Theses at the Population Ecology Group

Ongoing PhD projects

Chongyi Jiang
Effects of species diversity on intraspecific genetic diversity in grassland plants

Suvratha Jayaprasad
Dosage compensation and sex chromosome evolution in Morabine grasshoppers.

Lilian Cabon
Ecological consequences of niche choosing and niche conformance in grasshoppers.

Xinyi Cheng
Mapping the genetic basis of green-brown polymorphism in grasshoppers.

Cosupervision

Dave Lutgen
Genomics of hybridization, speciation, and phenotypic evolution in wheatears
Supervisor: Dr. Reto Burri

Somasundar ArumugamExternal link (IMPRS)
Adaptive plasticity in specialists and generalists
Supervisor: Dr. Silke Sache

Zimai LiExternal link (IMPRS)
Immune division of labour in ants
Supervisor: Dr. Yuko Ulrich

Clara BoeningerExternal link (IMPRS)
Cost and benefits of chemical defense in an herbivorous insect
Supervisor: Dr. Franziska Beran

Completed PhD projects

Varma, M. (2024). Molecular basis of green-brown polymorphism in grasshoppers. PhD thesis, Friedrich Schiller University Jena.

Bröcher, B. (2024). Plant-consumer interactions as cause and consequence of long-term biodiversity ecosystem functioning relationships. PhD thesis, Friedrich Schiller University Jena.

Protti Sanchez, F.External link (2024). A bird’s eye view of warning signals. PhD thesis, Friedrich Schiller University Jena.

Winter Tumelero, G. (2024). Individual differences and unpredictability in escape behavior. PhD thesis, Friedrich Schiller University Jena.

Thiagaraja, D. External link (2024). A study of sight and scent: Investigating the behavioral and neuronal basis of bmodal sensory perception, learning and memory in Drosophila. PhD thesis, Friedrich Schiller University Jena.

Mahedevan, P.V.External link (2024). Exploring the olfactory neuroecology of non-model drosophilids. PhD thesis, Friedrich Schiller University Jena.

Takola, E. (2022). Scaling down the ecological niche from populations to individuals: an evidence synthesis approach. PhD thesis, Friedrich Schiller University Jena. https://www.db-thueringen.de/receive/dbt_mods_00054516External link

Adam, E. (2022). Insect olfactory learning in the context of feeding and oviposition. PhD thesis, Friedrich Schiller University Jena. https://www.db-thueringen.de/receive/dbt_mods_00053227External link

Walther, C. (2022). Fungal endophytes mediate tree-insect interactions. PhD thesis, Friedrich Schiller University Jena.

Chakrabarty, A. (2020). Genetic constraint, non-independence of traits and consequences of adaptive evolution in acridid grasshoppers. PhD thesis, Friedrich Schiller University Jena. doi: 10.22032/dbt.47981External link

Shah, A. (2020). The transcriptomic and genomic architecture of acrididae grasshoppers. PhD thesis, Friedrich Schiller University Jena. doi: 10.22032/dbt.47427External link

Valverde Monge, J.P. (2018). Phenotypic plasticity and condition-dependent trait expression in sexual ornaments and body colour in the alpine grasshopper Gomphocerus sibiricus. PhD thesis, Bielefeld University. https://pub.uni-bielefeld.de/record/2917394External link

Thesis Advisory Committes

Nhu Tran (Cologne University)
Supervisior Prof. Juliette de Meaux

Jürgen WierzExternal link (MPI Chemical Ecology, Jena)
Supervisor Prof. Martin Kaltenpoth

Lennart WinklerExternal link (Technical University Dresden)
Supervisiors Prof. Klaus Reinhardt, Dr. Tim Janicke

Margarita TakouExternal link (Cologne University)
Supervisior Prof. Juliette de Meaux
Completed 2020

Ulrich KniefExternal link (Max Planck Institute for Ornithology)
Supervisor Dr. Wolfgang Forstmeier
Completed 2016

Ongoing Master projects

Ana Garcia Leher
Plant diversity effects on spider communities under extreme weather conditions (Supervision Anne Ebeling)

Premsagar Rao
Nutrient effects on seed dispersal (Supervision Anne Ebeling)

Nathan Roussel
Effect of plant productivity, AMF association and protozoa grazers on carbon and nitrogen flow in the rhizosphere (Supervision Anne Ebeling)

Completed Master projects

Weller, L.-F. (2025). Influence of beavers on the suitability of aquatic habitats for newts. Master thesis, Friedrich Schiller University Jena.

Engl, K. (2025). Investigating within vs. among-breeding pair differences in responses to disturbance in the white-winged snowfinch (Montifingilla nivalis). Master thesis, Friedrich Schiller University Jena.

Pachmann, A. (2025). Ethogram and activity pattern of Leiolepis rubritaeniata. Master thesis, Friedrich Schiller University Jena

Pratap, N. (2024). Quantitative trait locus mapping of the green-brown color polymorphism in the grasshopper Pseudochorthippus parallelus using capture sequencing. Master thesis, Friedrich Schiller University Jena.

Wang, Q. (2024). Division of labor in colony defense among clonal raider ants. Master thesis, Friedrich Schiller University Jena.

Riede, T. (2024). Impacts of deadwood arrangement and deadwood type on ground beetle (Coleoptera: Carabidae) diversity and body traits. Master thesis, Friedrich Schiller University Jena.

Müller, M. (2023). Drivers of beetle communities in European grasslands. Master thesis, Friedrich Schiller University Jena.

Wenkebach, L. (2023). Plant diversity effects on decomposition rates in different old meadows. Master thesis, Friedrich Schiller University Jena.

Schaumann, F. (2023). Comparison of drone ecology and behavior between Apis mellifera mellifera and the hybrid Buckfast in shouthern Sweden. Master thesis, Friedrich Schiller University Jena.

Rasouli, N. (2022). The advantage of a long or a short flowering period: Linking flowering phenology, seasonal variation in flower traits and pollinator diversity and density – a contribution to the PhenObs project. Master thesis, Friedrich Schiller University Jena.

Dong, H. (2022). Seasonal plant diversity effects on soil temperature in a long-term experiment. Master thesis, Friedrich Schiller University Jena.

Lehmann, A. (2022). Standardized setup for batch-processed colour morph phenotyping in grasshoppers. Master thesis, Friedrich Schiller University Jena.

Ortega Guatame, J. M. (2022). Differential gene expression in the green-brown polymorphic club-legged grasshopper (Gomphocerus sibiricus). Master thesis, Friedrich Schiller University Jena.

Jang, C. (2021). Reduced representation sequencing for quantification of genetic diversity. Master thesis, Friedrich Schiller University Jena.

Laura Pabon-Viteri (2021). Gene tree variation in the Oenathe hispanica-complex. Master thesis, Friedrich Schiller University Jena.

Deak, L. (2021). Spatiotemporal evolution of a wheatear (Oenanthe) hybrid zone. Master thesis, Friedrich Schiller University Jena.

Klimm, F. (2020). The value of flower strips in agricultural landscapes: Effects on pollination, herbivory and decomposition. Master thesis, Friedrich Schiller University Jena.

Bröcher, M. (2020) The value of flower strips: Effects on predation networks. Master thesis, Friedrich Schiller University Jena.

Achieng Marongo, S.S. (2019) Microhabitat choice in green-brown polymorphic grasshoppers. Master thesis, Friedrich Schiller University Jena.

Franke, K. (2019) Effects of nutrient addition on herbivore performance. Master thesis, Friedrich Schiller University Jena.

Rios Villamil, A. (2018) Genetic mechanism underlying green-brown dimorphism in Gomphocerus sibiricus. Master thesis, Friedrich Schiller University Jena.

Schulze, C. (2017). Assessing a method for measuring seed dispersal along a gradient in land-use intensity. Master thesis, Friedrich Schiller University Jena.

Förster, T. (2017). Plant bottom-up effects on larval and adult beetle communities in a biodiversity experimen. Master thesis, University of Innsbruck. (Supervision Anne Ebeling)

Bellinvia, S. (2016). Inaccuracy or intended chaos? Development and condition-dependence of unpredictability in escape behaviour. Master thesis, Bielefeld University. (Supervision Holger Schielzeth)

Ongoing Bachelor projects

Jacob Seidemann
Multilaboratory experiments to asses reproducibility in behavioural experiments (Supervision Holger Schielzeth)

Completed Bachelor projects

Kühnapfel, J.M. (2024). Which factors influence the risk of receiving conspecific biting wounds in spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta). Bachelor thesis, Friedrich Schiller University Jena (Supervision Holger Schielzeth)

Eichler, J. (2023). Beobachtungen an Pseudochorthippus parallelus: Die Farbveränderungen des Integuments nach der letzten Häutung. Bachelor thesis, Friedrich Schiller University Jena (Supervision Holger Schielzeth)

Hartwig, G. (2022). Erfassung der Flora auf dem Golfplatz Münchenroda. Bachelor thesis, Friedrich Schiller University Jena (Supervision Anne Ebeling)

Pitz, M. (2021). Erfassung der Flora und Fauna auf dem Golfplatz Münchenroda – Schwerpunkt Insekten. Bachelor thesis, Friedrich Schiller University Jena (Supervision Anne Ebeling)

Hochstetter, J. (2021). Erfassung von Arthropoden im Pennickental zur Untersuchung von Habitatunterschieden und Sukzession in Wäldern. Bachelor thesis, Friedrich Schiller University Jena (Supervision Anne Ebeling)

Wisching, L. (2021). Konditionsabhängigkeit in der Vorhersehbarkeit im Fluchtverhalten von Chorthippus dorsatus. Bachelor thesis, Friedrich Schiller University Jena. (Supervision Holger Schielzeth)

Dehler, J. (2021). Aktuelle und potentielle Verbreitung von Tagfaltern auf den Grumbach-Wiesen im Biosphärenreservat Rhön. Bachelor thesis, Friedrich Schiller University Jena. (Supervision Holger Schielzeth)

Schmidt, L. (2021). Auftreten des Kuckucks Cuculus canorus in Deutschland ermittelt aus bürgerwissenschaftlich erhobenen Daten. Bachelor thesis, Friedrich Schiller University Jena. (Supervision Holger Schielzeth)

Baierl, L.F. (2021). Phänologie unterschiedlicher Farbmorphen von Feldheuschrecken in der Saaleaue bei Jena. Bachelor thesis, Friedrich Schiller University Jena. (Supervision Holger Schielzeth)

Günzl, A.S. (2020). Präferenzen der Umgebungstemperatur von Pseudochorthippus parallelus in Abhängigkeit von der Farbmorphe. Bachelor thesis, Friedrich Schiller University Jena. (Supervision Holger Schielzeth)

Heinze, P. (2018). Homochromie beim farbpolymorphen Gemeinen Grashüpfer (Pseudochorthippus parallelus) (Zetterstedt, 1821). Bachelor thesis, Friedrich Schiller University Jena. (Supervision Petra Dieker)

Liborius, S. (2017). Aufnahme von Bioturbation- Ein methodischer Vergleich. Bachelor thesis, Friedrich Schiller University Jena. (Supervision Anne Ebeling)

Reichelt, E. (2017). Beeinflusst Pflanzendiversität Heuschreckzönosen? Untersuchungen im Jena Experiment. Bachelor thesis, Friedrich Schiller University Jena. (Supervision Anne Ebeling)

van Kronenberg, P. (2016). Direct and indirect genetic effect on oviposition behaviour of Chorthippus biguttulus. Bachelor thesis, Bielefeld University. (Supervision Holger Schielzeth)

Completed habilitations

Ebeling, A. (2022). The consequences of plant species loss for aboveground arthropods and related ecosystem processes. Habilitation thesis, Friedrich Schiller University Jena.