Britta Uhl
- Institut OED
- Institut ZN
- Institut MBW
- Abt. für Didaktik
- Einrichtungen
- Forschung
- Forschungsthemen
Britta Uhl (Post-Doc)
Short CV
Scientific Researcher (Post-Doc) Jan. 2021 - present Goethe-University
Frankfurt
PhD-Thesis Mar.
2015 – Apr. 2021 University
of Vienna Lectureship Jul.
2015 – Oct. 2019 University of Würzburg
M.Sc. Biology Oct.
2012 – Dec. 2014 University of Würzburg
B.Sc. Biology Oct. 2009 – Sep, 2012 University
of Würzburg
Research interests
Most of the present world's terrestrial ecosystems are
influenced by anthropogenic actions. On a local scale, the loss of near-natural
areas and ongoing intensification of management practices has led to
biodiversity decline. On a larger scale, landscape simplification poses a
challenge for biodiversity conservation, as the loss of a diverse landscape
mosaic, composed of different near-natural areas, can also affect communities
within nature reserves and so counteract local efforts for keeping
biodiversity. For counteract biodiversity loss, the preservation of
near-natural habitats and the amelioration of habitat quality are believed to
play key roles. Promoting extensive management practices and establishing
biodiversity enrichment strategies are some of the actions that are made for
keeping the multifunctionality of ecosystems.
My research interests are focusing on how we can preserve
biodiversity. I am investigating small-scale environmental gradients to
understand how multiple local- and landscape-scale predictors are shaping
biotic communities in remaining habitat patches (e.g., nature reserves). A
special focus of my research is analyzing community composition and functional
diversity patterns. By zooming into the functional roles of individual species or
species groups, one can get particularly detailed insights into ecosystem
function and environmental change.
Nocturnal Lepidoptera were often found being suitable
indicators for environmental gradients. They react immediately on environmental
change and play an important role in ecosystems as pollinators, herbivores and prey
for e.g., birds and bats. Being a lepidopterologist myself, I mainly work with
moth communities. However, different taxa may react differently to environmental
change. Because of this, I am also interested in cross-taxonomic studies
including multiple species assemblages.
At the moment, I am involved in a European project, which
aims at promoting biodiversity in the
Bavarian Forest and Šumava National Park (Forschungsprojekt:
Pilze, Flechten und Moose im Nationalpark Bayerischer Wald (bayern.de)). Various
biodiversity support strategies are implemented e.g., enhancing the amount of
deadwood, supporting rare tree species, or promoting forest structural
heterogeneity. Their effect on biodiversity will be monitored, with a special
focus on insects, fungi, lichens and mosses. Our knowledge about these taxa to
date is still quite limited, although they are highly diverse and play major
roles in ecosystem processes. Using a combination of classical and modern
methods, we aim to get a deeper insight into these species groups and their
ecological needs. The interdisciplinary collaboration with local stakeholders
ameliorates the networks between science and economic management. Finally, a
forest nature conservation concept should be elaborated, which is intended to
support nature conservation authorities as a planning instrument.
Besides, I am also working on a long-term study in Northern
Italy, with a special focus on how climate change and pollution might have affected
moth communities during the last twenty years. Long-term studies are urgently
needed to address research questions on climate change. However, only few data
sets are available that give an overview over community change throughout a
larger timespan. As we conducted data on moth communities in the reserve Pineta
san Vitale (Ravenna) since 1997, we already have a detailed dataset spanning
more than 20 years of time. Our ongoing research analyzes the link between moth
community change, temperature and precipitation. Furthermore, we want to find
out if any directional physiological changes during that time have occurred
within species.
Theses
At the
moment, I am looking for Bachelor and Master students who are interested in the
following topics:
Bachelor-Theses:
Assessing
Trichopteran diversity in the Bavarian National Park. Are light traps suitable
to get an overview of occurring species?
- Experimental setup in the Bavarian Forest National Park (Interreg)
- Field sampling of Trichoptera using light traps
- Field trip duration: 2-4 weeks
of sampling in summer/ autumn (2 weeks August, 2 weeks September)
- Required: Good physical
condition (hard work in the field including carrying heavy loads)
The
effect of nitrogen addition on the development of lichenivorous moths
(Lithosiini)
- Rearing experiments in the
laboratory
- Duration (depending on the species development)
- Possible Add-on experiments to check for intraspecific adaption to pollution or climate change
The
effect of nitrogen addition and drought on moss and lichen communities on
deadwood
- Experimental setup planned in the Wissenschaftsgarten (still under review)
- Managing the experimental sites
and identifying moss and lichen communities
The
effect of nitrogen addition and drought on deadwood colonization by beetles
- Experimental setup planned in the Wissenschaftsgarten (still under review)
- Managing the experimental sites, applying sticky tapes and identifying beetles
Master-Theses:
Saproxylic beetles diversity in correlation to deadwood structural
heterogeneity
- Experimental setup in the Bavarian Forest
National Park (Interreg)
- Field sampling of beetles using pitfall traps
- Field trip duration 1.8.2022 – 15.9.2022
- Required: Good physical condition (hard work in
the field also on rainy days)
Is Insect diversity more dependent on local deadwood enrichment vs.
regional deadwood amount?
- Experimental setup in the Bavarian Forest
National Park (Interreg)
- Field sampling of flying insects using flight
interception traps
- Field trip duration: 2-4 weeks of sampling in summer/autumn
(2 weeks August, 2 weeks September)
- Afterwards: Analysis in the laboratory (DNA-based
identification)
- Required: Good physical condition (hard work in
the field also on rainy days)
Of course, there are many other possibilities for writing your Thesis in
our working group. If you have a specific interest or research question in the
field of conservation biology, feel free to contact me.
Selected research
- Uhl, B., Wölfling, M., Fiala, B., & Fiedler, K. (2016). Micro-moth communities mirror environmental stress gradients within a Mediterranean nature reserve. Basic and Applied Ecology, 17(3), 273-281.
- Wölfling, M., Becker, M. C., Uhl, B., Traub, A., & Fiedler, K. (2016). How differences in the settling behaviour of moths (Lepidoptera) may contribute to sampling bias when using automated light traps. European Journal of Entomology, 113, 502.
- Wölfling, M., Uhl, B., & Fiedler, K. (2019). Multi-decadal surveys in a Mediterranean forest reserve–do succession and isolation drive moth species richness? Nature Conservation, 35, 25.
- Uhl, B., Wölfling, M., & Fiedler, K. (2020). Understanding small-scale insect diversity patterns inside two nature reserves: the role of local and landscape factors. Biodiversity and Conservation, 29(7), 2399-2418.
- Uhl, B., Wölfling, M., & Fiedler, K. (2020). Local, forest stand and landscape-scale correlates of plant communities in isolated coastal forest reserves. Plant Biosystems-An International Journal Dealing with all Aspects of Plant Biology, 1-13.
- Wölfling, M., Uhl, B., & Fiedler, K. (2020). Ecological Drift and Directional Community Change in an Isolated Mediterranean Forest Reserve—Larger Moth Species Under Higher Threat. Journal of Insect Science, 20(5), 7.
- Uhl, B., Wölfling, M., & Fiedler, K. (2021). From forest to fragment: compositional differences inside coastal forest moth assemblages and their environmental correlates. Oecologia, 195(2), 453-467.
- Uhl, B., Wölfling, M., & Fiedler, K. (2021). Qualitative
and quantitative loss of habitat at different spatial scales affects functional
moth diversity. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, online first: https://doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2021.637371
