Assistant Professor in Spatial Analysis and Ecological Modelling

University of Canberra ACT 2601 Australia Building 3, Room B20 - [Campus Map] Phone: (02) 6201 3804 Fax:     (02) 6201 2328 email: firstname.lastname@canberra.edu.au

Education

Diploma, Biology, University of Nuremberg-Erlangen, 1996
First State Exam, Zoology and Botany, University of Nuremberg-Erlangen 1997
PhD, Ecology, University of Leipzig, 2002

Research and Professional Interests

As a member of the Institute for Applied Ecology Bernd Gruber has a special interest in spatial analysis of ecological data. He is puzzled by the fact that we are still not really able to predict spatial-temporal dynamics of animal species with accuracy, though the amount of knowledge we have gathered on species has multiplied. A likely key to find a solution for this problem is the development of robust analytical, statistical and simulation models that incorporate the important processes that governs population dynamics of species. Bernd develops on the one hand methods to analyse ecological data to feed such models on the other hand he is involved in the development on the theory of reserve site selection that deals with the problem how to identify suitable reserve sites to protect threatened species.

Models themselves are rarely sufficient to answer all relevant questions necessary to protect threatened species or important ecological processes. It is necessary for most problems dealing with threatened species or threatened ecosystem services (e.g. pollination, biocontrol) to interpret the outcome in such a way that it can be handled by stakeholders, decision makers and politicians. Therefore Bernd concentrates some of his research interest towards conservation and the science-policy interface using GIS techniques to inform people interested in species conservation.

Dealing with lots of different types of ecological data (genetic, physiological, environmental, count and spatial data on species) Bernd applies many ecological methods using a broad variety of software. He is a fan of using the statistical software package R in combination with GIS software packages (ARCGIS). Here he has developed several new methods to analyse ecological data.

Teaching Interests

Bernd supervises or co-supervises students working on modelling the spatial-temporal dynamics of species, population genetics and the ecology of geckos in Europe and Australia. His teaching responsibilities at undergraduate levels are ecology and geographic information systems (GIS) and ecological statistics and methodologies.

Recent Publications

Schüttler, E., Ibarra, J.T., Gruber, B., Rozzi, R., Jax, K. (2010). Abundance and habitat preferences of the southernmost population of mink: implications for managing a recent island invasion. Biodiversity and Conservation 19:725-743. DOI 10.1007/s10531-009-9730-3

Dormann, C.F., Gruber, B., Winter, M., Hermann, D. (2009). Evolution of climate niches in European mammals. Biology Letters.  DOI: doi:10.1098/rsbl.2009.0688

Gruber, B. (2009). Book Review: Mixed Effect Models and Extensions in Ecology with R. Authors: A.F. Zuur,E.N.Ieno,N.J.Walker,A.A.Saveliev,G.M. Smith. Basic and Applied Ecology: 10, 524pp. DOI: 10.1016/j.baae.2009.06.001

Schmeller D.S., Henry P.-Y., Julliard R., Clobert J., Gruber B., Dziock F., Lengyel S., Nowicki P., Déri E., Budrys E., Kull T., Tali K., Bauch B., Settele J., van Swaay C., Kobler A., Babij V., Papastergiadou E. & Henle K. (2009). Advantages of volunteer-based biodiversity monitoring in Europe. Conservation Biology 23:307-316.  DOI:10.1111/j.1523-1739.2008.01125.x. Highlighted in Nature 459, 619 (4 June 2009),  doi:10.1038/459619e

Dormann, C.F., Fründ, J., Blüthgen, N. & Gruber B. (2009). Indices, graphs and null models: analyzing bipartite ecological networks. Open Journal of Ecology 2:7 -24

Henry P.-Y., Lengyel S., Nowicki P., Julliard R., Clobert J., Celik T., Gruber B., Schmeller D.S., Babij V. & Henle K. (2008) Integrating ongoing biodiversity monitoring: potential benefits and methods. Biodiversity and Conservation 17:3357 - 3382.  DOI 10.1007/s10531-008-9417-1

Schmeller D.S. , Gruber B., Bauch B., Lanno K., Budrys E., Babij V., Jukaitis R., Sammul M., Varga Z. & Henle K. (2008): Determination of national conservation responsibilities for species conservation in regions with multiple political jurisdictions. Biodiversity and Conservation 17:3607 - 3622.  DOI 10.1007/s10531-008-9439-8

Wanger, T.C., Motzke, I.,Furrer, S.C., Brook, B.W. & Gruber, B. (2008). How to monitor elusive lizards - comparison of capture-recapture methods on giant day geckos (Gekkonidae, Phelsuma madagascariensis grandis) in the Masoala rainforest exhibit, Zurich Zoo. Ecological Research DOI 10.1007/s11284-008-0511-3

Schmeller, D.S., Gruber, B., Budrys, E., Framstadt, E., Lengyel, S., Henle, K. (2008) National responsibilities in European species conservation: a methodological review. Conservation Biology 22:593-601. doi:10.1111/j.1523-1739.2008.00961.x

Gruber, B. & HENLE, K. (2008). To stay or to go? The effect of movement on survival in a structured population of the arboreal gecko Gehyra variegata. Oecologia 154:679-690. DOI:10.1007/s00442-007-0866-0

Gruber, B., Reineking, B., Calabrese, J.M, Kranz, A., Poledníková K., Polenik, L., Klenke, R., Valentin, A. & Henle, K. (2008). A new method for estimating visitation rates of cryptic animals via repeated surveys of indirect signs. Journal of Applied Ecology 45:728–735. DOI:10.1111/j.1365-2664.2007.01406.x.

LAMPA, S., Gruber, B., Henle, K., Hoehn, M. (2007): An optimisation approach to increase DNA amplification success of otter faeces. Conservation Genetics,  DOI 10.1007/s10592-007-9328-9

Schwerdtner, K. & Gruber, B. (2007). A conceptual framework for damage compensation schemes. Biological Conservation: 134:354-360.

Jaeger, J., Bowman, J.,Brennan, J., Fahrig, L., Bert, D., Bouchard, J., Charbonneau, N.,Frank, K., Gruber, B. & Tluk von Toschanowitz, K. (2005). Predicting when animal populations are at risk from roads: an interactive model of road avoidance behavior. Ecological Modelling 185:329-348.

Gruber, B. & Henle, K. (2004). Linking habitat structure and orientation in an arboreal species Gehyra variegata (GEKKONIDAE). Oikos 107:406-414.