Thomas Banitz

Thomas Banitz is a Researcher in the Department of Ecological Modelling at the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) in Leipzig, Germany. His work focuses on developing computational models to study ecological systems, population dynamics, and ecosystem functions. Key research areas include grassland biodiversity responses to environmental changes, microbial ecology, and causal reasoning in social-ecological systems. He leads projects like BioDT (biodiversity digital twin) and contributed to CauSES (causation in social-ecological systems).

Education: PhD in Environmental Sciences from Universität Osnabrück (2011), Dissertation: 'Modelling bacterial growth, dispersal and biodegradation'.

Research Highlights:

• Developed individual-based models for microbial systems (e.g., McComedy tool)
• Investigated microbial interactions and ecosystem processes in disturbed environments
• Advanced causal explanation frameworks for complex systems
• Explored spatiotemporal dynamics of biodiversity under environmental stressors

Labs/Teams: Member of FORMIND vegetation model team and EcoEpi ecological epidemiology initiative. Collaborates with interdisciplinary groups on digital twins and sustainability science.