Hi, my name is

Daniel.

I am a conservation biologist and ecological modeller.

I use computer models of ecosystems to study how modern agriculture can be made more sustainable and nature-friendly.

About Me

I am a PhD student at the German Center for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) in Leipzig. As a member of the CAP4GI project, I work together with ecologists, economists, NGOs, farmers, and policy makers to find out how the European Common Agricultural Policy can be made both more farmer-friendly and more biodiversity-friendly. My part of the project is to develop Persefone.jl, an individual-based model of animal species in agricultural landscapes, which we will use to test the biodiversity impacts of different scenarios of future agricultural development. My areas of expertise include:
  • Agroecology
  • Ornithology
  • Science-Policy Interface
  • Individual-based modelling
  • Software development (Julia, R, Python, C++, Java, Common Lisp)
  • Geographic Information Systems (QGIS)

Research interests

Biodiversity conservation in agriculture - Agroecology
I study how modern agricultural practices impact ecosystems, and want to help develop and establish practices that benefit biodiversity while being practicable for farmers. As a biologist I am particularly interested in birds, both because I enjoy watching them personally and because they are important indicator species. At the same time, I always see agriculture as a socio-ecological system, an intertwined relationship between humans and nature. This means that I find it important to regularly talk to farmers, and to consider the wider societal, economic, and ethical implications of my work.
Software engineering in ecological modelling - Modelling
For me, programming started out as a high school hobby, but is now one of my most important scientific skills. I develop individual-based models in order to inform conservation action and policy. This requires not only careful scientific working, but also best-practice software engineering in order to ensure the reliability of the results. I have learnt a lot from computer scientists and other environmental modelling disciplines, and want to use my technical expertise to help other ecological modellers build better software.
Christian ethics and biodiversity conservation - Ethics
As a Christian, I do my work as a conservation biologist because I believe we have a God-given mandate to be good stewards of creation. Conservation biology is a strongly values-driven discipline (cf. Soulé, 1985) that does not only seek to study nature, but to effect societal changes to protect it. Therefore, it is vital for every conservation biologist to think about what their values are, what these are based on, and which consequences arise from them. Additionally, we need to learn to engage with people of other world-views and value systems, especially people outside the “environmental movement”. My Christian faith provides the necessary ethical basis for my scientific work, and simultaneously offers me a bridge to communicate scientific results to audiences who may be sceptical of scientists who do not share their worldview and values.

Education

2022 - current
PhD in Conservation Biology
German Center for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig
Joint position with the Helmholtz Center for Environmental Research - UFZ, and the Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena. Topic: Simulating Biodiversity Dynamics on Farmlands to Improve Policy Investments.
2018 - 2021
Master of Science in Biology
Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg
GPA: 1.3
Thesis: Evolutionary Rescue by Introgressive Hybridisation in Zosterops
2015 - 2018
Bachelor of Science in Biology
Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg
GPA: 1.8
Thesis: Modelling Species Invasions: Factors Affecting Invasion Success
2011-2014
Gymnasium
Jack-Steinberger-Gymnasium Bad Kissingen
GPA: 1.3
2008-2011
Secondary School
Amano Christian School, Zambia

Get in Touch

If you want to talk science, drop me a line!