Seminars

Upcoming seminars are indicated in bold!

2024

Tuesday 13.08.2024 | 14.00 - 15.00 o'clock | Room E01 A+B, UFZ Halle

Lotte Korell, Dept. Species Interaction Ecology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ: Land use modulates resistance of grasslands against future climate and inter-annual climate variability in a large field experiment

Climate and land-use change are key drivers of global change. Full-factorial field experiments in which both drivers are manipulated are essential to understand and predict their potentially interactive effects on the structure and functioning of grassland ecosystems. Here, we present eight years of data on grassland dynamics from the Global Change Experimental Facility (GCEF) in Central Germany. On large experimental plots, temperature and seasonal patterns of precipitation are manipulated by superimposing regional climate model projections onto background climate variability. Climate manipulation is factorially crossed with agricultural land-use scenarios, including intensively used meadows and extensively used (i.e. low-intensity) meadows and pastures. Inter-annual variation of background climate during our study years was high, including three of the driest years on record for our region. The effects of this temporal variability far exceeded the effects of the experimentally imposed climate change on plant species diversity and productivity, especially in the intensively used grasslands sown with only a few grass cultivars. These changes in productivity and diversity in response to alterations in climate were accompanied by immigrant species replacing the target forage cultivars. This shift from forage cultivars to immigrant species may impose additional economic costs in terms of a decreasing forage value and the need for more frequent management measures. In contrast, the extensively used grasslands showed weaker responses to both experimentally manipulated future climate and inter-annual climate variability, suggesting that these diverse grasslands are more resistant to climate change than intensively used grasslands composed of only a few grass cultivars. We therefore conclude that a lower management intensity of agricultural grasslands, associated with a higher plant diversity, can stabilize primary productivity under climate change.

Monday 08.07.2024 | 15.00 - 16.00 o'clock | Lecture Hall, Leibniz Institute of Agricultural Development in Transition Economies (IAMO), Theodor-Lieser-Str. 2, 06120 Halle (Saale)

Oliver Bossdorf, University of Tübingen: Evolutionary Ecology of Invasive Knotweed: a Study Across Three Continents

Invasive species are “grand but unplanned” experiments that allow us to ask fundamental questions about intraspecific variation, plasticity, adaptation, and biotic interactions. A complete understanding of invasive species and their mechanisms of success, however, requires to study them broadly across native and introduced ranges, which is still not done very often, particularly not in the field. I will present results of a large-scale study of invasive knotweed (Reynoutria japonica), one of the world’s most invasive species, in which we surveyed over 150 knotweed populations in China and Japan, Europe and North America, and studied their offspring in several large experiments. We find that in the field invasive populations perform better and display distinct multivariate phenotypes – a combination of different leaf traits and secondary chemistry – than native populations. Experiments show that some of these differences are heritable, and that invasive populations are generally more plastic than native populations. Together with genomic data that confirm low variation in Europe but multiple introductions to North America, and a Japanese origin of the main invasive clade, we begin to understand the core story of knotweed invasion: an introduction of genotypes with unusual characteristics from Japan. After summarizing the key findings from our cross-continental study, I will give a brief overview of other ongoing and future knotweed research.

Thursday 04.07.2024 | 14.00 - 15.00 o'clock | Room E01 A+B, UFZ Halle

Erik Kusch, University of Oslo: Integrating Ecological Networks in Macroecological Research - Enhancing Projections of Biodiversity in the Anthropocene

The Anthropocene has spurred changes in Earth’s ecosphere and biodiversity patterns, necessitating a reevaluation of macroecological research. Traditional approaches, focused on single-species distribution models, overlook the vital role of biological interactions and the networks they form within ecological communities. I have identified and addressed three key shortcomings of contemporary macroecological explorations of ecological networks - (1) the underutilization of advancements from other disciplines, (2) neglect of resilience mechanisms of ecological networks in response to biodiversity loss, and (3) lack of assessment of inference methods for ecological networks. In doing so, I have developed an accessible climate data integration workflow for ecological research, established methodologies for quantifying extinction cascades within ecological networks under climate change, and introduced guidelines as well as a performance-assessment framework for ecological network inference. With this work, I propose and prepare a much needed paradigm shift towards tailored data workflows, realistic understanding of extinction cascades, and cautious use of network inference, particularly at macroecological scales.

Monday 13.05.2024 | 14.00 - 15.00 o'clock | Room E01 A+B, UFZ Halle

Jonna M. Heuschele, Dept. Community Ecology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ: Seasonal dynamics of plant-pollinator networks are mediated by spatio-temporal landscape heterogeneity

Agricultural landscapes are subject to strong seasonal changes of resource and habitat quality and quantity available for pollinating insects. These seasonal dynamics affect the structure of their interactions with plant species but the extent of the temporal effects in relation to spatial configuration effects is yet unknown. We sampled plant-pollinator networks across three seasons at twelve study sites in Central Germany. The sites were selected along a gradient of landscape complexity. During each season we evaluated the proportions of mass-flowering crops in bloom, floral diversity and honey bee densities. We aimed to disentangle the spatial and temporal effects of landscape heterogeneity on the structure of the plant-pollinator networks.

Tuesday 09.04.2024 | 10.00 - 11.30 o'clock | Room E01 A+B, UFZ Halle

Qun Liu, Dept. Community Ecology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ: Effects of Climate Change and Land Use on the Structure and Function of Earthworm Communities

Human activity-induced global change is increasingly threatening biodiversity and composition of species assemblages worldwide, which reduces ecosystem resilience and provokes concerns about ecosystem functions. Over the past decades, studies examining such effects have overwhelmingly focused on aboveground taxa, while our understanding of the effects on soil biodiversity and aboveground-belowground interactions remains comparatively limited. In soil systems, earthworms, as ecosystem engineers, dominate invertebrate biomass in numerous terrestrial ecosystems, and are key drivers of terrestrial ecosystem functions, such as promoting aboveground plant productivity. Simultaneously, they exhibit high sensitive to environmental changes, making them an indicator group in soil quality assessments. Global change factors, particularly climate change and land use change, have been mainly studied in isolation regarding their effects on earthworm communities, thereby the ecosystem functions they drive. Therefore, there is a pressing need for comprehensive quantitative reviews of global change factors on a global scale and exploring the interactive effects of climate change and land use, which give rise to significant uncertainty in projecting effects.

Therefore, I firstly comprehensively assessed the quantitative effects of land-use intensification on earthworms under different land-use types on a global scale using a meta-analysis. Subsequently, in the Global Change Experimental facility (GCEF) - a novel experimental platform to investigate the interactive effects of land use and climate change on ecosystem processes, I conducted one field assessment to evaluate the consequence of climate change for earthworms under different land-use types and one microcosm experiment to investigate how climate change and earthworms affect plant nutrient uptake and productivity in grasslands and croplands.

I found that: (1) the global effects of land-use intensification on earthworm communities are dissimilar across land-use types; (2) grasslands support more diverse and resilient earthworm communities to climate change than croplands; (3) climate change can mitigate the positive effects of earthworms on N uptake of forage grasses in grassland, but not in cropland. As a whole, this dissertation contributes insights into the complex and context-dependent nature of the relationships between land use, climate change, earthworm communities, and associated ecosystem functions.

Wednesday 27.03.2024 | 10.00 - 11.30 o'clock | Room E01 A+B, UFZ Halle

Taimur Khan, Dept. Community Ecology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ: Introduction to the OPeNDAP Data Catalog software for Bzf

In today's data-driven world, access to large and diverse datasets is crucial for research, analysis, and decision-making across various domains. The Open- source Project for a Network Data Access Protocol (OPeNDAP) plays a pivotal role in enabling seamless access to distributed scientific data over the internet. This seminar aims to provide a comprehensive overview of OPeNDAP data catalog software developed by Taimur Khan, its functionalities, and its significance in facilitating efficient data sharing and collaboration with department of Bzf. at the UFZ.

Monday 25.03.2024 | 10.00 - 11.00 o'clock | Room E01 A, UFZ Halle

Aspen Workman: Population genetics and morphology of a common and an endangered lupine which hybridize. A practice Master's thesis defence talk

2023

Friday, 25th of August 2023, 10 am

Johannes Höfner, Department of Community Ecology, Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ (Homepage): Matching patterns of genetic variation in a common grassland species to existing seed transfer zones

Tuesday, 18th of July 2023, 01:30 pm

Simon Wogram, Martin Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg & Department Community, Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ: Drivers of pollen limitation in Scabiosa ochroleuca: Relative importance of environmental factors at local, site and landscape scales

Friday, 23rd of June 2023, 10:30 am

Bala Singavarapu, University of Jena (formerly at Department of Community Ecology, Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ) Tree mycorrhizal type and tree diversity effects on the structure and functional potential of forest belowground microbial communities.

Tuesday, 25th of March 2023, 10 am

Yahya Al Naggar, visiting scientist at UFZ-Community Ecology and Associate Professor at the Zoology Department of the Faculty of Science at Tanta University, Egypt: The effects of the novel insecticides flupyradifurone and sulfoxaflor, alone or in combination with fungicides and pathogens, on honeybee health

Tuesday, 28th of March 2023, 10 am

Robin Schmidt: The abundance, origin and phylogeny of plants: effects on natural enemies and implications for plant coexistence in grasslands

Monday, 27th of February 2023, 10 am

Dinesh Thakur, Czech Academy of Sciences, Department of Population Ecology, Institute of Botany: Differential effect of climate of origin and cultivation climate on structural and biochemical plant traits

2022

Walter Durka, Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department of Community Ecology (Homepage): RegioDiv: Nationwide assessment of genetic variation in 30 grassland plants and the design of seed transfer zones

Johannes Höfner, Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department of Community Ecology (Homepage): RegioDiv: Genetic differentiation in mixed-ploidy species and consequences for the design of seed transfer zones

Stefan Michalski, Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department of Community Ecology (Homepage): RegioDiv: Patterns of isolation-by-distance and effective migration across 30 grassland plant species

Eleonore L. Slabbert, Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department of Community Ecology (Homepage): Impacts of small- and large-scale drivers of agroecosystems on multi-trophic diversity across the soil surface

2021

Marija Milanović, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department of Community Ecology (Homepage): The role of functional traits across different stages of plant invasion process

 2020

2019

Ali Nawaz, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ, Department Community Ecology (Homepage): Mycobiome of the terrestrial subsurface aquifer system in the Hainich Critical Zone Exploratory

Rui Yin, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ, Department Community Ecology (Homepage): Effects of climate change and land use on the structure and function of soil fauna communities

Nico Jehmlich, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ, Department of Molecular Systems Biology (Homepage): Metaproteomics: Harnessing the power of high performance mass spectrometry to identify the suite of proteins that control metabolic activities in microbial communities

Jaishanker Nair, Indian Institute of Information Technology and Management - IIITM-Kerala: Floral Radiometry: A Case-study on the floral spectral reflectance of invasive vis-à-vis noninvasive plants

Eleonore Slabbert, Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ, Department of Community Ecology, and Institute of Biology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (Homepage): Scale-dependent impact of land management on above- and belowground biodiversity

Marija Milanović, Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ, Department of Community Ecology (Homepage): Trait – environmental relationship between native and non-native plant species

Paul Kardol, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (Homepage): Ecology up north: above- and belowground perspectives on the functioning of sub-arctic and boreal ecosystems

Julian Schrader, University of Göttingen, (Homepage): Plant community assembly on small islands: Insights from a tropical archipelago

Marina Golivets, University of Vermont (Homepage): Uncovering the drivers of non-native plant invasions using ecological data synthesis

Jennifer Born, Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ, Department of Community Ecology (Homepage):
Intraspezifische Differenzierungsmuster und Signaturen der Adaptation in der Feuchtgebietsart Juncus effusus (PhD rehearsal in German)

2018

Rebecca Harris (Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ, Department of Conservation Biology): Extreme biological responses to the ‘press’ and ‘pulse’ of climate trends and extreme events

Prof. Dr. Konrad Fiedler, University of Vienna, Department of Botany and Biodiversity Research, Division of Tropical Ecology and Animal Biodiversity (Homepage): Moth communities and environmental gradients in the Anthropocene

Lena Neuenkamp, PhD, University of Tartu, Department of Botany, Plant Ecology Lab (Homepage): Disentangling the role of light availability and AM fungi in shaping plant species composition of European (semi natural) grasslands

Elena Motivans, Deutsches Zentrum für Integrative Biodiversitätsforschung (iDiv) und Helmholtz-Zentrum für Umweltforschung – UFZ, Department Biozönoseforschung (Homepage): Unraveling plant-pollinator networks across land use gradients

Anna-Maria Madaj, Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ, Department Community Ecology (Homepage): Predicting evolutionary dynamics of plant species in extensively managed grassland ecosystems in response to ongoing climate change

Cornelia Sattler, Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ, Department Community Ecology: Arthropod Communities in Rice Agroecosystems in Northern Vietnam - Quantifying the Impact of Pesticides and Land Cover Heterogeneity

Prof. John M. Halley, Department of Biological Applications and Technology, University of Ioannina, Greece (Homepage): Understanding the Dynamics of Biodiversity Loss

Dr. Anu Eskelinen, Department for Physiological Diversity, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ and German Center for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) (Homepage): Biotic and abiotic modulators of global change effects

Dr. Christian Melsheimer, Institute of Environmental Physics, University of Bremen, Germany (Homepage): Climate Change, ice at the North Pole, and we

Eleonore Louise Slabbert, Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ, Department Community Ecology: Impact of land use on the multifunctionality of agroecosystems

2017

Aldo Compagnoni, Department Community Ecology, UFZ; iDiv; Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (Homepage): The effect of climate on plant populations: insights from a demographic approach

Natalia Carrasco-Farias, Department Community Ecology, UFZ: Fine-scale effects of anthropogenic and environmental factors on diversity patterns of spontaneous vascular plants in a medium–sized city in South America (Chile)

Johannes Timaeus, Department Community Ecology, UFZ (Homepage): Exploring diversification in agricultural systems: between tradition and innovation

Alexandra Papanikolaou, Department Community Ecology, UFZ (Homepage): Spatiotemporal responses of pollinators to global change drivers at landscape scale

Andros Tarouco Gianuca, Department Community Ecology, UFZ (Homepage): Taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic metacommunity ecology and scale-dependent community assembly processes

Matthias Bernt, Department Molecular Systems Biology, UFZ (Homepage): Gene orders and Cophylogeny

Johannes Timaeus, Department Community Ecology, UFZ (Homepage): Biocultural systems: coevolution of cultivated biodiversity and human culture

2016

Prof. Dr. David J, Currie, Biology Department, University of Ottawa (Homepage): The curiously unsettled matter of why so many more species coexist in some places than in others

Dr. Masha van der Sande, Department of Community Ecology, UFZ; iDiv (Homepage): Biodiversity and ecosystem functioning across spatial scales

Dr. Dylan Craven, Department of Community Ecology, UFZ; iDiv (Homepage): Impacts of global change drivers and biodiversity on ecosystem stability

Michael Wohlwend, Institute of Biology, MLU; iDiv (Homepage): Interactions between the aggressive invader Lespedeza cuneata and an experimental prairie

Dr. Joanne Bennett, Institute of Biology, MLU; iDiv (Homepage): Global change drivers are increasing pollen limitation in wild plants

Dr. Maarja Öpik, Department of Botany, University of Tartu (Homepage): Species pools and dark diversity of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi

Andreas Menzel (Homepage): Effects of the mycorrhizal symbiosis on plant distributions and alien plant invasions at a large spatial scale

2015

Sven Jelaska (Homepage): 5(0) shades of spatial aspects in success of invasive plants

Stefan Dullinger (Homepage): Climate warming and range dynamics of alpine plants

Sylvia Haider (Homepage): Altitudinal diversity patterns of native and exotic plant species at regional and global scales

Arunava Datta (Homepage): Adaptation of invasive Ageratina adenophora in Western Himalaya   

Mark Frenzel (Homepage): Bird communities in agricultural landscapes: what are the drivers of temporal trends?

Jeroen Everaars (Homepage): Twelve years of wild bee monitoring; what drives bee communities, land use or weather?

Alexandra Papanikolaou (Homepage): Green infrastructure mitigates the effects of temperature rise on wild bees

Cornelia Baessler (Homepage): Temporal changes of plant functional diversity and related ecosystem services along land use intensity and environmental gradients

Antje Kautzner (Homepage): TERENO and what is in for vegetation science

Anja Bindewald (Dept. Community Ecology, UFZ) Der Erfolg von Pflanzenarten in natürlichen und anthropogen geprägten Ökosystemen (talk in German)

Alfredo Saldana (Depto. de Botánica, Universidad de Concepción, Chile; Homepage) Light as a key factor in plant distribution and functional responses in the temperate rainforest of southern Chile

2014

Tina Buchmann (Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ, Department of Community Ecology) The role of plant functional traits and trait variation for community assembly and productivity in semi-natural and experimentally manipulated grasslands

Jennifer Born (Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ, Department of Community Ecology; Homepage) Intraspecific genetic variation and differentiation in functional traits of the widespread wetland plant Juncus effusus

Anja Schmidt (Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department Community Ecology; Homepage) A matter of straw - Invertebrate contribution to decomposition depends on crop residue management practices in tropical rice fields

Stephan Kambach (Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Institute of Biology / Geobotany and Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department Community Ecology; Homepage) Niche breadth of vascular plants across the European Alps

Ivan Torres Galán (Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Department of Environmental Sciences) Assessing the effects of the interaction between drought and fire in a Mediterranean shrubland

Stephan Kambach (Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Institute of Biology / Geobotany and Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department Community Ecology; Homepage) Tree Diversity and Herbivory, a Meta-analysis

Andreas Menzel (Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department Community Ecology; Homepage) Plants' mycorrhizal status - the so far overlooked functional plant trait in macroecological analyses

Panagiotis Theodorou (Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Institute of Biology / Zoology; Homepage) Mapping genetic and species diversity of pollinators to the ecosystem service of pollination across changing landscapes

Annett Hahn (Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Institute of Biology / Geobotany and Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department Community Ecology) Shift of trait compositions driven by different land-use regimes along an altitudinal gradient

Anna Roeder (Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department Community Ecology) Diversity effects on plant life‐cycle characteristics and population structure as a base for understanding community assembly and stability

Christian Kempe (Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department Community Ecology) The influence of ant diversity on occurrence and conservation of the Dusky Large Blue Butterfly Maculinea nausithous

Christoph Hahn (Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department Community Ecology; Homepage) Genetic structure in a subtropical Chinese forest: a multispecies study

Alrun Siebenkäs (Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department Community Ecology; Homepage) The role of variation in environmental factors for diversity effects on plant trait variation, species interactions and productivity

Robin Schmidt (German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig; Homepage) The influence of antagonistic interactions on plant species coexistence and ecosystem functions

Katharina Gerstner (Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department Computational Landscape Ecology; Homepage) The Global Distribution of Plant Species Richness in a Human-Dominated World

Anja Schmidt (Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department Community Ecology; Homepage) How do management practices influence the activity of invertebrate decomposers in tropical rice fields?

Alexandra Papanikolaou (Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department Community Ecology; Homepage) Measuring temporal synchrony in pollinator populations to assess the potential effects of impementing Green Infrastructure   

Prof. Volker Grimm (Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department of Ecological Modelling; Homepage) Individual-based models combined with trait databases predict diversity patterns in grassland plant communities: a tool for experimental design and theory development?

Franziska Taubert (Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department of Ecological Modelling) An individual-based grassland model for analysing diversity-ecosystem function relationships including management and climate change aspects

2013

Dr. Rainer M. Krug (Université Paris Sud XI, Orsay, France & Centre for Invasion Biology, Stellenbosch University, South Africa; Homepage): Bringing Science to Management: using Simulation- and Scenario-Based Approaches to Guide Decision Making in Invasive Species Management - one tool which can do both

Dr. M. Ameur Manceur (Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department Computational Landscape Ecology; Homepage): Preferential sampling and inference from presence-only data

Melanie Hartman (MSc candidate, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Institute of Biology): Relative impact of environmental factors on distribution of wild bees on different spatial scales

Melanie Hänsel (MSc candidate, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Institute of Biology): Functional traits determine the distribution of wild bees across spatial scales

Dr. Leonie Fischer (Technichal University Berlin, Department of Ecology; Homepage): The potential of grassland restoration in novel urban ecosystems

Dipl. Geogr. André Schmiedel (Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department Community Ecology): Clades, Traits & Environments - Aspects of Diversity of Swiss Dry Grasslands

Dr. Peer Schnitter (Environmental Protection Agency Saxony-Anhalt, Section 4 - Nature conservation; Homepage): Zur Umsetzung der FFH-Richtlinie in Sachsen-Anhalt und Deutschland - Erfassung, Bewertung des Erhaltungszustandes und Monitoring der Tierarten nach Artikel 11 & 17

Dr. Daniel Doktor (Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department Computational Landscape Ecology; Homepage): Scale-specific remote sensing of vegetation using hyperspectral and optical satellite data

Katrin Schneider (Koordinationsstelle Invasive Neophyten in Sachsen-Anhalt beim Unabhängigen Institut für Umweltfragen e.V. - Office of Coordination for Invasive Neophytes Saxony-Anhalt at the Independent Institute of Environmental Questions; Homepage): Viele Fragen - einige Antworten: Neophytenmanagement in Schutzgebieten Sachsen-Anhalts

Prof. Dr. Martin von Bergen (Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Departments Proteomics and Metabolomics; Homepage): Proteomics and Metabolomics for characterising adaptation processes and species interaction

Dr. Claudia Stein (Department of Environmental Sciences, Policy and Management, University of California, Berkeley, USA; Homepage): Regime shifts and threshold dynamics in California grasslands

Dr. John Maron (Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, USA; Homepage): Indirect effects of top predators in a grassland ecosystem

Prof. Dr. Jasmin Joshi (Biodiversity Research / Botany, Institute for Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam; Homepage): Factors characterizing plant winners and losers to environmental change

Prof. Dr. Nico Eisenhauer (Institute of Ecology, Friedrich-Schiller University Jena; Homepage): Soil biodiversity: too redundant to be true?

Dr. Nina Schwarz (Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department Computational Landscape Ecology; Homepage):
Does urban form matter? Explaining the urban heat island in European cities

Dr. Carlo Ricotta (Department of Environmental Biology, University of Rome "La Sapienza"): The problem and promise of phylogenetics in invasion ecology

PD Dr. Ewald Weber (Institut für Biochemie und Biologie, Universität Potsdam);Homepage): Invasive plant species in China and India: Patterns in numbers and distributions

2012

Miaomiao Shi (Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Department of Community Ecology): Patterns of genetic diversity and their underlying processes in a dominant subtropical tree Castanopsis eyrei at multiple scales

Karoline Weißhuhn (Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ; Department of Community Ecology; Homepage): Adaptation in grassland plants across scales

Prof. Stefan Siebert (North-West University, Potchefstroom South Africa):
Does culture and socio-economics drive biodiversity in homegardens as important contributors to urban green infrastructure in northern South Africa?

Xueqin Zeng (Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ; Department of Community Ecology)

Eva Völler (Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ; Department of Community Ecology):
The evolutionary impact of land use: quantitative genetic differentiation in common grassland plants.

Dr. Dean E. Pearson (US Forest Service, USDA; Rocky Mountain Research Station: Homepage):
Biological invasions as natural experiments: plant invasion alters predator-prey interactions and trait and density-mediated indirect effects

Dr. Sven Bacher (University of Fribourg (CH); Department of Biology, Unit of Ecology & Evolution: Homepage):
Using a macroecological approach to tackle questions in population ecology, evolution and conservation

Prof. Dr. J. Wolfgang Waegele, Head of Dept. Systematic Zoology (Uni Bonn), Director Zoological Research Museum Alexander Koenig (Homepage): DNA Barcoding: new chances for monitoring of biodiversity (see also UFZ Colloquium page)

Dr. Jessica Gutknecht, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ; Department of Soil Ecology (UFZ): The role of soil microorganisms in ecosystem response to global change

Annika Meyer, Martin-Luther University, Halle (Saale): Analyse funktioneller Blattmerkmale in der Vegetation urbaner Grünflächen in Valdivia (Chile)

Prof. Bill Shipley: Département de Biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke (Québec) (Lab Page): CATS: a model of Community Assembly by Trait Selection

Prof. Jörn Fischer, Leuphana University Lüneburg, Institue of Ecology, Sustainable Landscapes (Lab Page): A social-ecological approach to understanding landscape change: case studies from Australia and Romania      

2011

Dr. Annette Kolb, Vegetational Ecology and Conservation Biology, University of Bremen (Uni Bremen): Habitat fragmentation and the ecology and evolution of plant populations

Dr. Mark Frenzel, Biozönoseforschung, UFZ (UFZ): Towards indicator standardization and harmonization in long term ecosystem research and monitoring: approaches within LTER-Europe and the Life+ project EnvEurope

Susanne Lachmuth, Geobotany, MLU Halle/Vegetation Ecology, Potsdam (Potsdam):Towards a mechanistic understanding of how demography, genetic differentiation and environmental factors interact to generate the invasion dynamics of Senecio inaequidens

Dr. Martin Wiemers, Community Ecology, UFZ: Biodiversity indicators for climate change - CTI and Areal Index in Butterflies and Dragonflies of Saxony

Dr. Sven Trautmann, Dachverband Deutscher Avifaunisten, DDA: Monitoring of common breeding birds in the face of climate change

Prof. Dr. Jonathan Levine, Plant Ecology, ETH Zürich (ETH or Santa Barbara): The importance of niches for the maintenance of species diversity

Dr. Sven Lautenbach, Computational Landscape Ecology, UFZ (UFZ): Quantification of Ecosystem Services and Trade-Offs - Modelling and Optimization to support Landscape and River Basin Management

Dr. Andy MacDonald, Rothamsted Research Station, UK (Rothamsted): The Rothamsted Long-term Experiments – past, present and future; 14. September, 10:00

Prof. Dr. Kris Verheyen (Dept.Forest and Water Management, Ghent University, Belgium): Effects of land-use legacies on forest biodiversity and ecosystem functioning.14. March, 14:00

Dr. Vincent Devictor (CNRS, Institute of Evolutionary Sciences of Montpellier, France): Community ecology and global changes: tracking rapid shifts. 2 March

Prof. Dr. Jürg Stöcklin (Botanical Institute, University of Basel): Genetic diversity, phenotypic variation and local adaptation in the alpine landscape: case studies with alpine plant species. 10. January

2010

Dipl. Biol. Michael Beckmann (Dept. Botany, Martin-Luther University, Halle): Is there evidence for better UV-adaptation of New Zealand populations of an invasive plant? 20. December

Dr. Benjamin Burkhard (University of Kiel): A conceptual framework for indicator selection in ecosystem monitoring. 1. December

Dipl. Biol. André Schmiedel (Dept. Community Ecology, UFZ): Naturalization/invasion of ornamental and crop plants / functional and phylogenetic diversity along environmental gradients. 29 November

Dipl. Biol. Anett Huth-Schwarz (MLU Halle, HIGARDE PhD): Factors influencing infection rates of the parasite Nosema bombi in natural populations of bumblebees. 9. November

Dr. Josef Settele (Dept. Community Ecology, UFZ): The LEGATO project (ecosystem services in irrigated rice landscapes in South-East Asia). 26. Oktober

Dipl. Biol. Jan Hanspach (Dept. Community Ecology, UFZ): Assessing the influence of global change on plant species distribution using statistical models. 26. July

Xueqin Zeng (Dept. Community Ecology, UFZ): Genetics of trees and shrubs, and their relevance for fitness and the biodiversity ecosystem founctioning relationship. 26. April

Dr. Torsten Meiners (FU Berlin, Inst. Applied Zoologie): Chemodiversity of habitat odours: Formation and impact on multitrophic interactions. 12. April

Dr. Thomas Ranius (Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Dept of Ecology, Uppsala): Metapopulation dynamics and conservation of a beetle, Osmoderma eremita, living in hollow trees in Europe. 8 March

Dr. Jochen Krauss (Dept. of Animal Ecology, University of Bayreuth): Endophtic fungi in grass species: Effects on higher trophic levels. 4 March

Dr. Daniel Prati (University Bern): Functional Diversity in Grasslands of the Biodiversity Exploratory Project. 23. February

Dr. Mascha Jacob (Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Göttingen): Ecosystem functions influenced by tree diversity? A comprehensive study from temperate forest stands. 11 January

2009

Jeroen Everaars (PhD-Student, Dept. Computational Landscape Ecology): a) Do nesting behaviour and body size matter for solitary bees and pollination? b) Habitat selection of Osmia bicornis in the urban area of Leipzig. 2. November

Prof. Liliane Ruess (Humboldt University Berlin): Unravel the black box - biochemical markers provide new insight into multitrophic interactions in soil. 9 October

Dr. Jens Mutke (University of Bonn): Continental to global plant diversity - patterns and causes. 22. Juni

Prof. Dr. Caroline Müller (University of Bielefeld): Chemo-ecological aspects of interactions between (invasive) plants and herbivorous insects. 8. Juni

Dipl. Geogr. Susanne Mühlner (Forschungsanstalt Agroscope Reckenholz-Tänikon ART, Schweiz): Habitatmenge versus Habitatvernetzung - Effekte auf die Biodiversität in Schweizer Hochstammobstgärten. 2. Juni

Dipl. Biol. Eva Völler (UFZ, Dept. Biozönoseforschung), Dipl. Biol. Sabine Kammermeier (MLU, Geobotanik ): The slender, the tougher - assessment of frost hardiness of high- and low-altitude morphotypes of Norway spruce. 25. Mai

Dipl. Biol. Josephine Haase (UFZ, Dept. Biozönoseforschung): Is genetic variation and genetic diversity important for litter decomposition? 13. Mai

PD Dr. Martin Zimmer (Zoological Institute / Limnology, Christian Albrechts University Kiel): How biotic interactions translate into decomposition processes. 4. Mai

Dipl. Biol. Nicole Winkler (UFZ, Dept. Biozönoseforschung): 27. April

Dr. Christian Wirth (MPI Biogeochemistry Jena, Junior Research Group Organismic Biogeochemistry): Ecosystem functions of old-growth forests. 20. April

Dipl. Biol. Miaomiao Shi (UFZ, Dept. Biozönoseforschung): 30. März

Dipl. Biol. Karoline Weißhuhn (UFZ, Dept. Biozönoseforschung): 23. März

Dr. Jens Mutke (Nees Institute for Botany, University of Bonn): 16. März

Dipl. Biol. Xuequin Zeng (UFZ, Dept. Biozönoseforschung): 2. März

Dipl. Biol. Gitte Hornemann (UFZ, Dept. Biozönoseforschung): Genetic variation and species diversity of plant populations in isolated dry grasslands. 23. Februar

Dipl. Biol. Sylvia Ritter (UFZ, Dept. Biozönoseforschung): Local adaptations and cryptic speciations in the socialparasitic Large Blue Butterflies Phengaris (Maculinea) nausithous and P. (M.) teleius. 16. Februar

Dipl. Biol. Lena Kloss (UFZ, Dept. Biozönoseforschung): The link between genetic diversity and species diversity: patterns and processes in grassland plants. 9. Februar

Dr. KL Heong (IRRI, Philippinen): Ecological Engineering - the practical application of ecosystem services in rice dominated Asian landscapes. 15. Januar

Dr. Susanne Wurst (FU Berlin, Institut für Biologie): Below-aboveground linkages - Soil organisms and their effects on plants and aboveground interactions . 14. Januar

2008

Dipl. Biol. Marten Winter (UFZ, Dept. Biozönoseforschung): Aspects of biotic homogenization - from regional to global scales. 9. Dezember

Judy Fisher (University of Western Australia, Kings Park Botanical Gardens): Causes and consequences of plant invasion in a Biodiversity Hotspot: implications for restoration. 10. Juli 2008

Claudia Bräuniger (UFZ, Dept. Biozönoseforschung): Do lunch or be lunch - Is the relative importance of insect herbivores affected by disturbance? 21. April 2008

Lydia Hantsch, Sven Pompe (UFZ, Dept. Biozönoseforschung): Auswertung phänologischer Daten aus zwei floristischen Standardwerken. 31. März 2008

2007

Prof. Dr. Matthias Rillig (Systematische Botanik und Pflanzengeographie, Institut für Biologie, FU Berlin): Vortragstitel wird noch bekannt gegeben. 14. Dezember 2007

Dipl. Biol. Sven Pompe (UFZ, Dept. Biozönoseforschung): Modellierung klimainduzierter Arealverschiebung der Flora von Deutschland. 12. November 2007

Nita Tallent-Halsell (USEPA/ORD/NERL, Landscape Ecology Branch, Las Vegas): The effect of an introduced species, Buddleja davidii, on New Zealand plant community dynamics. 2. Oktober 2007

Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Weisser (Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, Institut für Ökologie): Das Jena-Experiment: Pflanzen-Insekten Interaktionen. 26. September 2007

Dipl. Biol. Christian Anton (UFZ, Dept. Biozönoseforschung): Trophische Beziehungen und Populationsstruktur von Bläulingen und ihren natürlichen Gegenspielern. 3. September 2007

Dipl. Biol. Eva Küster (UFZ, Dept. Biozönoseforschung): Plant traits and successful invasions - Emerging patterns and prospects. 25. Juni 2007

Prof. Dr. Isabell Hensen (Institut für Geobotanik und Botanischer Garten, Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg): Südamerikanische Polylepis-Wälder: Klima, Mensch und Regeneration. 18. Juni 2007

Dr. Christine Römermann (Uni Frankfurt): Patterns and processes of plant species frequencies and life-history traits. 11. Juni 2007

Dr. Tatjana Böttger (UFZ, Dept. Isotopenhydrologie): Anwendungen stabiler Isotopen-Methoden in der Umwelt- und Klimaforschung. Übersicht über die am UFZ durchgeführten Forschungen und Perspektiven. 4. Juni 2007

Dr. Wieslaw Babik (UFZ, Dept. Biozönoseforschung): New development in high-throughput sequencing. 21. Mai 2007

Dipl. Biol. Haike Ruhnke (UFZ, Dept. Biozönoseforschung): Effects of resource heterogeneity in trees upon insect herbivory. 14. Mai 2007

Dipl. Biol. Christiane Stark (UFZ, Dept. Biozönoseforschung): Genetische Diversität und anthropogene Standorte. 7. Mai 2007

Dipl. Geoökol. Sonja Knapp (UFZ, Dept. Biozönoseforschung): Diverse Verhältnisse - Merkmalsmuster zwischen Stadt und Land. 23. April 2007

Dipl. Biol. Josephine Haase (UFZ, Dept. Biozönoseforschung): Bäume, Laub und Krabbelvieh. 16. April 2007

Jessica Bergmann (UFZ, Dept. Biozönoseforschung): Szenarien neuer Artenpools unter Klimawandel in Deutschland zum Ende des 21.Jahrhunderts . 30. März 2007

Prof. Jacek M. Szymura (Jagiellonian University, Krakow): Phylogeography of the fire-bellied toads, Bombina: independent Pleistocene histories inferred from mitochondrial genomes. 26. März 2007

Dr. Oliver Bossdorf (UFZ, Dept. Biozönoseforschung): Ecological Epigenetics. 19. März 2007

Dr. Erik Welk (MLU Halle-Wittenberg, Institut für Geobotanik / Botanischer Garten): Accounting for varying relationships of climate and plant distribution: using chorological plant traits to improve climate based distribution models. 15. März 2007

Dr. Karin Ulbrich (UFZ, Dept. Biozönoseforschung): Können modellgestützte Software-Tools zum Erhalt der Biodiversität beitragen? 12. Februar 2007

Prof. Jeremy Thomas (Centre for Ecology & Hydrology - CEH Dorset, United Kingdom): Long term biodiversity monitoring in the UK: the use of indicators and lessons for the continent. 30. Januar 2007

Cornelia Rißmann und Claudia Stein (UFZ, Dept. Biozönoseforschung): 1. Cornelia: Beeinflussen verschiedene Mykorrhizen die Interaktionen zwischen Graslandarten und dem Hemiparasiten Rhinanthus minor? 2. Claudia: Wie sehen diese Beziehungen in einer experimentellen Pflanzengemeinschaft aus? 19. Januar 2007

Dr. Vicky Temperton (Forschungszentrum Jülich, Institut für Chemie und Dynamik der Geosphäre, ICG-III Phytosphäre): Positive biodiversity effects on ecosystem properties: some results from The Jena Experiment and some new approaches for testing their validity. 15. Januar 2007

Karoline Weißhuhn (UFZ, Dept. Biozönoseforschung): Konkurrenzverhalten von Senecio inaequidens im Topfversuch mit Artemisia vulgaris, arbuskulärer Mykorrhiza und Aktivkohle. 12. Januar 2007

Dipl. Biol. Christel Roß (UFZ, Dept. Biozönoseforschung): Erkenntnisse aus dreieinhalb Jahren Forschung an Mahonia aquifolium. 8. Januar 2007

2006

Prof. Ragan M. Callaway (Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, USA): The role of novel biochemical weapons in plant invasions: the implications for community evolution. 27. Februar 2006

Dr. Michael Hofreiter (Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig): Untersuchungen eiszeitlicher Wanderungen mit Hilfe alter DNA. 6. März 2006

Dipl. Biol. Cornelia Baessler (UFZ, Dept. Biozönoseforschung): Differently structured landscapes affect the genetic diversity of a common plant species! 20. März 2006

M.Sc. Jennifer Williams (Div. of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula): An experimental demographic approach to exotic plant success: Cynoglossum officinale in its native and introduced ranges. 24. April 2006

Dr. Mark Frenzel (UFZ, Dept. Biozönoseforschung): Does origin and habitat of invasive Senecio affect the attack by native insects? 24. April 2006

Dipl. Biol. Marten Winter (UFZ, Dept. Biozönoseforschung): Extinction, Eradication, Replacement: Finding evidences for ecological impacts of synanthropic carnivores in Europe. 2. Mai 2006

Dipl. Geoökol. Sonja Knapp (UFZ, Dept. Biozönoseforschung): Artenvielfalt in städtischen und ländlichen Schutzgebieten. 4. Mai 2006

Prof. Milan Chýtrý (University of Brno; CZ): Vegetation of southern Siberian mountain ranges: a window to the past landscapes of Central Europe. 15. Mai 2006

Prof. Katrin Boehning-Gaese (Universität Mainz, Institut für Zoologie): Biodiversität von Vögeln: Evolution, Ökologie, Naturschutz. 12. Juni 2006

Dipl. Biol. Anett Richter (University of Canberra): Biodiversity conservation in Australia - a study on invertebrates in natural temperate grassland. 26. Juni 2006

Prof. Andrew Bennett (University of Deakin, Australia): Conservation in agricultural land mosaics: a ‘landscape-scale’ study of woodland birds in rural environments of southern Australia. 14. Juli 2006

Dipl. Biol. Holger Loritz (UFZ, Dept. Biozönoseforschung): Bericht von der ALTERNet Summerschool 2006. 6. November 2006

Dipl. Biol. Susanne Angelstein (UFZ, Dept. Fließgewässerökologie / Seenforschung): Experimentelle Untersuchungen an Elodea nuttallii. 8. November 2006

Dipl. Biol. Jan Hanspach (UFZ, Dept. Biozönoseforschung): Schutzgebiete und Klimawandel. 20. November 2006

Dr. Susanne Kühnholz (Halle): The Ecology of farming beetles. 11. Dezember 2006

2005

Dipl. Biol. Birgit Binzenhöfer (UFZ, Dept. Naturschutzforschung, Dept. Biozönoseforschung): Habitatmodelle und Konnektivitätsanalysen bei tagaktiven Schmetterlingen. 10. Januar 2005

Dr. Martin Schädler (Universität Marburg): Mehr als die Summe der einzelnen Teile? Streudiversität und Abbauprozesse. 17. Januar 2005

PD Dr. Jürg Stöcklin (Universität Basel): Die Biodiversität in den Alpen geht im Zuge sozio-ökonomischer Veränderungen stark zurück. 24. Januar 2005

Dipl. Biol. Cornelia Baessler, Dr. Mark Frenzel (UFZ, Dept. Biozönoseforschung): Präsentationen gestalten und "verkaufen". 31. Januar 2005

Dipl. Biol. Claudia Stein (UFZ, Dept. Biozönoseforschung): Pflanzendiversität in Grünlandökosystemen: Die Bedeutung von regionalem Artenpool, Invasionen und Herbivorie. 7. Februar 2005

Prof. John Maron (University of Montana, Division of Biological Sciences): An introduced predator transforms plant communities across the Aleutian archipelago. 5. April 2005

Prof. John Maron - informal talk -: Ecological research at John Maron's lab.
7. April 2005

Dr. Gudrun Carl (UFZ, Dept. Biozönoseforschung): Räumliche Autokorrelation bei Generalisierten Linearen Modellen. 11. April 2005

Dipl. Biol. Susan Ebeling (UFZ, Dept. Biozönoseforschung): Regionale Anpassung als Ursache für den Invasionserfolg - Diskussion des experimentalen Designs. 18. April 2005

Dr. Harald Auge (UFZ, Dept. Biozönoseforschung): Adaptive Evolution und der Erfolg von Pflanzeninvasionen. 25. April 2005

Dr. Bärbel Kiesel (UFZ, Dept. Umweltmikrobiologie): Möglichkeiten und Grenzen mikrobieller Diversitätsforschung. 2. Mai 2005

Dipl. Biol. Bea Vonlanthen (MLU, Geobotanisches Institut): Establishment conditions and development of the phreatophytic vegetation in the foreland of river oases in the southern Taklmakan. 9. Mai 2005

Dipl. Biol. Nicol Fuentes (Universidad de Concepción, Chile): Reconstructing the spread of invasive plants in Chile from herbarium records. 17. Mai 2005

Mag. Oliver Schweiger (UFZ, Dept. Biozönoseforschung): Biodiversität in Agrarlandschaften - Mehr als Artenzahlen! 23. Mai 2005

Dr. Mark van Kleunen (Universität Potsdam, Biozönoseforschung): Similarity in latitudinal clines of and genetic differentiation in life-history traits between native and non-native populations of Mimulus guttatus. 6. Mai 2005

Dr. Kerstin Wiegand (Institut für Ökologie, FSU Jena): Importance of landscape structure and species-specific traits for metapopulation survival. 30. Mai 2005

Dr. Gabriele Schmidt-Adam (Massey University, Neuseeland): Reproduktionsbiologie und lokale Anpassung des neuseeländischen Endemiten Metrosideros excelsa (Myrtaceae). 20. Juni 2005

Madeleine Dubiel (UFZ, Dept. Biozönoseforschung): Räumliche Heterogenität von Diasporenbanken auf landwirtschaftlichen Flächen. 5. Juli 2005

Dipl. Biol. Haike Ruhnke (UFZ, Dept. Biozönoseforschung): Are sawflies adapted to host plant individuals? 6. Juli 2005, 10 Uhr

Prof. Zoltan Varga (University Debrecen, Ungarn): Heuschrecken- und Schmetterlingsgemeinschaften in Maculinea-Habitaten in Ungarn. 24. Oktober 2005

Dipl. Biol. Stefan Michalski (UFZ, Dept. Biozönoseforschung): Selfish rushes - flower biology of Juncus atratus. 14. November 2005

Dipl. Biol. Lars Götzenberger (UFZ, Dept. Biozönoseforschung): The pollen-ovule ratio: adaptation or constraint? 14. November 2005

Dipl. Biol. Holger Loritz (UFZ, Dept. Biozönoseforschung): Human land use as driving factor of the persistence of two grassland butterflies. 28. November 2005

Dipl. Biol. Christian Anton (UFZ, Dept. Biozönoseforschung): Population structure and trophic interactions of a butterfly and its specialised parasitoid in a fragmented landscape. 28. November 2005

Dr. Gudrun Carl (UFZ, Dept. Biozönoseforschung): "Wavelets" und autokorrelierte Daten. 12. Dezember 2005

Dr. Wieslaw Babik (UFZ, Dept. Biozönoseforschung): Phylogeography of the Eurasian beaver: mitochondrial and MHC data. 20. Dezember 2005

2004

Dipl.Biol. Lars Götzenberger (Sektion Biozönoseforschung): Die Bedeutung von Samenmerkmalen für den Lebenszyklus von Pflanzen. 12. Februar 2004

Kathleen Kuss (Sektion Biozönoseforschung): Räumliche und zeitliche Variabilität der Diasporenbank im Auengrünland an der Elbe. 12. Februar 2004

Dipl. Biol. Christel Ross (Sektion Biozönoseforschung): Invasionspotential von Zuchtformen einer gebietsfremden Zierpflanze: das Fallbeispiel <I>Mahonia aquifolium. </I>24. Februar 2004

Dipl. Biol. Marlene Rieger (Sektion Biozönoseforschung): Abschätzung des Invasionspotentials von Pflanzenarten: Analyse der Einführungswege und Merkmale erfolgreicher Arten. 24. Februar 2004

Dr. Brigitte Braschler (Universität Basel): Effects of experimental small-scale grassland fragmentation on the population dynamics of invertebrates. 4. März 2004

Dr. Sergey Venevsky (Japan). 4. März 2004

Dr. Kathrin Vohland (PIC - Potsdam Institute for Climatic Impact Research): 4. März 2004

Dr. Allan Spessa (Jena): Invasive species impact assessment and regional fire modelling. 5. März 2004

Dr. Thomas Metz (Italien, Rom): 5. März 2004

Dr. Florence Dubs (Frankreich, Bondy): 5. März 2004

Dipl. Biol. Oliver Bossdorf (Department Biozönoseforschung): Ecological genetics of plant invasions: a case study on <I>Alliaria petiolata</I>. 22. Juni 2004

Ulrike Mühle (Hochschule Zittau): What defines the alpha and beta diversity of the birds in the Monte desert, Argentina? 24. Juni 2004

Stefan Schröder (Hochschule Zittau): Der Europäische Hase in der Monte-Region, Argentinien: ein Konkurrent des Patagonischen Hasen? 24. Juni 2004

Holger Haase (Hochschule Zittau): Diet and habitat structure of the Burrowing Owl in the Monte Desert, Argentina. 24. Juni 2004

Dr. Bernhard Krauss (MLU Halle): Rare royals and vanishing alleles. 1. Juli 2004

Dr. Wieslaw Babik (Univ. Krakau, Poland): Phylogeography of the smooth and Montandon's newts. Multiple instances of mtDNA introgression across a species boundary. 8. Juli 2004

Dr. Pim van Hooft (Utrecht, Holland): Molecular ecology: spatial and temporal scales. 8. Juli 2004

Jennifer Williams (University of Montana, USA): Population dynamics of an invasive plant: houndstongue (Cynoglossum officinale) in its native and introduced ranges. 15. Juli 2004

Esther Gerber (CABI Bioscience, Delemont, CH): All about Ceutorhynchus scrobicollis, a weevil investigated for the biological control of garlic mustard in North America. 18. Oktober 2004

Dr. Daniel Prati(Department Biozönoseforschung): Geographical variation in resistance and tolerance in an invasive plant. 18. Oktober 2004

Dr. Jaan Liira (University of Tartu, Institute of Botany and Ecology): Forest structure and natural quality. 26. Oktober 2004