A5047159483- Forensic Entomology and Diptera Studies
- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation
- Forest Insect Ecology and Management
- Forest Ecology and Biodiversity Studies
- Animal Ecology and Behavior Studies
- Insect and Pesticide Research
- Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies
- Insect and Arachnid Ecology and Behavior
- Insect Pest Control Strategies
- Plant and animal studies
- Animal Disease Management and Epidemiology
- Ecology and biodiversity studies
- Insect Utilization and Effects
- Zoonotic diseases and public health
- Environmental DNA in Biodiversity Studies
- Wildlife-Road Interactions and Conservation
- Conservation, Biodiversity, and Resource Management
- Botany and Plant Ecology Studies
- Rangeland and Wildlife Management
- Yersinia bacterium, plague, ectoparasites research
- Autopsy Techniques and Outcomes
- Animal Behavior and Welfare Studies
- Species Distribution and Climate Change
- Agriculture and Farm Safety
- Animal Behavior and Reproduction
Bavarian Forest National Park
2018-2024
University of Würzburg
2023-2024
University of Freiburg
2020-2022
Universität Ulm
2011-2020
Ecological Society of America
2020
Helmholtz-Institute Ulm
2016
Because animal carcasses often serve as reservoirs for pathogens, their location and removal are crucial in controlling the spread of diseases. During carcass decomposition, heat is emitted due to microbial activity development maggots. Recent studies have shown that infrared sensors can be used locate carcasses, but little known about factors influencing detection success. In this study, we investigated potential technology wild boar they play an important role African swine fever....
Multi-kingdom community complexity and the chemically mediated dynamics between bacteria insects have recently received increased attention in carrion research. However, strength of these inter-kingdom interactions factors that regulate them are poorly studied. We used 75 piglet cadavers across three forest regions to survey relationship actors (epinecrotic bacteria, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) flies) during first 4 days decomposition this interdependence. The results showed a dynamic...
Summary The decomposition of dead mammalian tissue involves a complex temporal succession epinecrotic bacteria. Microbial activity may release different cadaveric volatile organic compounds which in turn attract other key players carcass such as scavenger insects. To elucidate the dynamics and potential functions bacteria on carcasses, we monitored bacterial communities developing still‐born piglets incubated forest ecosystems by combining high‐throughput Illumina 16S rRNA sequencing with...
Abstract Carrion plays an essential role in shaping the structure and functioning of ecosystems has far‐reaching implications for biodiversity conservation. The change availability type carcasses throughout can involve negative effects scavenging communities. To address this issue, there have been recent conservation management measures carrion provision natural systems. However, optimal conditions under which exposing to optimize outcomes are still limited. Here, we used camera traps...
The necrophagous burying beetle Nicrophorus vespilloides reproduces on small carcasses that are buried underground to serve as food for their offspring. Cadavers too large bury have previously been postulated be important sources newly emerged beetles; however, the attractiveness of distinct successive stages decomposition were not further specified. Therefore, we investigated potential preference N. females odour bouquets piglet cadavers at specific decomposition. Analyses walking tracks a...
The hide beetle Dermestes maculatus (Coleoptera: Dermestidae) feeds as an adult and larva on decomposing animal remains can also be found human corpses. Therefore, forensic entomological questions with regard to when how the first receptive females appear carcasses are important, developmental stages of their larvae used calculate post-mortem interval. To date, we know that freshly emerged males respond cadaver odour post-bloated (approximately 9 days after death at Tmean = 27°C), being...
Anthropogenic land use causes global declines in biodiversity. Despite the knowledge that animal carrion is most nutrient-rich form of dead organic matter, studies on landscape and local scales determining whether means by which intensity influences diversity carrion-associated insect fauna are globally scarce. We investigated effects abiotic biotic environmental factors abundance, species richness, important ecosystem-service-providing silphid beetle taxon (carrion beetles) three regions...
During decomposition, vertebrate carrion emits volatile organic compounds to which insects and other scavengers are attracted. We have previously found that the dung beetle, Anoplotrupes stercorosus, is most common beetle on cadavers. Our aim in this study was identify key emitted from used by A. stercorosus locate nutritive resource. By collecting cadaveric volatiles performing electroantennographic detection, we tested perceived post-bloating decomposition stage. Receptors antennae of...
Abstract The decay process of animal carcasses is a highly complex succession driven by abiotic and biotic variables their interactions. As an underexplored ecological recycling process, understanding carrion decomposition associated with pandemics such as African swine fever important for predicting the rate post‐mortem interval (PMI) variation wild to improve disease management. To model PMIs boar, we deployed 73 boar in four different forest habitat types throughout year monitored beetles...
Dung beetles provide crucial ecosystem services and serve as model organisms for various behavioural, ecological evolutionary studies. However, dung have received little attention consumers of large cadavers. In this study, we trapped copronecrophagous on above-ground exposed piglet cadavers in 61 forest plots distributed over three geographically distinct regions Germany, Central Europe. We examined the effects land use intensity, stand, soil characteristics, vascular plant diversity...
Abstract Land-use intensification and climate change threaten ecosystem functions. A fundamental, yet often overlooked, function is decomposition of necromass. The direct indirect anthropogenic effects on decomposition, however, are poorly understood. We measured two contrasting types necromass, rat carrion bison dung, 179 study sites in Central Europe across an elevational gradient 168–1122 m a.s.l. within both local regional land uses. Local land-use included forest, grassland, arable...
Research on decomposer communities has traditionally focused plant litter or deadwood. Even though carrion forms highly nutrient-rich necromass that enhance ecosystem heterogeneity, the factors influencing saprophytic remain largely unknown. For deadwood, experiments have shown different drivers determine beetles (i.e., decay stage, microclimate, and space), fungi stage tree species) bacteria (decay only) assemblages. To test hypothesis similar also structure communities, we sampled 29...
In contrast to other necromass, such as leaves, deadwood, or dung, the drivers of insect biodiversity on carcasses are still incompletely understood. For vertebrate scavengers, a richer community was shown for randomly placed carcasses, due lower competition. Here we tested if scavenging beetles similarly show higher diversity at compared easily manageable fixed places. We sampled 12,879 individuals and 92 species attracted 17 12 places exposed decomposing red deer, roe foxes control sites...
Scavengers benefit from carrion and simultaneously provide essential ecosystem services. To assess benefits risks that might bring, it is crucial to understand ecosystem-specific scavenger communities. Carrion research has mostly focussed on ungulate carcasses rarely explored the effects of carnivore carcasses, which can be critical understanding disease transmission pathways. Therefore, using red fox, roe deer we investigated factors affect facultative vertebrate assemblages visiting...
In temperate regions, larger mammalian carrion naturally occurs in terrestrial landscapes as a pulsed resource towards the end of winter through enhanced ungulate mortality due to starvation or exhaustion. The return large carnivores Central Europe provides more equally throughout year and active enhancement for biodiversity by game managers has increased, raising question how different scavengers respond temporal variation supply. To address this question, we experimentally deployed 106...
Intensification of anthropogenic land use is a major threat to biodiversity and thus essential ecosystem services provided by insects. Rove beetles (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae), which react sensitively habitat changes, are species-rich colonizers vertebrate cadavers contribute the important service carrion decomposition. The unveiling environmental drivers that modify carrion-associated rove beetle communities should improve our understanding plasticity cadaver decay. We report presence 80...
Abstract Dung beetles are important actors in the self‐regulation of ecosystems by driving nutrient cycling, bioturbation, and pest suppression. Urbanization sprawl agricultural areas, however, destroy natural habitats may threaten dung beetle diversity. In addition, climate change cause shifts geographical distribution community composition. We used a space‐for‐time approach to test effects land use on α‐diversity, local specialization ( H 2 ′) resources, γ‐diversity dung‐visiting beetles....
Estimates of annual deer-vehicle collisions exceed one million incidences in Europe. Consequently, we were analyzing whether an animal's experience and movement pattern close to roads can provide crucial information for accident prevention mitigation measures. We applied innovative approach using machine learning step selection analyses find rules patterns deer data a better understanding the spatio-temporal dynamics wildlife-vehicle collisions. The rule tree indicated highest collision...
Roads can have diverse impacts on wildlife species, and while some species may adapt effectively, others not. Studying multiple species' responses to the same infrastructure in a given area help understand this variation reveal effects of disturbance ecology communities. This study investigates behavioural four with distinctive ecological traits roads protected Bohemian Forest Ecosystem central Europe: European roe deer Capreolus capreolus , solitary herbivore; red Cervus elaphus gregarious...