Harald Beck

Harald Beck is a Professor of Biology at Towson University, part of the College of Science and Mathematics. He holds a M.S. in Zoology from the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg and a Ph.D. from the University of Miami. His research focuses on mammal-plant interactions, tropical ecology, and ecosystem engineering, particularly in the Peruvian Amazon and Maryland forests. He studies the ecological impacts of ungulates, defaunation effects, and seedling dynamics. Notable contributions include work on peccary behavior, treefall gap ecology, and microbiome analysis in canids.

Recent publications address topics like seedling mortality caused by fungal pathogens, the role of treefall gaps in biodiversity, and the microbiomes of coyotes and foxes. Beck serves as Chair of the IUCN Peccary Specialist Group and has authored textbooks on tropical ecology. His courses include Tropical Ecology and Conservation, Mammalogy, and Human Anatomy and Physiology.