MONDAY, 21 FEBRUARY TUESDAY, 22 FEBRUARY WEDNESDAY, 23 FEBRUARY THURSDAY, 24 FEBRUARY Registration from 9:00 PROGRAMME OVERVIEW University Building Hauptge- 9:10 Plenary: Keynote H III 9:10 Plenary: Keynote H III 9:10 Plenary: Keynote H III bäude (Jügelhaus), 2nd floor, foyer 10:00 Parallel sessions 10:00 Parallel Sessions 10:00 Parallel Sessions H III H IV H III H IV H III H IV 11:30 Welcome coffee | 2nd 10:45 Coffee break 11:00 Coffee break floor foyer 11:00 Coffee break 11:30 Parallel Sessions 11:15 Parallel sessions 11:30 Parallel Sessions H III H IV H III 12:00 Welcome & Keynote H III H IV H IV H III 12.30 Lunch break Time to visit the Zoo 13.00 Lunch break 13.00 Lunch break 13.00 Lunch break Frankfurt, the Palmen garten, or the Sen 13:00 Press conference ckenberg Museum 14:25 Plenary: Keynote H III 14:25 Plenary: Keynote H III 14:25 Plenary: Keynote H III 14:25 Plenary: Keynote H III 15:15 Parallel sessions 15:15 Parallel Sessions 15:15 Parallel Sessions 15:15 Parallel Sessions H III H IV H III H IV H III H IV H III H IV 16:00 Coffee break 16:00 Coffee break 16:15 Coffee break 16:00 Coffee break H III H IV H III H IV 16:30 Scientific poster 15:30 Parallel Sessions cont. session | Foyer H III H IV 18:00 End of sessions 18:00 End of sessions 18:00 End of sessions 18:00 End of sessions 18:30 Welcome reception 18:30 Public talk 18:30 For gtö Hall H III at Frankfurt‘s City (in German) members only: Café 34th Assembly 19:30 Dinner & Hall „Römer“ Awards Sturm & Hall H VI Drang; Cam- pus Westend FRIDAY: 9:00 - 13:00 FOR816 Working Group Meeting | Hall H III 1 gtö STATUS AND FUTURE OF TROPICAL BIODIVERSITY Conference of the Society for Tropical Ecology Gesellschaft für Tropenökologie e.V. - gtö Goethe University 21 - 24 February 2011, Frankfurt a. M. Impressum Editors Professor Dr. Manfred Niekisch Professor Dr. Bruno Streit President of the Society for Head Department of Ecology & Tropical Ecology (gtö) Evolution, Goethe University c/o Frankfurt Zoo Biologie-Campus Bernhard-Grzimek-Allee 1 Siesmayerstrasse 70 A 60316 Frankfurt a. M. 60323 Frankfurt a. M. Germany Germany The respective authors are solely responsible for the contents of their contributions in this book. Front & back cover photos Tarsier: Stefan Merker | Frankfurt a. M.: Tanja Schäfer (©PIA Stadt Ffm) Concept & layout Sigrid Keiser & Stefanie Jung; [email protected] This book is available at www.gtoe.de. Printed on 100% recycled paper. ISBN 978-3-89973-000-5 Status and future of tropical biodiversity | Frankfurt, 21 - 24 February 2011 gtö 2 LOCAL ORGANIZERS & SPONSORING INSTITUTIONS 3 Society for Tropical Ecology Gesellschaft für Tropenökologie e.V. - gtö Photo: Manfred Niekisch The Society for Tropical Ecology - gtö Contents thanks the following institutions for their support: INTRODUCTION...................................................................................2 ▶ Local organizers & sponsoring institutions 2 ▶ Welcome by the Lord Mayor 4 ▶ Welcome by the University‘s Vice President 5 ▶ Foreword by the President of gtö 6 DETAILED SCIENTIFIC PROGRAMME............................................8 ABSTRACTS TALKS............................................................................21 ▶ Talks monday 21 ▶ Talks tuesday 43 ▶ Talks wednesday 88 ▶ Talks thursday 120 ABSTRACTS POSTERS....................................................................171 GENERAL INFORMATION..............................................................246 ▶ The conference organizers 246 ▶ Information for participants 244 ▶ Merian award 247 ▶ Participants index 251 ▶ Maps of conference venues 257 gtö Society for Tropical Ecology | Gesellschaft für Tropenökologie e.V. Status and future of tropical biodiversity | Frankfurt, 21 - 24 February 2011 gtö 4 WELCOME 5 Welcome Dear participants, dear colleagues, to all participants of the Conference of the Society for Tropical it is a great pleasure for me to welcome you to the Annual Con- Ecology - gtö to the city of Frankfurt. This conference is hosted ference of the Society for Tropical Ecology (gtö) at Goethe Univer- by the Johann Wolfgang Goethe University and brings together sity Frankfurt. The title of the Conference is “Status and Future of students and renowned scientists to share recent knowledge on Tropical Biodiversity” and promises to provide fundamental new the status and future of tropical biodiversity. Frankfurt is the most insights in crucial aspects of global biodiversity. It takes place right international city in Germany, the largest financial centre on the at the beginning of the UN Decade on Biodiversity 2011-2020, as continent, the historical city of coronations, the city of Goethe declared by the UN General Assembly on December 22, 2010. and the Frankfurt School – in brief, the smallest metropolis in We as Host University are pleased about the decision of the gtö the world. Located along the Main river, between the extensive Stadtwald, the City forest, and the Taunus mountains, Frankfurt is board to hold this 2011 annual conference here, because the a green city with a modern, highly attractive skyline. Almost one Goethe University makes a significant contribution to biodiversity in three of the people living in Frankfurt do not hold a German passport. research in Germany and world-wide. A special highlight was the No matter where visitors come from, they will always meet people in establishment of the Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (BiK-F), founded Frankfurt who speak their language and a restaurant that serves their as a cooperation centre between the University and Senckenberg in 2008 as favorite food. The open and hospitable atmosphere in Frankfurt stems part of the Hessian initiative for scientific and economic excellence (LOEWE). from its centuries-old role as a trading centre. This liberal and democratic tradition of the city may be one reason for the fact that people from very Another focus of Goethe University lies in its interdisciplinary Research Centre diverse cultures have lived here in peace with one another for a long for African Studies. It promotes interdisciplinary collaboration between the hu- time. manities and the natural sciences, develops institutional partnerships, and is engaged in knowledge transfer. Frankfurt is also home to institutions with international reputation which have a long tradition in the conservation and research of biodiversity The university adopts the issue of biodiversity not only in research, but also, worldwide, such as the Palmengarten, the Senckenberg Research together with non-university partners in the BioFrankfurt network, in educa- Institute and Museum, the University, Frankfurt Zoological Society and tional and public activities. The network brings together reputable institutions last not least Frankfurt Zoo. Frankfurt also hosts the only institute of its to further strengthen the research of global biodiversity, its protection and con- kind, the Institute for Biodiversity and Climate (BiK-F), and has the unique servation, and to increase public awareness for the importance of our biological network BioFrankfurt which is formed by a wide range of organisations richness. concerned with biodiversity and its conservation from the local to global level. So we are proud that the Society for Tropical Ecology-gtö under I express my thanks to the organization team from the group of Bruno Streit, its President Manfred Niekisch, our Zoo Director, has recently chosen which have realized this important meeting. Frankfurt as its seat and furthermore decided to hold this 2011 annual conference here. I wish you a successful conference with stimulating discussions and informative talks and I hope you will enjoy the time at Goethe University Frankfurt. I wish all participants an exciting conference and a stay with fruitful discussions in the pleasant atmosphere of the city of Frankfurt! I hope that Manfred Schubert-Zsilavecz you will have the chance to explore the variety of Frankfurt. Our visitors and Vice President Goethe University Frankfurt the people living here, coming from all over the world, have all contributed to making this city shine slightly differently from every angle, like a jewel shines slightly differently when you look at it from different sides. Petra Roth Lord Mayor of the City of Frankfurt gtö Society for Tropical Ecology | Gesellschaft für Tropenökologie e.V. Status and future of tropical biodiversity | Frankfurt, 21 - 24 February 2011 gtö 6 FOREWORD 7 Foreword Therefore, we need to strengthen also our organisation, the gtö. We need more members, we need to be active as an organisation also between our Distinguished participants, dear friends and colleagues, conferences. I’m convinced that this conference here in Frankfurt, to which I the more we study tropical biodiversity the more we discover have the pleasure and honour of welcoming you all, will be one more important how little we still know. No matter if we look at orchids in step stone towards a better understanding of the multiple aspects of tropical Panama, frogs in Madagascar, chameleons in Cameroon and diversity and towards finding solutions for their conservation. skinks in Vietnam, to mention just a few examples, there are still lots of surprises and species numbers turn out to be I would like to express the thanks of gtö and my very personal thanks to our much higher than expected. Ecological studies are revealing supporters and sponsors, to all who helped to prepare the conference, especially every day more how rich the world of biodiversity is, how my local team,