Jan Christian Habel

Technische Universität München
Ecology and Ecosystemmanagement
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Jan works in different fields of conservation biology, ecology and biogeography – mainly on invertebrates (butterflies, carabids, scorpions, and others), but also vertebrates (mainly bird species). In his research studies he focuses on: North Africa as speciation centre and refugium of thermophilic species (refugia biogeography); the biological value of extant populations (relict species); biodiversity hotspots under global change, and evolution processes and the impact of recent habitat destruction of East African mountain forests (as in the Chyulu Hills, our favorite place in East Africa) and riparian gallery forests in the lowland.

Central question in his studies is how biodiversity from comunity scale, species and population level, to intraspecific level (as morphology, molecules and behaviour) are affected by past (e.g. Quaternary climatic oscillations) and recent (e.g. habitat and climate changes) environmental changes.