Dipl. Biol. Katarina Fußmann

Ongoing global warming has been documented in numerous ecosystems. Consequences of warming like habitat loss, distribution shifts and extinctions affect communities world-wide. Developing a mechanistic understanding is crucial to explain and eventually predict extinction events in the future and preserve biodiversity.


In my diploma thesis I conducted time series experiments as well as functional response experiments in a microbial predator-prey system with Tetrahymena and Pseudomonas. With the help of this fast-reproducing system I was able to deliver important data for understanding the influence of warming on population dynamics. Together with theoretical simulations this data helped explaining why warming stabilizes predator-prey oscillations but can lead to sudden predator extinction.



Bacterial prey Pseudomonas fluorescens CHA19-GFP and protozoan predator Tetrahymena pyriformis


My intentions are to extend this mechanistic understanding for multilevel food-chains. Further I will employ the model system to gain information about the combined influences of body mass, nutrient enrichment and temperature on population dynamics.
My main objective is to investigate alterations and adaptations on a morphological, metabolic, genetic and epigenetic level. To understand and predict their influence on microscopic and macroscopic ecological events, I’m performing time series as well as functional response experiments in combination with genetic and epigenetic analyses.


Talks and Publications:


Plebani, M., Fussmann, K.E., Hansen, D.M., O'Gorman, E.J., Stewart, R.I.A., Woodward, G. and Petchey, O.L. (In press): Substratum-dependent responses of ciliate assemblages to temperature: a natural experiment in Icelandic streams Freshwater Biology doi: 10.1111/fwb.12588


Fussmann, K.E., Schwarzmüller, F., Brose, U., Jousset, A., Rall, B.C.: Ecological stability in response to warming Nature Climate Change 4, 206-210 (2014)


Fussmann, K.E., Schwarzmüller, F., Brose, U., Jousset, A., Rall, B.C.: Temperature effects on protozoan predator-prey systems Oral presentation at INTECOL 2013, London, United Kingdom


Fussmann, K.E., Schwarzmüller, F., Brose, U., Jousset, A., Rall, B.C.: The paradox of warming Poster presentation at the Annual Meeting of the British Ecological Society 2012, Birmingham, United Kingdom


Fußmann, K.E., Brose, U., Jousset, A., Rall, B.C.: The paradox of warming Poster presentation at the Multitrophic Interactions Workshop 2012, Göttingen, Germany



The project receives funding from the Dorothea Schlözer Programme of Göttingen University.