Christine Börtitz is postdoctoral researcher of the University Flensburg. She
studied landscape ecology and nature conservation at the University of Greifswald
(Germany). She received her diploma with a thesis in the field of limnology. Her
dissertation deals with the evaluation of teaching material on biodiversity conservation. Since 2013, she has been a research assistant of the Department of Ecology and
Environmental Education at the University of Flensburg (EUF). Her research
focuses on biodiversity and education.
Department of Ecology and Environmental Education, University of Flensburg
(EUF), Flensburg, Germany
V. Ralph Clark is Director of the Afromontane Research Unit (ARU), University
of the Free State. Although the ARU is a multidisciplinary group focusing on
southern African mountains as social-ecological systems, Dr Clark’s personal
research interest is montane species diversity and endemism, particularly regarding
still poorly explored mountains in southern Africa, and the implications for biogeographical understanding and biodiversity conservation. Southern Africa is extremely
rich in mountain endemics—notably in the Grassland and Fynbos Biomes, with
tropical to alpine elements in the floras. These open-habitat montane environments
are Dr Clark’s main research focus.
Afromontane Research Unit (ARU), University of the Free State, Bloemfontein,
South Africa
Nadja El Balti is Master in Biology, recently working as member of the Department of Ecology and Environmental Education at the University of Flensburg
(EUF). She is interested in biodiversity and nature conservation, especially in
endemism of vascular plant species in heaths and shrublands of Europe. She is
updating and working on relating databases with information about endemic and
threatened plants, biological traits, and environmental conditions.
Department of Ecology and Environmental Education, University of Flensburg
(EUF), Flensburg, Germany
Andreas Fichtner is a researcher at the Leuphana University of Lüneburg. He is a
plant ecologist who focuses on forest ecology and conservation. He is interested in
exploring the effects of biodiversity loss and global environmental change on
ecosystem functioning and services to find solutions for the sustainable use and
conservation of natural resources. This entails research on biodiversity–ecosystem
functioning relationships, global change ecology, tree–tree interactions, and conservation biology.
Institute of Ecology, Leuphana University, Lüneburg, Germany
xiv
Editor and Contributors
studied landscape ecology and nature conservation at the University of Greifswald
(Germany). She received her diploma with a thesis in the field of limnology. Her
dissertation deals with the evaluation of teaching material on biodiversity conservation. Since 2013, she has been a research assistant of the Department of Ecology and
Environmental Education at the University of Flensburg (EUF). Her research
focuses on biodiversity and education.
Department of Ecology and Environmental Education, University of Flensburg
(EUF), Flensburg, Germany
V. Ralph Clark is Director of the Afromontane Research Unit (ARU), University
of the Free State. Although the ARU is a multidisciplinary group focusing on
southern African mountains as social-ecological systems, Dr Clark’s personal
research interest is montane species diversity and endemism, particularly regarding
still poorly explored mountains in southern Africa, and the implications for biogeographical understanding and biodiversity conservation. Southern Africa is extremely
rich in mountain endemics—notably in the Grassland and Fynbos Biomes, with
tropical to alpine elements in the floras. These open-habitat montane environments
are Dr Clark’s main research focus.
Afromontane Research Unit (ARU), University of the Free State, Bloemfontein,
South Africa
Nadja El Balti is Master in Biology, recently working as member of the Department of Ecology and Environmental Education at the University of Flensburg
(EUF). She is interested in biodiversity and nature conservation, especially in
endemism of vascular plant species in heaths and shrublands of Europe. She is
updating and working on relating databases with information about endemic and
threatened plants, biological traits, and environmental conditions.
Department of Ecology and Environmental Education, University of Flensburg
(EUF), Flensburg, Germany
Andreas Fichtner is a researcher at the Leuphana University of Lüneburg. He is a
plant ecologist who focuses on forest ecology and conservation. He is interested in
exploring the effects of biodiversity loss and global environmental change on
ecosystem functioning and services to find solutions for the sustainable use and
conservation of natural resources. This entails research on biodiversity–ecosystem
functioning relationships, global change ecology, tree–tree interactions, and conservation biology.
Institute of Ecology, Leuphana University, Lüneburg, Germany
xiv
Editor and Contributors