Michael Staab

Dr. Michael Staab is a Professor for Animal Ecology and Trophic Interactions at Leuphana University Lüneburg since 2025. Previously, he served as a Postdoc at TU Darmstadt (2020-2025) and as a Lecturer/Postdoc (equivalent to Assistant Professor) at the University of Freiburg (2014-2020), where he also held a Junior Fellow position at FRIAS (2017-2018). His research spans Biodiversity Exploratories, BEF-China, and the MultiTroph DFG Research Unit, focusing on insect-plant interactions, community ecology, and land-use impacts on forest and grassland ecosystems.

His academic journey includes a summa cum laude PhD (Leuphana University Lüneburg, 2011-2014) and a Diploma in Biology (University of Würzburg, 2005-2010) with distinction. He has contributed to 53+ journals as a reviewer and served on editorial boards for Biotropica and Zoological Systematics.

Research Trends from his 15 most recent articles highlight:

• Systematic analysis of insect decline in forests using long-term biodiversity monitoring
• Development of novel indices like ForMIX for quantifying land-use intensity
• Investigation of urbanization effects on nocturnal arthropods
• Advances in automated insect monitoring via Raspberry Pi-based camera systems
• Multi-trophic responses to forest gap creation and deadwood management

Scientific Awards:

• Earned summa cum laude and Junior Fellow recognition
• Featured in Top 10 New Species 2015
• Media coverage in National Geographic, Daily Mail, and ZDF documentaries

Advising & Grants:

• Mentoring students like Katharina Wittmann (camera system development) and Joshua Spitz (MultiTroph project)
• Secured DFG funding for MultiTroph research unit
• Contributed to BEF-China and Biodiversity Exploratories infrastructure programs