PeerJ Author & Reviewer
150 Points
Contributions by role
Contributions by subject area
Carl Beierkuhnlein
PeerJ Author & Reviewer
Summary
Studies in Geoecology, PhD on the Ecology of Forest Springs, Habilitation on Biodiversity Patterns. Prof. of Landscape Ecology, Univ. or Rostock, 1999-2001, Prof. of Biogeography, University of Bayreuth, since 2001.
Research Fields: Ecological Effects of Climate Change, Small Catchments and Discharge of Compounts to Springs and Rivers, Island Biogeography, Vector-Borne Diseases. Expertise in Field Studies, Experiments and Modelling.
Work details
Chair for Biogeography
University of Bayreuth, Germany
September 2001
Geosciences, Biogeography
The research interests of the chair of Biogeography spread over a broad range of biogeographic research areas:
◾ECOPOTENTIAL - improving future ecosystem benefits through earth observations
is a new research project that is funded by the European Union within the Framework Programm for Research and Innovation. It aims at the development and application of remote sensing approaches in protected areas of international importance. ECOPOTENTIAL brings together 47 research institutes, universities and companies from 18 countries and is lead by Dr. Antonello Provenzale from CNR, Italy, and by Prof. Carl Beierkuhnlein, University of Bayreuth.
◾In the area of biodiversity research we focus on biotic and functional diversity of ecosystems. Besides that the spatial organisation of plant species and communities is a point of interest.
◾Our research activities on Island biogeograpy focus especially on endemic species as well as climate change effect on isolated systems. Large scale patterns and their theoretical implications are alike observed as the variability between and within populations (besides others genetic and morphological population analyses). A regional focus lies on the Macaronesian archipelagos. There is also a strong link to teaching activities.
◾The current research on climate change and health focuses on the spatial and temporal variability of distribution patterns of vector species and their associated diseases considering climate change and globalisation as major drivers. Risk analysis involves modelling techniques (e.g. correlative niche modelling) and experimental approaches (e.g. survival thresholds of vectors).In the European-wide project "Climate modelling for Chikungunya" on behalf of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) the current and future climate suitability for Chikungunya transmission in Europe is evaluated.
◾The research on nature conservation issues addresses questions concerning applied ecology. Examples are the development of guidelines for environmental compatible restoration of historic monuments (e.g. the castle “Burg Rabeneck”) or the effects of rock clearing in the Northern Frankenalb on vegetation.
◾Unique is the ecological experiment EVENT which was established in cooperation with the chair of disturbance ecology in Bayreuth. In this experiment impacts of extreme weather events on the vegetation are investigated which are supposed to be more frequent in the future.