Dr. Hubert Höfer
Certified biologist
Head of the Department Zoology and Curator of Invertebratesat the State Museum of Natural History Karlsruhe , Germany (SMNK)
State Museum of Natural History Karlsruhe
76133 Karlsruhe
Erbprinzenstr. 13
76133 Karlsruhe
Erbprinzenstr. 13
Tel.: ++49-(0)721-175-2826
Mail: hubert.hoefer@smnk.de
Born 1959 in Germany
Study of Biology at University of Ulm ( Germany ), Diploma in 1986
Ph.D. at University of Ulm , 1991 “Ecology of the spider community in a central Amazonian blackwater inundation forest”
Responsabilities at the Museum
Management and Administration of the zoological department, including until recently the “Vivarium” show of life animals in aquaria, terraria and paludaria- Organization of the scientific collections of vertebrates (mounted skeletons and skins, skulls, specimens preserved in alcohol) and invertebrates (mainly alcohol material)
- Curator of the scientific collections of arachnids and other invertebrates
- Coordination of research in the department and of large research projects
- Participating in the organisation of public expositions at the museum
- Offering information and education services to the public and to other institutions
Actual work
Final evaluation of the zoological study “Impact of different grazing regimes on the species richness and assemblage structures of spiders and carabids at an alpine pasture “Alpe Einödsberg” (2003 – 2008)
Direction of the Brazilian-German research project SOLOBIOMA II “Soil biota and biogeochemistry in Southern Atlantic rainforests of Brazil - Assessment of the ecosystem quality of secondary forests and their potential for biodiversity conservation”
Research capacity, publications (see list) and further interests
Community Ecology, Ecology and Natural History of arthropods in temperate and tropical ecosystems: spiders, scorpions, army ants, beetles
Taxonomy of South American Spiders: Ctenidae, Gnaphosidae, Oonopidae, Pisauridae
Faunistics and ecology of spiders in southern Germany, including the Alp
Soil Zoology and Ecology: decomposition and nutrient cycling in natural and agricultural ecosystems, litter quality and soil organic matter building
Use of soil biota as indicators for habitat conditions and human impact, Development of a Biological Classification System based on the (co-)occurrence of species/guilds of selected arthropod groups in dependence of basic ecosystem variables (soil and vegetation type, pH, litter quantity, temperature, shading ...)
Research activities in Brazil since 1987
1987 to 1989 doctoral scholarship from the German Max-Planck-Society, including 15 months of field work for the thesis in Manaus , Amazonia , Brazil with the working group “Tropical Ecology” of the Max-Planck-Institute for Limnology ( Plön , Germany )
1990 – 1991 volunteer position in the working group “Tropical Ecology” of the zoological department at SMNK
1991 - 1996 research on taxonomy and ecology of spiders in Amazonian terra firme forests, on a researcher position at SMNK, funded by the German Science foundation (DFG) within the program "Mechanisms maintaining high diversity in the Tropics”, several months of field work near Manaus and several field trips to other regions in Brazil and Bolivia
1996 - 1999 research and coordination of the project: “Soil fauna and litter decomposition in primary and secondary forests and in a mixed culture system in Amazonia” on a researcher position at the University of Göttingen, funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and the Brazilian National Council of Research (CNPq) within the Brazilian-German SHIFT-program
2000 - 2001 position of a senior scientist at Center for Development Research of the University of Bonn to coordinate the SHIFT project: “Management of plant residues and its effects on decomposition and soil macrofauna in central Amazonian agroecosystems” and design and install two large field experiments with legume mulch treatments in a degraded coconut-cupuaçu plantation.
Since March 2001 employee and head of the zoological department at the State Museum of Natural History Karlsruhe (SMNK) and project director of the above project until its termination in 2003
Since 2002 directing the project SOLOBIOMA “Soil biota and biogeochemistry in the Atlantic rainforest of Brazil - Evaluation of diversity and soil function under anthropogenic influence”, which is part of the Brazilian German research program “Science and Technology for the Mata Atlântica”
Since 2006 directing the follow-up project SOLOBIOMA II “Soil biota and biogeochemistry in Southern Atlantic rainforests of Brazil - Assessment of the ecosystem quality of secondary forests and their potential for biodiversity conservation”
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