Dr. Silke Bauer

My core research interests are long-distance movements and the manifold consequences these may have for resident communities and ecosystems. Animal migrations span the globe, involving trillions of individuals from a wide range of taxa that transport nutrients, energy, and other organisms throughout their journeys. Through a variety of transport and trophic effects, migrants can uniquely alter nutrient and energy flow, the structure and dynamics of metacommunities and represent a powerful yet underappreciated dimension of biodiversity. These transport and trophic effects also constitute a multitude of services and disservices that are relevant for human agriculture, economy, and health - with benefits or costs in the order of billions of dollars annually.

In two larger projects, I currently investigate a) aerial biodiversity - particularly birds and insects - and strive to develop a standard automated monitoring system for the airspace, and b) the role of migratory birds in the dynamics and spread of avian influenza.