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)

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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

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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

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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

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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)

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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)

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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

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