Research that is rethinking gardens

At the heart of Prof. Klaus Birkhofer’s research lies an often underestimated insight: gardens are highly complex ecosystems. At the BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg, on the chair of Ecology, he is investigating how biodiversity develops in urban and rural green spaces and what role predatory arthropods, in particular spiders, play in this process.

His research shows that even small habitats can have a significant ecological impact. Spiders play a key role in this because they naturally control insect populations. In doing so, they not only contribute to the stability of ecosystems, but also serve as important indicators of environmental change. His work focuses on the question of how communities function and how human-shaped spaces can be designed in a way that is conducive to biodiversity.

This research is brought to life particularly vividly through lectures in which scientific findings are linked to everyday examples. This is also the case in the lecture ‘Spiders: the fascinating life hanging by a thread’, in which common prejudices about spiders are challenged and replaced with facts. From the impressive jumping abilities of small jumping spiders to the extraordinary stability of spider silk, it becomes clear that these creatures are far more than mere sources of disgust or fear.

The public highlight of this outreach work is the 34th Cottbus Environment Week, themed “Garden Heroes and Spiny Friends”. Here, Prof. Birkhofer places his research in a social context – as an invitation to see gardens in a new light: not merely as manicured backdrops, but as living habitats worthy of protection.

Contact

Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Klaus Birkhofer

Kristin Ebert
T +49 (0) 355 69-2115
kristin.ebert(at)b-tu.de
Key species in hiding: Prof. Klaus Birkhofer’s research highlights the vital role spiders play in maintaining stable and species-rich habitats. (Photo: Klaus Birkhofer)
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