Dr. Thomas Banitz
Contact
Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ
Department of Ecological Modelling
Permoserstr. 15
04318 Leipzig
Germany
Tel.: +49 341 2351708
thomas.banitz@ufz.de
Research
I develop and apply computational models to investigate key mechanisms in ecological systems, emergent population and community dynamics, and ecosystem functions provided. Specific topics are causes and consequences of organisms’ dispersal, interactions, traits, diversity and spatiotemporal organization, and effects of environmental heterogeneities, stress, disturbances and change.
Within the research project BioDT, I study grassland biodiversity responses to environmental and land use change. Simulations with the individual-based model GRASSMIND become part of a digital twin prototype for analyzing and understanding biodiversity dynamics.
Within the research project CauSES, I work on comparing and joining ecological modelling with other scientific methods to study causation in social-ecological systems. These systems are particularly complex, and often face various changes and sustainability problems. Computational models are an important part of interdisciplinary approaches to address these challenges.
My research further deals with microbial ecology. For example, I explore the role of interactions between bacteria and fungal networks on ecosystem processes and functions, especially on bacterial transformation of chemicals. Moreover, microbial ecosystems are used to investigate and improve general ecological and evolutionary theory.
I also work on the concepts and methodology of developing and analysing different kinds of computational models (e.g. population-level models, individual-based models, metabolic models), combining these models with data, and using them to understand and predict system dynamics under various environmental regimes.
Selected Publications
- Banitz, T., Hertz, T., Johansson, L.-G., Lindkvist, E., Martínez-Peña, R., Radosavljevic, S., Schlüter, M., Wennberg, K., Ylikoski, P.K., Grimm, V. (2022):
Visualization of causation in social-ecological systems
Ecol. Soc. 27 (1), art. 31
full text (doi) - Banitz, T., Schlüter, M., Lindkvist, E., Radosavljevic, S., Johansson, L.-G., Ylikoski, P., Martínez-Peña, R., Grimm, V. (2022):
Model-derived causal explanations are inherently constrained by hidden assumptions and context: The example of Baltic cod dynamics
Environ. Modell. Softw. 156 , art. 105489
full text (doi) - Bogdanowski, A., Banitz, T., Muhsal, L.K., Kost, C., Frank, K. (2022):
McComedy: A user-friendly tool for next-generation individual-based modeling of microbial consumer-resource systems
PLoS Comput. Biol. 18 (1), e1009777
full text (doi) - Banitz, T., Chatzinotas, A., Worrich, A. (2020):
Prospects for integrating disturbances, biodiversity and ecosystem functioning using microbial systems
Front. Ecol. Evol. 8 , art. 21
full text (doi) - Banitz, T. (2019):
Spatially structured intraspecific trait variation can foster biodiversity in disturbed, heterogeneous environments
Oikos 128 (10), 1478 - 1491
full text (doi) - Fetzer, I., Johst, K., Schäwe, R., Banitz, T., Harms, H., Chatzinotas, A. (2015):
The extent of functional redundancy changes as species’ roles shift in different environments
Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 112 (48), 14888 - 14893
full text (doi) - Banitz, T., Johst, K., Wick, L.Y., Schamfuß, S., Harms, H., Frank, K. (2013):
Highways versus pipelines: contributions of two fungal transport mechanisms to efficient bioremediation
Environ. Microbiol. Rep. 5 (2), 211 - 218
full text (doi)
2022 (3)
- Banitz, T., Hertz, T., Johansson, L.-G., Lindkvist, E., Martínez-Peña, R., Radosavljevic, S., Schlüter, M., Wennberg, K., Ylikoski, P.K., Grimm, V. (2022):
Visualization of causation in social-ecological systems
Ecol. Soc. 27 (1), art. 31
full text (doi) - Banitz, T., Schlüter, M., Lindkvist, E., Radosavljevic, S., Johansson, L.-G., Ylikoski, P., Martínez-Peña, R., Grimm, V. (2022):
Model-derived causal explanations are inherently constrained by hidden assumptions and context: The example of Baltic cod dynamics
Environ. Modell. Softw. 156 , art. 105489
full text (doi) - Bogdanowski, A., Banitz, T., Muhsal, L.K., Kost, C., Frank, K. (2022):
McComedy: A user-friendly tool for next-generation individual-based modeling of microbial consumer-resource systems
PLoS Comput. Biol. 18 (1), e1009777
full text (doi)
2021 (1)
- Leins, J.A., Banitz, T., Grimm, V., Drechsler, M. (2021):
High-resolution PVA along large environmental gradients to model the combined effects of climate change and land use timing: lessons from the large marsh grasshopper
Ecol. Model. 440 , art. 109355
full text (doi)
2020 (2)
- Banitz, T., Chatzinotas, A., Worrich, A. (2020):
Prospects for integrating disturbances, biodiversity and ecosystem functioning using microbial systems
Front. Ecol. Evol. 8 , art. 21
full text (doi) - Vetterlein, D., Carminati, A., Kögel-Knabner, I., Bienert, G.P., Smalla, K., Oburger, E., Schnepf, A., Banitz, T., Tarkka, M., Schlüter, S. (2020):
Rhizosphere spatiotemporal organization–A key to rhizosphere functions
Front. Agron. 2 , art. 8
full text (doi)
2019 (2)
- Banitz, T. (2019):
Spatially structured intraspecific trait variation can foster biodiversity in disturbed, heterogeneous environments
Oikos 128 (10), 1478 - 1491
full text (doi) - König, S., Köhnke, M.C., Firle, A.-L., Banitz, T., Centler, F., Frank, K., Thullner, M. (2019):
Disturbance size can be compensated for by spatial fragmentation in soil microbial ecosystems
Front. Ecol. Evol. 7 , art. 290
full text (doi)
2018 (3)
- König, S., Worrich, A., Banitz, T., Centler, F., Harms, H., Kästner, M., Miltner, A., Wick, L.Y., Thullner, M., Frank, K. (2018):
Spatiotemporal disturbance characteristics determine functional stability and collapse risk of simulated microbial ecosystems
Sci. Rep. 8 , art. 9488
full text (doi) - König, S., Worrich, A., Banitz, T., Harms, H., Kästner, M., Miltner, A., Wick, L.Y., Frank, K., Thullner, M., Centler, F. (2018):
Functional resistance to recurrent spatially heterogeneous disturbances is facilitated by increased activity of surviving bacteria in a virtual ecosystem
Front. Microbiol. 9 , art. 734
full text (doi) - Worrich, A., Wick, L.Y., Banitz, T. (2018):
Ecology of contaminant biotransformation in the mycosphere: Role of transport processes
In: Gadd, G.M., Sariaslani, S. (eds.)
Advances in Applied Microbiology 104
Elsevier, Oxford, p. 93 - 133
full text (doi)
2017 (2)
- König, S., Worrich, A., Centler, F., Wick, L.Y., Miltner, A., Kästner, M., Thullner, M., Frank, K., Banitz, T. (2017):
Modelling functional resilience of microbial ecosystems: Analysis of governing processes
Environ. Modell. Softw. 89 , 31 - 39
full text (doi) - Worrich, A., Stryhanyuk, H., Musat, N., König, S., Banitz, T., Centler, F., Frank, K., Thullner, M., Harms, H., Richnow, H.-H., Miltner, A., Kästner, M., Wick, L.Y. (2017):
Mycelium-mediated transfer of water and nutrients stimulates bacterial activity in dry and oligotrophic environments
Nat. Commun. 8 , art. 15472
full text (doi)
2016 (5)
- Banitz, T., Frank, K., Wick, L.Y., Harms, H., Johst, K. (2016):
Spatial metrics as indicators of biodegradation benefits from bacterial dispersal networks
Ecol. Indic. 60 , 54 - 63
full text (doi) - Otto, S., Banitz, T., Thullner, M., Harms, H., Wick, L.Y. (2016):
Effects of facilitated bacterial dispersal on the degradation and emission of a desorbing contaminant
Environ. Sci. Technol. 50 (12), 6320 - 6326
full text (doi) - Singer, A., Johst, K., Banitz, T., Fowler, M.S., Groeneveld, J., Gutiérrez, A.G., Hartig, F., Krug, R.M., Liess, M., Matlack, G., Meyer, K.M., Pe'er, G., Radchuk, V., Voinopol-Sassu, A.-J., Travis, J.M.J. (2016):
Community dynamics under environmental change: How can next generation mechanistic models improve projections of species distributions?
Ecol. Model. 326 , 63 - 74
full text (doi) - Worrich, A., König, S., Banitz, T., Centler, F., Frank, K., Thullner, M., Harms, H., Miltner, A., Wick, L.Y., Kaestner, M. (2016):
Bacterial dispersal promotes biodegradation in heterogeneous systems exposed to osmotic stress
Front. Microbiol. 7 , art. 1214
full text (doi) - Worrich, A., König, S., Miltner, A., Banitz, T., Centler, F., Frank, K., Thullner, M., Harms, H., Kästner, M., Wick, L.Y. (2016):
Mycelium-like networks increase bacterial dispersal, growth, and biodegradation in a model ecosystem at various water potentials
Appl. Environ. Microb. 82 (10), 2902 - 2908
full text (doi)
2015 (2)
- Banitz, T., Gras, A., Ginovart, M. (2015):
Individual-based modeling of soil organic matter in NetLogo: Transparent, user-friendly, and open
Environ. Modell. Softw. 71 , 39 - 45
full text (doi) - Fetzer, I., Johst, K., Schäwe, R., Banitz, T., Harms, H., Chatzinotas, A. (2015):
The extent of functional redundancy changes as species’ roles shift in different environments
Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 112 (48), 14888 - 14893
full text (doi)
2014 (1)
- Banitz, T., Johst, K., Wick, L.Y., Schamfuß, S., Harms, H., Frank, K. (2014):
Corrigendum: Highways versus pipelines: contributions of two fungal transport mechanisms to efficient bioremediation (vol 5, pg 211, 2013)
Environ. Microbiol. Rep. 6 (4), 414 - 414
full text (doi)
2013 (2)
- Banitz, T., Johst, K., Wick, L.Y., Schamfuß, S., Harms, H., Frank, K. (2013):
Highways versus pipelines: contributions of two fungal transport mechanisms to efficient bioremediation
Environ. Microbiol. Rep. 5 (2), 211 - 218
full text (doi) - Kreft, J.-U., Plugge, C.M., Grimm, V., Prats, C., Leveau, J.H.J., Banitz, T., Baines, S., Clark, J., Ros, A., Klapper, I., Topping, C.J., Field, A.J., Schuler, A., Litchman, E., Hellweger, F.L. (2013):
Mighty small: observing and modeling individual microbes becomes big science
Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 110 (45), 18027 - 18028
full text (doi)
2012 (1)
- Banitz, T., Johst, K., Wick, L.Y., Fetzer, I., Harms, H., Frank, K. (2012):
The relevance of conditional dispersal for bacterial colony growth and biodegradation
Microb. Ecol. 63 (2), 339 - 347
full text (doi)
2011 (3)
- Banitz, T. (2011):
Modelling bacterial growth, dispersal and biodegradation: an experiment-based modelling study of the spatiotemporal dynamics of bacterial colonies, their responses to dispersal networks, and their performance in degrading organic contaminants
Dissertation, Universität Osnabrück
PhD Dissertation 4/2011
Helmholtz-Zentrum für Umweltforschung - UFZ, Leipzig, 111 pp. - Banitz, T., Fetzer, I., Johst, K., Wick, L.Y., Harms, H., Frank, K. (2011):
Assessing biodegradation benefits from dispersal networks
Ecol. Model. 222 (14), 2552 - 2560
full text (doi) - Banitz, T., Wick, L.Y., Fetzer, I., Frank, K., Harms, H., Johst, K. (2011):
Dispersal networks for enhancing bacterial degradation in heterogeneous environments
Environ. Pollut. 159 (10), 2781 - 2788
full text (doi)
2008 (1)
- Banitz, T., Huth, A., Grimm, V., Johst, K. (2008):
Clumped versus scattered: how does the spatial correlation of disturbance events affect biodiversity?
Theor. Ecol. 1 (4), 231 - 240
full text (doi)
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