Land and sea use change have become one of the main drivers of species extinction and biodiversity loss (IPBES, 2019). Human activities such as urbanisation, agriculture and forestry increasingly lead to habitat fragmentation, where continuous habitat is split into a greater number of smaller patches isolated from each other. Such a patchy environment can host subpopulations (one in each patch) following some growth dynamic and connected to each other by the exchange of individuals (referred to as dispersal). In order to enhance the dispersal between patches and hopefully induce positive effects on populations, conservation programs often aim to increase the connectivity or reduce the isolation of the patches, e.g. through the construction of dispersal corridors or stepping stones. It is therefore of key interest to spatial ecology how increased dispersal (as a token of increase connectivity) affects the asymptotic total population size. My goal is to gain an improved understanding on causal relationships in spatially fragmented ecosystems by precise mathematical methods embedded in thorough biological explanations.

Beside the focus on the research itself, I want to address us - young (and female) researchers - and our scientific careers as well. We form our scientific paths by our decisions but at the same time by our worries and troubles which might accompany us – especially in gender inequalities. Experiences show that it is less common for female students to start a PhD in theoretical sciences or more so to continue as a PostDoc by their own initiative. Often, they underestimate their potential for a scientific career, even though they excel in their academic pursuits. To enhance support for young female researchers, I have taken the initiative to create EmpowerMINT at Osnabr¨uck University, a network for young female researchers in STEM fields. Though, empowerment, deling with our concerns and networking is highly important for all genders. So let’s exchange and all feel empowered for our next scientific steps!

講    者 Speaker: Carolin Grumbach (PhD Student, Institute of Mathematics / Environmental Systems Research, Osnabrück University)