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Joshua Emil Spitz
About
My DFG-funded PhD research at MultiTroph, supervised by Dr. Michael Staab and Prof. Dr. Heike Feldhaar, centers on diversity and ecological functions of ants within a tree diversity experiment at BEF-China.
I have a broad interest in ant taxonomy and ant-plant interactions, from the molecular to the ecosystem level. It fascinates me how the life histories of ants and plants run parallel and influence each other at different stages and in many ways.
In my research, I am investigating how tree diversity, mediated by ant community, may influence ecosystem functioning. Thereby I am using integrative taxonomy as an important tool to explain the impact of shifts in ant community.
As a Chinese son-in-law I am familiar with both cultures. In my free time, I love to dive into Chinese language, culture, and history.
Education:
MS (2022), Technical University of Munich, Germany
BS (2019), University of Freiburg, Germany
Contact
B1|01, Room 256
Joshua E. Spitz
MultiTroph
Fachbereich Biologie
Technische Universität Darmstadt
Schnittspahnstr. 3
64287 Darmstadt
Germany
Fieldwork at BEF-China
Thanks to the help of local workers, colleagues from MultiTroph, and students from Jingdezhen University, we can look back to a successful 2023 field season at BEF-China.
Currently, preparations are being met for our second field season, which I am particularly looking forward to. For the first time, a student from Germany will join our efforts in pursuit of her master's thesis.
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