Social bees are important pollinators worldwide, including honeybees, bumblebees and stingless bees, the latter being particularly important in the tropics. Stingless bees do not only depend on pollen and nectar, but also intensively collect the sticky and potentially toxic resin from tree wounds. Obviously not for nutrition, but for nest …
I have always been fascinated by tropical ecology and biodiversity research. In my former studies, I investigated the diversity of Afrotropical termites, one of the most important decomposers in African savannahs. Now, during my Ph.D. in the Reassembly project, my research focuses on the interactions between saproxylic insects (termites and …
The diversity of life histories among amphibians and reptiles is astonishing. While some thrive and feed on fish in streams, others choose to conceal themselves in the hollows of tree canopies. In 2023, Reassembly’s herpetological team undertook several side projects. During their visit to Canandé, a team from MO Rödel’s lab …
Here’s our second Reassembly Newsletter. Again, all PhD candidates and postdoctoral scientists nicely summarized their challenges, experience and insights in the second year of our Research Unit. It’s a must-read for all project participants, but hopefully also enjoyable for anyone interested in such a scientific endeavor and recovering tropical forests. …
Sound recorders can successfully capture the remarkable diversity of vocalizing birds, frogs and mammals – much more effectively than other sampling techniques or classical observational methods. Jörg Müller and his team implemented sound recorders in 43 of our plots, then asked skilled experts to identify hundreds of species from selected …
REASSEMBLY actively contributed to the 6th European Conference of Tropical Ecology (GTOE2023) in the beautiful České Budějovice (Budweis) in Czech Republik. Nico Blüthgen presented the framework of the Research Unit and some first results in the session “Traits, interactions and functioning across environmental gradients” hosted by Nina Farwig & Eike …
The recovery of forest ecosystems relies on mutualistic interactions, particularly pollinators and seed-dispersers, or plant defenses by ants. A new modelling study on the succession and assembly of these interactions revealed an important role of non-obligate animal mutualists. Timo Metz performed computer simulations based on trait matching between mutualists, now …
Theory predicts that environmental filtering determines species assemblages – and their reassembly dynamics in a changing habitat such as a recovering rainforest. This prediction can be tested by studying trajectories of functional trait and phylogenetic composition. Phil Hoenle and coauthors examined 13 morphological traits from a total of 284 ant …
Species differ in their shape, morphology and function. But individuals within a species can be highly variable, too. Such variation likely results from responses to different environmetal conditions. Diego Marín-Armijos, Adolfo Chamba-Carrillo and Karen Pedersen (SP6) studied variation between individuals within a species, an Ecuadorian dung beetle. They compared individuals …
Nos enorgullece presentar nuestro Boletín de REASSEMBLY (Reensamblaje), que resume nuestra experiencia, nuevos conocimientos y retos durante el primer año de nuestra Unidad de Investigación. Cada investigador doctoral y postdoctoral presentó aquí su punto de vista personal. Merece la pena leerlo si quiere echar un vistazo al corazón de nuestro …
