The University of Bayreuth is distinguished as a research university with clear research foci. One of them is “Ecology and Environmental Science”. Departments in this field are organized in the Bayreuth Center of Ecology and Environmental Research (BayCEER), a central research facility with additional staff and central laboratories.

The Department of Biogeography is specialised in spatial ecology. Research projects are ranging from island biogeography to the modelling of Natura 2000 habitats. The department is equipped with permanent staff, including technicians and secretary, and with labs. The Department of Disturbance Ecology is focused on temporal patterns, especially on short-term events and their ecological impact. This research group is unique in Germany. Areas of research encompass land use changes, extreme climate and fire ecology. Besides experimental work, remote sensing-based field studies are affected.

Principal Investigator:

Carl Beierkuhnlein is professor and head of Department of Biogeography at the University of Bayreuth. He is member of the Biodiversity Council of the Bavarian Ministry of the Environment and Nature Protection Council of the Bavarian Ministry of the Environment. He is also board member of the International Biogeography Society.
Carl Beierkuhnlein is co-coordinator of ECOPOTENTIAL and responsible for biogeographic and geo-ecological aspects of PAs. He contributes to WP1, WP2, WP5, WP8, and WP12, and he is site responsible for the Bavarian Forest National Park and for La Palma.