Ecosystem engineering in fragmented forests [Elektronische Ressource] : edge-mediated hyper-abundance of leaf-cutting ants and resulting impacts on forest structure, microclimate and regeneration / vorgelegt von Sebastian Tobias Meyer

D 386 Ecosystem engineering in fragmented forests Edge-mediated hyper-abundance of leaf-cutting ants and resulting impacts on forest structure, microclimate and regeneration vom Fachbereich Biologie der Universität Kaiserslautern zur Verleihung des akademischen Grades „Doktor der Naturwissenschaften“ genehmigte Dissertation vorgelegt von Sebastian Tobias Meyer Betreuer der Dissertation: Prof. Dr. Burkhard Büdel / Dr. Rainer Wirth 2. Gutachter: Prof. Dr. Flavio Roces (Universität Würzburg) 3. Gutachter: Prof. Dr. Marcelo Tabarelli (Universität Recife, Brasilien) Vorsitz der Prüfungskommission: Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Helmut J. Schmidt Tag der Wissenschaftlichen Aussprache: 20. November 2008 I … answers to the key questions would come hard. Everything is complicated. Species respond to fragmentation in idiosyncratic and unexpected ways, some of the latter representing novel physical and biological phenomena. Every species, it turns out, really is connected to everything else, … Edward O. Wilson In his forword to “Lessons from Amazonia”, which synthesizes 20 years of experimental fragmentation research in the Brazilian Amazon. III Preface The book at hand is a cumulative doctoral thesis UFPE) and is coordinated by Marcelo Tabarelli.