Food Web Ecology and Fish Communities
Research group of Thomas Mehner
Lab analyses of ciscoes (Coregonus spp.) from Lake Stechlin. | Photo: David Ausserhofer
We study food webs in lotic systems with particular emphasis on the structure of their fish populations and communities. We combine research on the diversity of species, functional groups and size structure with process-oriented studies on fish behavior, biotic interactions, energy flow and transfer efficiencies. Population genetics analyses are added where needed. We contribute to the long-term monitoring program of IGB (fish communities in Lake Müggelsee and Lake Stechlin). To facilitate large-scale comparisons of fish communities in lakes, we collaborate with several European and North American working groups.
Selected publications
April 2018
Non-native fish occurrence and biomass in 1943 Western Palearctic lakes and reservoirs and their abiotic and biotic correlates
Ecosystems. - 21(2018)3, S. 395-409
December 2014
Geographical patterns in the body-size structure of European lake fish assemblages along abiotic and biotic gradients
Journal of Biogeography. - 41(2014)12, S. 2221-2233
April 2016
Density-dependent effects as a key drivers of intraspecific size structure of six abundant fish species in lake across Europe
Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences. - 73(2016)4, S. 519-534
June 2014
Whole-lake experiments reveal the fate of terrestrial particulate organic carbon in benthic food webs of shallow lakes
Ecology. - 95(2014)6, S. 1496-1505
November 2015
Weak response of animal allochthony and production to enhanced supply of terrestrial leaf litter in nutrient-rich lakes
Ecosystems. - 19(2016)2, S. 311-325