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Research Animal Ecology

Effects of density and season on animal personality

Effects of density and season on animal personality

Here we investigate how differences in population densities effect the personality of small mammals, by conducting a long-term experiment with experimental populations of different densities.

Behavioural adaptations to biological invasion processes

Behavioural adaptations to invasion processes

Animal personality may play an important role in invasion and re-colonisation processes. Here we investigate behavioural adaptations in an invasion of voles in Ireland after an accidental introduction

Effects of lightpollution on animal behaviour
Garden lights at night

Light pollution and behaviour

Nocturnal animals are disturbed by artificial light at night (ALAN). We investigate the effects of light on nocturnal insects and small mammals.

Inter-individual differences and coexistence
Indivual niches of coexisting species

Inter-individual differences and coexistence

Individual differences are rarely recognised in ecological theory. Here we investigate the importance of inter-individual differences for ecological interactions and the facillitation of coexistence.

https://www.uni-potsdam.de/en/ibb-tieroekologie/research-animal-ecology/indirect-tri-trophic-effects-of-fear-on-biodiversity
Bank vole feeding on oats

Indirect, tri-trophic effects of fear on biodiversity

In this project we investigate how the movement and foraging strategies of small mammals in a landscape of fear affect the diversity of experimental seed communities.

Pregnancy replacement in small mammals - all costs or hidden benefits for females

Pregnancy replacement in mammals

We want to disentangle potential adaptive and mechanistic explanations for pregnancy replacement (i.e. Bruce effect), suggesting that in rodents it is a form of sequential mate choice rather than a c

Urban cognition

Urban cognition

In this ongoing project, we investigate among-individual variation in behavioural flexibility and innovation propensity in various small mammals species.

Linde-Wildflower-Experiment

Linde-Wildflower-Experiment

Here we compare the effectiveness of conventional wildflower strips and the innovative design of rolling wildflower blocks for increasing insect biodiversity.

Bioperturbation

Biopertubation

Here we investigate interactive effects of grassland succession, impact of Microtus voles, and harvesting regimes on several parameters of experimental grassland plots

Individual LoF

Behavioural adjustments to risk

Personality & antipredatory behaviour

Sexuelle Konflikte

Sexual conflicts

Mate choice & parental care

Krankheiten

Diseases

Pathogens & immune system