Skills

• PhD Degree in Biology  (2001, Universität Göttingen)
• main focus on soil zoology and soil ecology

Excellent taxonomical knowledge about

• springtails (Collembola)
• oribatid mites (Oribatida)
• rove beetles (Staphylinidae)
• identification on species level

Analysing of soil samples and pit fall traps,

particular with regard to

• “soil mites” (Gamasina, Uropodina, Astigmata, Prostigmata)
• centipedes (Geophilidae, Lithobiidae)
• ground beetle (Carabidae)
• millipedes (Julidae)

Scientific career

• studies and PhD thesis at the University of Göttingen (group of Prof. Matthias Schaefer)
• postdoc position at the University of Giessen (group of Prof. Volkmar Wolters)
• postdoc position at the University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences, Vienna (group of Prof. Thomas Frank)

Focussing on my research I am strongly interested in the interactions between plant- and Collembola communities in forest and grassland ecosystems. (see list of publications)