Stony littoral
Maike Sabel studies the dynamics and interactions of fish and macrophyte communities using long-term data and stable isotope signatures. Focus of her study is the influence of oligotrophication and maacrozoobenthos invasions on dynamics and interactions.
Macrophyte beds
Our work in macrophyte beds is centered around the key species at the different trophic levels: the pond weed Potamegteon perfoliatus, which builds large, but distinct patches in Lake Constance. the herbivorous moth Acentria ephemerella, which exerts strong grazing pressure on Potamogeton (Miler & Straile 2010) , and which in turn is contolled by the predation of sticklebacks (Miler et al. 2008). We use field studies, mesocosm experiments as well simulation models to study the dynamics, interactions and life history traits of these players (see below).
Acentria is a wing-dimorphic moth, with males developping full wings and emerging from the water column after eclosion, whereas the majority of females develops only rudimentary wing and stays in the water. Mating ocuurs at the water surface, after which oviposition starts immediately (see video below by Stefanie Eschenbächer & Martin Mörtl).
The ecology of Acentria was studied in the field (Miler et al. 2014) and in mesocosm experiments (Miler et al. 2008, Miler & Straile 2010). Experiments revealed the strong grazing pressure of moth larvae on Potatogeton (Miler & Straile 2010) as well as that stickleback predation can shift the pupal sex ratio of Acentria strongly towards male dominance (Miler et al. 2008). Strong male dominance was also observed in the field (Miler et al. 2008, Miler et al. 2014).