Dr. Jens Riede

Research Interests



So far, most empirical studies have addressed either food-web structure
or body-size patterns (e.g. abundance-body mass relationships) of
natural communities. Only recently these two perspectives on species
communities have been merged, trying to explore a fundamental problem
in ecology: How can one estimate the impact of species loss on complex
food webs? To answer this question it is important to understand the
mechanisms and dynamics of complex food webs driven by body mass,
predator-prey interactions, feeding behavior and ecosystem type.

My research is based on the question, how complex interrelationships between species influence mechanisms (top down pressure, bottom up effects) in natural ecosystems.


A task in modern ecology is to understand how the loss of species causes secondary extinctions.
During my Phd thesis I compiled a large database with highly resolved published food webs.


These data are used to analyse the food webs concerning topological traits like linkedness or connectance. Furthermore, I used a size-based population model to predict the consequences of species extinctions in complex food webs across different ecosystem types.



Publications:



Peer-reviewed articles:

2011
Curtsdotter, A., Binzer A., Brose, U., de Castro, F., Ebenman, B., Eklöf, A., Riede, J.O., Thierry, A., Rall B.C. (accepted): Robustness to secondary extinctions: Comparing deletions in static and dynamic food webs. Basic and Applied Ecology

Riede, J.O., Binzer, A., Brose, U., de Castro, F., Curtsdotter, A., Rall, B.C., Eklöf, A. (accepted): Size-based food web characteristics govern the response to species extinctions. Basic and Applied Ecology

Binzer, A., Brose, U., Curtsdotter, A., Eklöf, A., Rall, B.C., Riede, J.O., de Castro, F. (accepted): The susceptibility of species to extinctions in model communities. Basic and Applied Ecology

Jacob, U. et al.: The role of body size in complex food webs: A cold case. Advances in Ecological Research, 45: 181-223

Layer, K., Hildrew, A.G., Jenkins, G.B., Riede, J.O., Rossiter, S.J., Townsend, C.R., Woodward, G. (2011): Chapter two - Long-term dynamics of a well-characterised food web: Four decades of acidification and recovery in the broadstone stream model system. Advances in Ecological Research, 44: 69 - 117

Riede J.O., Brose, U., Ebenman, B., Jacob, U., Thompson, R., Townsend, C.R., Jonsson, T.: Stepping in Elton's footprints: a general scaling model for body masses and trophic levels across ecosystems, Ecology Letters, 14(2):169-178

Digel, C., Riede, J.O.,Brose, U.: Allometric degree distributions across natural food webs, Oikos, 120(4): 503-509

Petchey O.L., Beckerman A.P., Riede J.O., Warren P.H.: Fit, efficiency, and biology: some thoughts on judging food web models, Journal of Theoretical Biologie, 279(1):169-71


2010

Riede J.O., Rall, B.C., Banasek-Richter,C., Navarrete, S.A., Wieters, E.A., Emmerson, M.C., Jacob, U., Brose, U.: Scaling of food web properties with diversity and complexity across ecosystems, Advances in Ecological Research 42: 139 - 170

Layer, K., Riede J.O., Hildrew, A.G., Woodward, G.: Food web structure and stability in 20 streams across a wide ph-gradient, Advances in Ecological Research 42: 265-299


2008

Petchey, O.L., Beckerman, A.P., Riede J.O., Warren, P.: Size, foraging and food web structure, Procedings of the national academy of sciences of the United States of America (105) : 4191-4196



Conference contributions

Riede, J.O, Brose, U. (2011): Stepping in Eltons footprints: a general scaling model for body masses and trophic levels across ecosystems,
Oral presentation at the 96th ESA Annual Meeting in Austin(TX)

Riede, J.O. (2011): Dawn of death: species and food web extinction risk, Poster presentation at the International Scientific Conference: Functions and Services of Biodiversity, University of Göttingen

Riede, J.O., Brose, U. (2010): Allometric scaling relationships across food webs in different ecosystems, Oral presentation at the British Ecological Society Annual Meeting 2010, Leeds University

Riede, J.O., Brose, U. (2010): Body mass and network structure drive food-web robustness against species loss, Oral presentation at the GfÖ Annual Meeting 2010, Giessen University

Riede, J.O., Jonsson, T., Jacob, U., Brose, U. (2008): Trophic level scaling of predator-prey body-mass relationships, Poster presentation at the British Ecological Society Annual Meeting 2008, Imperial College London

Thesis

Riede, J.O. (2007): The effect if species' body-masses on food web stability, Diploma Thesis, Darmstadt University of Technology






Grants



7/2009: DAAD fellowship at the Queen-Mary University London, visiting the working group of Dr. G. Woodward.