Dr. H. (Heike) Kappes
researcher Terrestrial Zoology department, tropical snail (macro-)ecology
- Phone
- 0031-(0)71-5274761
- Room Number
- Einsteinweg 2 (Van Steenisgebow), A107
My focus is on theoretical and applied issues of biodiversity on the assemblage and species level, with a special interest in forest ecosystems (but not exclusively) and landscape ecology. My ‘pet animals’ are from the soil fauna, namely gastropods, but I also integrate other taxa into the analyses. In 2010, I received the venia legendi from the University of Cologne.
Bridging theory and practice, I am the vice-spokesperson of the mollusk mapping survey of Northrhine-Westphalia, Germany, and have amongst others coauthored the recent red data list for the Gastropoda and Bivalvia of NRW.
Research interests
Borneo land snail diversity and ecology
The NWO-funded project 'Determinants of species diversity at 14 spatial scales in tropical microsnails from endangered limestone habitats' focusses on the fascinating land snails from Sabah, Northern Borneo (please also see the homepages of Menno Schilthuizen and Thor-Seng Liew). The aim is to unravel snail-habitat relations based on quantitative sampling, and to analyze diversity patterns.
Community assembly in forest gastropods
Community assembly and biodiversity can be strongly affected by dispersal, but it may as well be driven by environmental filters or biotic interactions. Being the natural cover across large geographic areas, forest ecosystems harbor many snail species. For example, only about one quarter of the West European gastropods (basically) never occur in forested habitats. Forests thus are well suited for analyzing mechanisms of gastropod community assembly (Bsc/Msc theses available on request).
Gastropod species traits, dispersal, and spatial patterns
Snails are comparatively slow active dispersers, but they have successfully colonized the globe. A few species from the vast amount of gastropod taxa even have been identified as being invasive during the last few decades or centuries. So, what makes them successful? My recent focus is on dispersal ability, life history traits and behavioral pecularities in general, and the biology and ecology of the locally spreading Alinda biplicata in particular.
Urban snails
One of the most dramatic transformations of forest ecosystems is to urban habitats. Urban snails face many challenges, that is, selection pressures: Urban habitats also are highly fragmented and very dynamic and may affect traits such as dispersal and colonization strategies. The habitats are severely altered and degraded, and subjected to marked climatic changes such as from urban heat island formation (ongoing Msc thesis).
Seminar: Dispersal Ecology (info for students: here).
Publications
SCI journals only, sorted by research topic
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Macroecology, biodiversity and community assembly at the landscape level |
Kappes, H. & P. Haase (2012): Slow, but steady: dispersal of freshwater molluscs. – Aqu. Sci. 74: 1-14.
Kappes, H., Sundermann, A. & P. Haase (2011): Distant land use affects terrestrial and aquatic habitats of high naturalness. – Biodiv. Cons. 20: 2297-2309.
Kappes, H., Sundermann, A. & P. Haase (2010): High spatial variability biases the space-for-time approach in environmental monitoring. – Ecol. Indic. 10: 1202-1205.
Kappes, H., K. Jordaens, N. Van Houtte, F. Hendrickx, J-P. Maelfait, L. Lens, T. Backeljau (2009): A land snail's view of a fragmented landscape. – Biol. J. Linn. Soc. 98: 839-850.
Kappes, H., K. Jordaens, F. Hendrickx, J-P. Maelfait, L. Lens, T. Backeljau (2009): Response of snails and slugs to fragmentation of lowland forests in NW Germany. – Landscape Ecology 24: 685–697.
Kappes, H., J.D. Delgado, M.R. Alonso & M. Ibáñez (2009): Native and introduced gastropods in laurel forests on Tenerife, Canary Islands. Acta Oecol. 35: 581-589.
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Habitat filter approach: Forests and derived ecosystems, |
Kappes, H., A. Clausius & W. Topp (2012): Historical small scale surface structures as a model for post-mining land reclamation. – Restoration Ecol. 20: 322-330.
Topp, W., K. Thelen & H. Kappes (2010): Soil dumping techniques and afforestation drive ground-dwelling beetle assemblages in a 25 year-old open cast mining reclamation area. – Ecol. Engineering 36: 751-756.
Kappes, H., M. Jabin, J. Kulfan, P. Zach & W. Topp (2009): Spatial patterns of litter-dwelling taxa in relation to the amounts of coarse woody debris in European temperate deciduous forests. – Forest Ecol. Manage. 257: 1255-1260.
Topp, W., Kappes, H., Rogers, F. (2008): Response of litter-dwelling beetle (Coleoptera) assemblages to giant knotweed (Reynoutria spp.) invasion. – Biol. Invasions 10: 381-390.
Kappes, H., C. Catalano & W. Topp (2007): Coarse woody debris ameliorates chemical and biotic soil parameters of acidified broad-leaved forests. – Appl. Soil Ecol. 36: 190-198.
Kappes, H., R. Lay & W. Topp (2007): Changes in different trophic levels of litter-dwelling macrofauna associated with giant knotweed invasion. – Ecosystems 10: 734-744.
Schlender, M., A. Skibbe, H. Kappes & W. Topp (2007): Complex responses of songbirds to soil acidification of managed beech forests in Central Europe. – Ecosystems 10: 579-587.
Kappes, H. (2006): Relations between forest management and slug assemblages (Gastropoda) of deciduous regrowth forests. – Forest Ecol. Manage. 237: 450-457.
Kappes, H., W. Topp, P. Zach & J. Kulfan (2006): Coarse woody debris, soil properties, and snails (Mollusca: Gastropoda) in European primeval forests of different climates. – Eur. J. Soil Biol. 42: 139-146.
Topp, W., H. Kappes, J. Kulfan & P. Zach (2006): Distribution pattern of woodlice (Isopoda) and millipedes (Diplopoda) in four primeval forests of the Western Carpathians (Central Slovacia). – Soil Biol. Biochem. 38: 43-50.
Topp, W., H. Kappes, J. Kulfan & P. Zach (2006): Litter-dwelling beetles in primeval forests of Central Europe: does deadwood matter? – J. Insect Cons. 10: 229-239.
Kappes, H. (2005): Influence of coarse woody debris on the gastropod community (Mollusca: Gastropoda) in a managed calcareous beech forest in Western Europe. - J. Moll. Stud. 71: 85-91.
Kappes, H. & W. Topp (2004): Coleoptera from deadwood in a managed broadleaved forest in Central Europe. – Biodiv. Conserv. 13: 1905-1924.
Jabin, M., D. Mohr, H. Kappes & W. Topp (2004): Influence of deadwood on soil macro-arthropods in an oak-beech forest. – Forest Ecol. Manage. 194: 61-69.
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Species assortment approach: |
Kappes, H., S. Stoll & P. Haase (2012): Differences in field behavior between native gastropods and the fast-spreading invader Arion lusitanicus auct. non MABILLE. – Belg. J. Zool. 142: 49-58.
Kappes, H. & U. Sinsch (2005): Species- and clone-specific responses to environmental stimuli in the cladocerans Bosmina cornuta and B. pellucida - a comparison with Daphnia. – Marine Freshw. Behav. Physiol. 38: 199-208.
Kappes, H. & U. Sinsch (2005): Tolerance of Ceriodaphnia quadrangula and Diaphanosoma brachyurum to experimental soft water acidification. – Hydrobiologia 534: 109-115.
Kappes, H. & U. Sinsch (2002): Morphological variation in Bosmina longirostris (O.F. Müller, 1785) (Crustacea: Cladocera): Consequence of cyclomorphosis or indication of cryptic species? – J. Zool. Syst. Evol. Research 40: 113-122.
Kappes, H. & U. Sinsch (2002): Temperature- and predator-induced phenotypic plasticity in Bosmina cornuta and B. pellucida (Crustacea: Cladocera). – Freshw. Biol. 47: 1944-1955.
Kappes, H., C. Mechenich & U. Sinsch (2000): Long-term dynamics of Asplanchna priodonta in Lake Windsborn with comments on the diet. – Hydrobiologia 432: 91-100.
Neumann, D. & H. Kappes (2003): On the growth of bivalve gills initiated from a lobule-producing budding zone. – Biol. Bull. 205: 73-82.
Wednesday, May 16, 2012