externSCALES homepage
  • COCONUT - understanding effeCts Of land use Changes ON ecosystems to halt loss of biodiversity due to habitat destrUction, fragmenTation and degradation (EU FP 6, Scientific support to policies project, 2006 - 2008)
    Link externLink externCOCONUT homepage
  • MACIS - Minimisation of and Adaptation to Climate change Impacts on biodiverSity (EU FP 6, Scientific support to policies project, 2006 - 2008)
    Link externLink externMACIS homepage
  • ALARM - Assessing LArge scale environmental Risks with tested Methods (EU FP 6, Integrated Project, 2004 - 2009)
    Link internLink internALARM description
    Link externLink externALARM homepage
  • ALTER-Net - A Long-TErm Biodiversity, Ecosystem and Awareness Research Network (EU FP 6, Network of Excellence, 2004 - 2009)
    PDFPDFALTER-Net description
    Link externLink externALTER-Net homepage
  • Virtual Institute for Macroecology - VIMO (Funded by the Link externLink externHelmholtz Association of National Research Centres, 2005 - 2007)
    Link internLink internVIMO homepage
  • GREENVEINS - Vulnerability of biodiversity in the Agro-ecosystem as influenced by Green Veining and Land-use Intensity (EU FP5, Integrated Project, 2001 - 2004)
    Link externLink externGreenveins homepage

Publications

Peer-reviewed journals

    Submitted
  • Devictor V, van Swaay C, Brereton T, Brotons L, Chamberlain D, Heliölä J, Herrando S, Julliard R, Kuussaari M, Lindström Å, Reif J, Roy D, van Strien A, Settele J, Schweiger O, Stefanescu C, Vermouzek Z, van Turnhout C, Wallis de Vries M, Wynhoff I, Jiguet F (submitted). Climate change induces desynchronization between European birds and butterflies. Nature.
  • Hanspach J, Kühn I, Schweiger O, Pompe S, Klotz S (submitted). Geographical patterns in prediction error of climate envelope models. Global Ecology and Biogeography.
  • Li XS, Zhang YL, Fang JH, Schweiger O, Settele J (submitted). A butterfly hotspot in Western China, its environmental threats and conservation. Biological Conservation.
  • Michalski SG, Kühn I, Schweiger O (submitted). The effect of branch length estimates on measures of phylogenetic diversity. Ecology.
  • Schmidt-Entling MH, Schweiger O, Bacher S, Espadaler X, Hickler T, Kumschick S, Woodcock BA, Nentwig W (submitted). Climatic heterogeneity underlies apparent productivity-diversity relationships of European arthropods. Journal of Biogeography.
  • Schweiger O, Heikkinen RK, Harpke A, Hickler T, Klotz S, Kudrna O, Kühn I, Pöyry J, Settele J (submitted). Increasing range mismatching of interacting species under global change is related to species traits. Global Ecology and Biogeography.
  • Settele J, Spangenberg JH, Hammen V, Harpke A, Klotz S, Rattei S, Schmidt S, Schweiger O, Stoll-Kleemann S, Zaunberger K, Kühn I (submitted). Integrated Analysis of Biodiversity and the ALARM experience: the science and art of project coordination as a condition for the assessment of biodiversity and environmental stressors. Environmental Science and Policy.
  • Spangenberg JH, Carter TR, Fronzek S, Jaeger J, Jylhä K, Kühn I, Omann I, Paul A, Reginster I, Rounsevell M, Schweiger O, Stocker A, Sykes MT, Settele J (submitted). Scenarios for investigating risks to biodiversity. Global Ecology and Biogeography.


    • 2010
  • Hartel T, Schweiger O, Öllerer K, Cogălniceanu D, Arntzen JW (2010). Amphibian distribution in a traditionally managed rural landscape of Eastern Europe: probing the effect of landscape composition. Biological Conservation 143: 1118-1124.PDFPDFReprint
  • Li XS, Luo YQ, Zhang YL, Schweiger O, Settele J, Yang QS (2010). On the conservation biology of a Chinese population of the birdwing Troides aeacus (Lepidoptera: Papilionidae). Journal of Insect Conservation 14: 257-268.PDFPDFReprint
  • Michalski SG, Durka W, Jentsch AV, Kreyling J, Pompe S, Schweiger O, Beierkuhnlein C (2010). Population genetic evidence for differentiation and divergent selection in an autotetraploid forage grass (Arrhenatherum elatius). Theoretical and Applied Genetics 120:1151-1162.PDFPDFReprint
  • Öckinger E, Schweiger O, Crist TO, Debinski DM, Krauss J, Kuussaari M, Petersen JD, Pöyry J, Settele J, Summerville KS, Bommarco R (2010). Life-history traits predict species responses to habitat area and isolation: a cross-continental synthesis. Ecology Letters13: 969-979PDFPDFReprint
  • Potts SG, Biesmeijer JC, Kremen C, Neumann P, Schweiger O, Kunin WE (2010). Global pollinator declines: drivers and impacts. Trends in Ecology and Evolution 25: 345-353.PDFPDFReprint
  • Schweiger O, Biesmeijer JC, Bommarco R, Hickler T, Hulme PE, Klotz S, Kühn I, Moora M, Nielsen A, Ohlemüller R, Petanidou T, Potts SG, Py¨ek P, Stout JC, Sykes MT, Tscheulin T, Vilà M, Walther GR, Westphal C, Winter M, Zobel M, Settele J (2010). Multiple stressors on biotic interactions: how climate change and alien species interact to affect pollination. Biological Reviews, online early doi:10.1111/j.1469-185X.2010.00125.x.PDFPDFReprint
  • Winter M, Kühn I, LaSorte FA, Schweiger O, Nentwig W, Klotz S (2010). The role of non-native plants and vertebrates in defining patterns of compositional similarity within and across continents. Global Ecology and Biogeography 19: 332-342.PDFPDFReprint

    • 2009
  • Hendrickx F, Maelfait JP, Desender K, Aviron S, Bailey D, Diekötter T, Lens L, Liira J, Schweiger O, Speelmans M, Vandomme V, Bugter R (2009). Pervasive effects of dispersal limitation on within- and among-community species richness in agricultural landscapes. Global Ecology and Biogeography 18: 607-616.PDFPDFReprint
  • Hickler T, Fronzek S, Araújo MB, Schweiger O, Thuiller W, Sykes MT (2009). An ecosystem model-based estimate of changes in water availability differs from water proxies that are commonly used in species distribution models. Global Ecology and Biogeography 18: 304-313.PDFPDFReprint
  • Winter M, Schweiger O, Klotz S, Nentwig W, Andriopoulos P, Arianoutsou M, Basnou C, Delipetrou P, Didziulis V, Hejda M, Hulme PE, Lambdon P, Pergl J, Py¨ek P, Roy D, Kühn I (2009). Plant extinctions and introductions lead to phylogenetic and taxonomic homogenization of the European flora. PNAS 106: 21721-21725.PDFPDFReprint

    • 2008
  • Billeter R, Liira J, Bailey D, Bugter R, Arens P, Augenstein I, Aviron S, Baudry J, Bukacek R. Burel F, Cerny M, De Blust G, De Cock R, Diekötter T, Dietz H, Dirksen J, Durka W, Frenzel M, Hamersky R, Hendrickx F, Herzog F, Klotz S, Koolstra B, Lausch A, Le Coeur D, Maelfait JP, Opdam P, Roubalova M, Schermann A, Schermann N, Schmitt T, Schweiger O, Smulders MJM., Speelmans M, Simova P, Verboom J, van Wingerden W, Zobel M, Edwards PJ (2008). Indicators for biodiversity in agricultural landscapes: a pan-European study. Journal of Applied Ecology 45: 141-150.PDFPDFReprint
  • Dormann CF, Schweiger O, Arens P, Augenstein I, Aviron S, Bailey D, Baudry J, Billeter R, Bugter R, Bukácek R, Burel F, Cerny M, De Cock R, De Blust G, DeFilippi R, Diekötter T, Dirksen J, Durka W, Edwards PJ, Frenzel M, Hamersky R, Hendrickx F, Herzog F, Klotz S, Koolstra B, Lausch A, Le Coeur D, Liira J, Maelfait JP, Opdam P, Roubalova M, Schermann-Legionnet A, Schermann N, Schmidt T, Smulders MJM, Speelmans M, Simova P, Verboom J, van Wingerden W, Zobel M (2008). Prediction uncertainty of environmental change effects on temperate European biodiversity. Ecology Letters 11: 235-244.PDFPDFReprint
  • Knapp S, Kühn I, Schweiger O, Klotz S (2008). Challenging urban species diversity: contrasting phylogenetic patterns across plant functional groups in Germany. Ecology Letters 11:1054-1064.PDFPDFReprint
  • Kühn I, Sykes MT, Berry PM, Thuiller W, Piper JM, Nigmann U, Araújo MB, Balletto E, Bonelli S, Cabeza M, Guisan A, Hickler T, Klotz S, Metzger M, Midgley G, Musche M, Olofsson J, Paterson JS, Penev L, Rickebusch S, Rounsevell MDAR, Schweiger O, Wilson E, Settele J (2008). MACIS: Minimisation of and Adaptation to Climate change Impacts on biodiverSity. GAIA - Ecological Perspectives for Science and Society 17: 393-395.PDFPDFReprint
  • Liira J, Schmidt T, Aavik T, Arens P, Augenstein I, Bailey D, Billeter R, Bukáček , Burel F, De Blust G, De Cock R, Dirksen J, Edwards PJ, Hamerský R, Herzog F, Klotz S, Kühn I, Le Coeur D, Miklová P, Roubalova M, Schweiger O, Smulders M, van Wingerden W, Bugters R, Zobel M (2008). Plant functional group composition and large-scale species richness in the agricultural landscapes of Europe. Journal of Vegetation Science 19: 3-14.PDFPDFReprint
  • Rickebusch S, Thuiller W, Hickler T, Araujo MB, Sykes MT, Schweiger O, Lafourcade B (2008). Incorporating the effects of changes in vegetation functioning and CO2 on water availability in plant habitat models. Biology Letters 4: 556-559.PDFPDFReprint
  • Schweiger O, Klotz S, Durka W, Kühn I (2008). A comparative test of phylogenetic diversity indices. Oecologia 157:485-495.PDFPDFReprint
  • Schweiger O, Settele J, Kudrna O, Klotz S, Kühn I (2008). Climate change can cause spatial mismatch of trophically interacting species. Ecology, 89: 3472-3479.PDFPDFReprint Appendices PDFPDFReprint

    • 2007
  • Bailey D, Bileter R, Aviron S, Schweiger O, Herzog F (2007). The influence of thematic resolution on metric selection for biodiversity monitoring in agricultural landscapes. Landscape Ecology 22: 461-473.PDFPDFReprint
  • Dormann CF, Schweiger O, Augenstein I, Bailey D, Billeter R, de Blust G, Frenzel M, Hendrickx F, Herzog F, Liira J, Maelfait JP, Schmidt T, van Wingerden W, Zobel M (2007). Effects of landscape structure and land-use intensity on similarity of plant and animal communities. Global Ecology and Biogeography 16:774-787.PDFPDFReprint
  • Hartel T, Nemes S, Cogalniceanu D, Öllerer K, Schweiger O, Moga C, Demeter L (2007). The effect of fish and aquatic habitat complexity on amphibians. Hydrobiologia 583: 173-182. PDFPDFReprint
  • Hendrickx F, Maelfait JP, van Wingerden W, Schweiger O, Billeter R, Speelmans M, Augenstein I, Aviron S, Bailey D, Bukacek R, Diekötter T, Dirksen J, Herzog F, Liira J, Roubalova M, Vandomme V, Bugter R (2007). How landscape structure, land use intensity and habitat diversity affect components of arthropod diversity in agricultural landscapes. Journal of Applied Ecology 44: 340-351. PDFPDFReprint PDFPDFDisclaimer
  • Schweiger O, Musche M, Bailey D, Billeter R, Diekötter T, Hendrickx F, Herzog F, Liira J, Maelfait JP, Speelmans M, Dziock F (2007). Functional richness of local hoverfly communities (Diptera, Syrphidae) in response to land use across temperate Europe. Oikos 116: 461-472.PDFPDFReprint

    • 2006 and earlier
  • Schweiger O, Dormann CF, Bailey D, Frenzel M (2006). Occurrence pattern of Pararge aegeria (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) with respect to local habitat suitability, climate and landscape structure. Landscpae Ecology 21: 989-1001. PDFPDFReprint
  • Schweiger O, Maelfait JP, van Wingerden W, Hendrickx F, Billeter R, Speelmans M, Augenstein I, Aukema B, Aviron S, Bailey D, Bukacek R, Burel F, Diekötter T, Dirksen J, Frenzel M, Herzog F, Liira J, Roubalova M, Bugter R (2005). Quantifying the impact of environmental factors on arthropod communities in agricultural landscapes across organisational levels and spatial scales. Journal of Applied Ecology 42: 1129-1139. PDFPDFReprint PDFPDFDisclaimer
  • Schweiger O, Frenzel M, Durka W (2004). Spatial genetic structure in a metapopulation of the land snail Cepaea nemoralis (Gastropoda: Helicidae). Molecular Ecology 13: 3645-3655. PDFPDFReprint

Books

Climatic Risk Atlas of European Butterflies
  • Settele J, Kudrna O, Harpke A, Kühn I, Van Swaay C, Verovnik R, Warren M, Wiemers M, Hanspach J, Hickler T, Kühn E, Van Halder I, Veling K, Vliegenthart A, Wynhoff I & Schweiger O (2008). Climatic Risk Atlas of European Butterflies. Pensoft, Sofia, Moscow, 710pp. [BioRisk 1 (Special Issue): 1-710.]. Link externLink externOrder. Link internLink internDownload.








Book chapters

  • Marion G, Bierman S, Butler A, Catterall S, Cook A, Doherty R, Kühn I, Reineking B, Schweiger O, Hulme PE (2010). Statistical aspects of biodiversity risk assessment. In: Settele J, Penev L, Georgiev T, Grabaum R, Grobelnik V, Hammen V, Klotz S, Kotarac M, Kuehn I (Eds) Atlas of biodiversity risk, pp 58-61. Pensoft, Sofia, Moscow. Link externLink externOrder

  • Schweiger O, Araújo MB, Hanspach J, Heikkinen RK, Kühn I, Luoto M, Ohlemüller R, Virkkala R (2010). Assessing risks for biodiversity with bioclimatic envelope modelling. In: Settele J, Penev L, Georgiev T, Grabaum R, Grobelnik V, Hammen V, Klotz S, Kotarac M, Kuehn I (Eds) Atlas of biodiversity risk, pp 54-57. Pensoft, Sofia, Moscow. Link externLink externOrder

  • Schweiger O, Kühn I, Kudrna O, Klotz S, Settele J (2010). Will interacting species still co-occur in the future? In: Settele J, Penev L, Georgiev T, Grabaum R, Grobelnik V, Hammen V, Klotz S, Kotarac M, Kuehn I (Eds) Atlas of biodiversity risk, pp 216-217. Pensoft, Sofia, Moscow. Link externLink externOrder

  • Settele J, Spangenberg JH, Hammen V, Harpke A, Klotz S, Rattei S, Schmidt A, Schweiger O, Kühn I (2010). Assessing LArge-scale environmental Risks for biodiversity with tested Methods - the ALARM project. In: Settele J, Penev L, Georgiev T, Grabaum R, Grobelnik V, Hammen V, Klotz S, Kotarac M, Kuehn I (Eds) Atlas of biodiversity risk, pp 38-41. Pensoft, Sofia, Moscow. Link externLink externOrder

  • Settele J, Spangenberg JH, Hammen V, Harpke A, Klotz S, Rattei S, Schmidt A, Schweiger O, Stoll-Kleemann S, Zaunberger K, Kühn I (2010). Integration in large scale research: on the art and science of coordination. In: Settele J, Penev L, Georgiev T, Grabaum R, Grobelnik V, Hammen V, Klotz S, Kotarac M, Kuehn I (Eds) Atlas of biodiversity risk, pp 229-230. Pensoft, Sofia, Moscow. Link externLink externOrder

  • Ulbrich K, Schweiger O, Settele J (2010). The internet software PRONAS - from ALARM to education. In: Ulbrich K, Settele J, Benedict F (Eds). Biodiversity in Education for Sustainable Development - Reflection on School-Research Cooperation. Pensoft, Sofia, Moscow, pp 75-84.PDFPDFReprint


Curriculum vitae

Since 2005

research scientist at the Helmholtz Center for Environmental Research - UFZ

2005

PhD at the Link externLink externDepartment of Animal Ecology, Link externLink externUniversity of Marburg, Germany; graduated magna cum laude; supervisor: Link externLink externRoland Brandl; thesis: PDFPDF"Hierarchical top-down control of biodiversity in agricultural landscapes across organisational levels and spatial scales" .

1999

Diploma thesis at the Department of Zoology, University of Salzburg, Austria; graduated with honours; supervisor: Wolfgang Scherzinger; thesis: "Ground beetle communities (Carabidae, Col.) within the scope of natural succession on windfall areas in the National Park Bayerischer Wald".

1997

Research stay at the Link externLink externNational Park Bayerischer Wald, Germany