Research for evidence-based policies

ongoing projects:

Development of plastic traps to remove large floating plastic debris in tropical rivers (cooperation with Martin Blettler, INALI, Argentina)

2015-2020: Dam removal and ecohydrology (financed by the Loire Valley Institute of Advanced Studies), including partners from USA, Argentina, Italy, Spain, and Great Britain (results will be published in a Special Issue of a peer-reviewed journal)

concluded projects:

2010-2014: Carbon sequestration, biodiversity and social structures in Southern Amazonia: models and implementation of carbon-optimized land management strategies (CarBioCial)” financed by BMBF (Germany) and CNPq (Brazil)

1994-2008: Sustainable Management Concept for Stream Catchments in the Cerrado and for the Pantanal of Mato Grosso, Brazil, several projects, financed by BMBF (Germany) and CNPq (Brazil)

bottom up


The River Culture Concept

ongoing projects:

Book project for UNESCO Press (River Culture: Life as a dance to the rhythm of the waters, publication planned for late 2020)

One-year grant for invited guest researcher to identify synergies between the River Culture and the Environmental Flow Concepts (Dr. Rebecca Tharme, Riverfutures, financed by LeStudium)

concluded projects:

Co-organizer of the First African International Conference on River Culture”, Senegal, Africa, 20.-22.2.2020

Co-organizer and session chair on „River Culture“ at the “2nd International Great Rivers Forum” by UNESCO and the River Civilisations Museum at Wuhan, China, 28.-30.10.2018

bottom up


Urban Human-River Encounter Sites

ongoing projects:

Yixin Cao: Urban River Restoration in China and Europe (PhD project, Chinese Science Council fellowship)

Raita Bala Maphega: River Culture and options for urban river restoration in Kinshasa, Kongo (PhD project)

Alvin Vazha: River Culture and options for urban river restoration in Tamil Nadhu, India (PhD project)

Chaozhang Tan: Urban Lake Restoration in China and Europe (PhD project, Chinese Science Council fellowship)

concluded projects:

2012-2016 PhD Thesis Aude Zingraff-Hamed (TUM Munich, co-supervised with Stephan Pauleit): Restoration and use of urban rivers

bottom up


Carbon management, organic matter processing in streams and rivers and wetlands

concluded projects:

2013-2018 Pauline Hervé: Restoration ecology of forest mires and temporal wetlands in Central France (PhD, co-supervision with Dr. Francis Isselin, CNRS, Tours)

2010-2014: Carbon sequestration, biodiversity and social structures in Southern Amazonia: models and implementation of carbon-optimized land management strategies CarBioCial)” financed by BMBF (Germany) and CNPq (Brazil)

2008-2014 Luisa Ordus Vega. (Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, Colombia): Comparative ecology and carbon dynamics of two tropical seasonal wetlands: the sabanas in Colombia and the Pantanal in Brazil, (PhD Project, co-supervisor: Prof. Dr. K.-O. Rothhaupt, Uni Konstanz, financed by DAAD)

2006-2012: Guillermo Rueda (Universidade L. Tadeu, Bogotá, Colombia): Leaf litter decomposition studies in Amazonian Streams of Colombia (co-supervisor: Prof. Dr. Junk, MPIL-Plön)

2004-2008 PhD Thesis Luisa Ricaurte (ETH Zurich, PhD Project, co-supervised with Jukka Jokkela): Ecology and Sustainable Management of Wetlands in the Colombian Piedmont region

bottom up


Conservation of biodiversity by habitat restoration and invasive species management

ongoing projects:

under review: ANR-DFG Project on cross-border river restoration in France and Germany

2020-2021: One year „Delegation“ sabbatical at Strasbourg University cross-border river restoration in France and Germany

concluded projects:

2014-2018 EU-LIFE+-Projekt to re-establish the Giant Freshwater Pearl Mussel (Margaritifera auricularia) as flagship species for large river management

2014-2018 Joaquín Soler: Ecophysiology, biogeography and reproductive biology of the Giant Freshwater Pearl Mussel, M. auricularia, as scientific baseline for conservation (PhD-Project, co-supervision with Prof. Dr. Rafael Araújo, Museo Nacional de Sciencias Naturales, Madrid, Spain), financed by EU and by Region Centre

2004-2010: John Hesselschwerdt (University Konstanz): Impacts of invasive amphipods on the local fauna and on leaf litter decomposition in the littoral zone of Lake Constance (co-supervisor: Prof. Dr. K.-O. Rothhaupt, Uni Konstanz)

bottom up


Functional ecology of freshwater ecosystems and their aquatic-terrestrial transition zones

ongoing projects:

Nicolas Garello: Ecology of invertebrates and impact by macro and microplastic particles in the aquatic-terrestrial transition zone of the Paraná River, Argentina (PhD, co-supervision with Prof. Dr. Blettler, Universidad del Valle, Argentina, and Prof. Dr. Rodrigues, University of Tours)

concluded projects:

2013-2017 Elie Abrial: Fish habitat hydraulics in subtropical floodplain rivers (PhD, co-supervision with Prof. Dr. Amsler, Universidad del Valle, Argentina)

2012-2014 SIAL (Stable isotope Analysis Loire): study on the impact of the invasive clam Corbicula spp. on the foodweb of the Loire river, financed by EPL and Agence de l'eau Loire-Bretagne (France)

2010-2015 Miguel Saigo (Universidad del Valle Argentina): Stable isotope analysis of aquatic-terrestrial interactions in neotropical floodplains (PhD, co-supervision with Prof. Dr. Mercedes Marchese, Universidad del Valle, and INALI-Conicet, Argentina)

bottom up


Aquatic Biodiversity and biomonitoring

ongoing projects:

Collaboration with the Autonomous University of Mexico and the Conabio (National counsel for biodiversity) for developping a biomonitoring system for Mexico’s inland waters

ABLA (Aquatic Biodiversity in Latin America) book series, so far 7 volumes, further books in preparation

bottom up