(Dept. 5) Evolutionary and Integrative Ecology
The Department of Evolutionary and Integrative Ecology, which is located in both Friedrichshagen and Dahlem, advances the eco-evolutionary understanding of freshwater organisms in the Anthropocene. Our research has two overarching themes:
- Evolutionary ecology and eco-evolutionary dynamics
- Synthesis across scales, disciplines and actors
Within these themes, we address different research topics, varying from the ecological and evolutionary consequences of global change (e.g. biological invasions, climate change, pollution) to species interactions and long-term dynamics. Urban systems are of particular relevance here, as they integrate multiple dimensions of global change. Berlin is also a perfect place to study urbanisation! Species interactions we are investigating include competition, parasitism and predation, and interactions between species and different human actors are of high relevance as well.
We collaborate with researchers within and beyond IGB, nationally and internationally. Particularly strong connections are with Freie Universität Berlin and KU Leuven, as group leaders in the department hold professorships at these universities. We are active in the Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB) and play a leading role in the Berlin Center for Genomics in Biodiversity Research (BeGenDiv), both of which involve extensive collaboration with other Leibniz institutes and universities. International initiatives that we are strongly engaged in include the Alliance for Freshwater Life, Future Earth and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Research groups
Department members
Selected publications
Eco-phenotypic feedback loops differ in multistressor environments
The authors investigated how density-trait feedback loops of two ciliate species differed along a temperature and salinity gradient. They found that stressful environments decouple the density-trait feedback loop of two ciliate species.
Rapid growth and the evolution of complete metamorphosis in insects
Insects undergo complete metamorphosis, rebuilding their bodies, such as the transition from caterpillar to chrysalis to butterfly. The authors wondered why this extreme lifestyle might have evolved. Combining growth data and mathematical modelling, they found that insects grow much faster if they can grow and build the adult body in two separate stages, rather than doing both continuously.
Eco-Evolutionary Interactions With Multiple Evolving Species Reveal Both Antagonistic and Additive Effects
The authors investigated the ecological effects of evolution of multiple zooplankton species of their community dynamics. The study highlights that species differ in their evolution-mediated ecological effects and showcases that using the evolutionary effects on ecology of single species to predict multiple species' effects may lead to unreliable predictions.
Differential survival and feeding rates of three commonly traded gastropods across salinities
This study investigates the establishment and impact risks posed by three readily available, traded snail species – Melanoides tuberculata, Tarebia granifera and Anentome helena – by assessing their survival and feeding responses across a spectrum of salinity levels.
The frequent five: Insights from interviews with urban wildlife professionals in Germany
The authors interviewed 36 urban wildlife professionals in 4 large cities in Germany. Red foxes, wild boars, raccoons, stone martens and Eurasian beavers were the five mammal species most frequently highlighted in interviews to cause human-wildlife conflicts. The interviewees emphasized the need to create refuges for beavers and better inform the public about foxes.
