Scientist

Faculty of Biology
Aquatic Ecology
Universitätsstrasse 5
D-45141 Essen
Germany

Room S05T03B12
Phone: +49.201.18.33113
Fax: +49.201.18.32179
nina.kaiser.aqua@uni-due.de

Profil

I am member of the executive team of YESS (Young Ecosystem Service Specialists), which is a network of about 500 international young scientists in the field of ecosystem services. We are associated with the Ecosystem Service Partnership (ESP), a worldwide network to enhance the science, policy and practice of ecosystem services for conservation and sustainable development.

I am also involved in the Urban Algae project, an association of international doctoral students who are working on the question of what ecosystem services urban ponds provide, how they relate to their ecological status and how the public perceives them.

PhD thesis: Ecosystem services (ES) of river restorations

In the first part of my doctoral thesis, I am exploring the question of whether restoration increases ecosystem services in addition to improving biodiversity. With the help of a comprehensive literature research and a comparative study, a review paper will be prepared.

In the next part of my work I will specifically investigate how cultural ecosystem services change after restoration. For the first time, social media data will be analysed to answer this question. As this is a novel method, I will test the suitability of the method on two study areas. One study area is located in the semi-arid climate of Israel (Kishon river), the other in the humid climate of Germany (Emscher).

My doctoral thesis is embedded in the project "Optimisation of restoration for ecosystem services and biodiversity", is funded by the Bauer Foundation and is in cooperation with the University of Applied Sciences Trier/Environmental Campus Birkenfeld (Prof. Dr. Stefan Stoll).