Mr Thomas Wanger

Biography/ Background

Please note: I have a new website at http://thomaswanger.weebly.com

This site will no longer be updated!!!

 

BACKGROUND

I am finishing my PhD student at the Environment Insitute on land-use change, ecosystem services and tropical biodiversity, using Southeast Asian amphibians and reptiles as a case study. In 2011, I will start a PostDoc at Stanford University, US and University of Lüneburg, Germany in collaboration with various institutions (National University of Singapore, University of Göttingen, (GER), TNC Indonesia).

..and what happened so far?

After travelling West Africa on a shoestring and conducting my first project on amphibians and reptiles in Gambia (Wanger 2005 Salamandra), I was infected by the fascination for tropical biodiversity, its interactions, wild places, and the people! While studying in Tuebingen (Germany: from 2002 - 2007), I returned several times to the tropics. To the ones in Switzerland (the amazing rainforest exhibit of Zurich Zoo), working on methodological comparisons (Wanger et al. 2009 EcolRes) and the Southeast Asian tropics. And I got stuck there!

First I could enjoy a totally different lifestyle in Negara Brunei Darussalam while working on a totally different way of communication (leg weaving in addition to calling) in Rock Skipper frogs (Grafe and Wanger 2007 Ethology). I then went to Australia for my diploma thesis with Profs Mats Olsson and Nico Michiels (Tuebingen). In collaboration with a number of scientists I investigated the role of reactive oxygen species as drivers in lizard life-history trade-off evolution (Olsson et al. 2008 BiolLett). Back in Southeast Asian - Cambodia this time - I made my first contact with a different trade off: forest resource use of rural communities vs. biodiversity conservation in a biodiversity hotspot (Motzke et al. subm.). I learned how community education could make a difference there. After an eco-toxicological project in the Philippines, I went back to Southeast Asia – Sulawesi (Indonesia) this time – as a visiting scientist of Prof Teja Tscharntke’s group (University of Goettingen, Germany).

And all of a sudden this opportunity came up: to do a PhD on amphibians and reptiles in Sulawesi (Indonesia), to be based in Australia, and include two things that are important to me: The conservation of tropical biodiversity that is severely threatened from habitat loss and climate change (Wanger et al. 2009; Wanger et al. subm.), and fascinating species interactions between toads and mosquitoes. The PhD is supervised by Profs Barry Brook, Navjot Sodhi (National University of Singapore), and Teja Tscharntke (University of Goettingen, Germany). Funding is provided through an Endeavour International Postgraduate Research Scholarship, a University of Adelaide Scholarship, the German Science Foundation (through SFB 552 STORMA), and the University of Goettingen, Germany.

 

Qualifications

2003 - 2007	Diploma Biology (equivalent to a combined BSc & MSc Hons (1st class)), University of Tuebingen, Germany
2002 - 2007	Fulfillment of all requirements for Diploma Geo-Ecology (equivalent to a combined BSc & MSc Hons), University of Tuebingen, Germany
Febr 2008 - Dec. 2010	PhD candidate, University of Adelaide, Australia; Visiting scientist University of Göttingen, Germany

Professional Activities

Manuscript Reviewer for American Naturalist, Biological Conservation, Biotropica, Oryx, Basic and Applied Ecology, Biodiversity and Conservation, Amphibia-Reptilia

 

Teaching Interests

 STUDENTS

2010 - Kevin Darras (MSc student - ecosystem functions of mammals)

2009 - Iris Motzke (Dipl. Biol - Internship) - Toad-Mosquito interactions under global change

2008 - Iris Motzke (Dipl. Biol - Internship) - Herpetological diversity changes across a land-use gradient

2008 - Akbar Saro (BSc student - Universitas Tadulako, Sulawesi Tengah, Indonesia) - Functions of tropical amphibians and reptiles in ecosystems

 USEFUL LINKS

Scott Keogh's (ANU) student resources - one (if not the best) advice/resource site for students I came across. Find information of how to be a good/bad grad student, how to write grants, writing style .. awsome!!

Useful Link compilation (Evolutionary Ecology, University of Tübingen, Germany) - Think of helpful things in the web, it's all there.  Nico Michiels et al. made a great effort to compile this useful site!!

 

Publications

PUBLICATIONS

I have published 18 papers (11 senior authored).

(some pdf's at the bottom of page; For submitted MS and papers in preparation see bottom of the publication section)

 

2011

T.C. Wanger (accepted): The Lithium future - resources, recycling and the environment. Conservation Letters

Scheffers, B., Wanger, T.C. (in press) Plastic: matching material with usage. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment

T. Tscharntke, Clough Y, Bhagwat S, Buchori D, Faust H, Hertel D, Hölscher D, Juhrbandt J, Kessler M, Perfecto I, Scherber C, Schroth G, Veldkamp E, Wanger TC (in press) Ecological principles of multifunctional shade-tree management in cacao agroforestry landscapes. Journal of Applied Ecology.

T.C. Wanger, Wielgoss, A.C., Motzke, I., Clough, Y., Brook, B.W., Sodhi, N.S., Tscharntke, T. (2011): Endemic predators, invasive prey, and native diversity. Proceedings of the Royal Society - B. doi:10.1098/rspb.2010.1512

T.C. Wanger, Motzke, I., Shahabuddin, S., Iskandar, D.T. (in press): Amphibians and reptiles of Lore Lindu National Park, Sulawesi (Indonesia). Salamandra

2010

T.C. Wanger, Rauf, A., Schwarze, S. (2010): Pesticides and tropical biodiversity. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 4, 178-179. doi:10.1890/10.WB.015

T.C. Wanger, Iskandar, D.T., Motzke, I., Brook, B.W., Sodhi, N.S., Clough, Y., Tscharntke, T. (2010): Land-use change affects community composition and traits of tropical amphibians and reptiles in Sulawesi (Indonesia). Conservation Biology, doi:10.1111/j.1523-1739.2009.01434.x

N.S. Sodhi, Koh,L.P., Clements, R., Wanger, T.C., Hill, J.K., Hamer, K.C., Clough, Y., Tscharntke, T., Posa, M.R.C., Lee, T.M. (2010): Conserving Southeast Asian forest biodiversity in human-modified landscapes. Invited MS for Special Issue in Biological Conservation, doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2009.12.029

Y. Clough, Abrahamczyk, S., Adams, M.-O., Anshary, A., Ariyanti, N., Betz, L., Buchori, D., Cicuzza, D., Darras, K., Putra, D.D., Fiala, B., Gradstein, S.R., Kessler, M., Klein, A.-M., Pitopang, R., Sahari, B., Schulze, C.H., Shahabuddin, Sporn, S., Stenchly, K., Tjitrosoedirdjo, S.S., Wanger, T.C., Weist, M., Wielgoss, A., Tscharntke, T. (2010): Biodiversity and trophic interactions in human-dominated tropical landscapes in Sulawesi (Indonesia). p.15-75, in Environmental Series, Springer Verlag, Berlin, Germany.

 

2009

T.C. Wanger, Saro, A., Iskandar, D.T., Brook, B.W., Sodhi, N.S., Clough, Y., Tscharntke, T. (2009): Conservation value of cacao agroforestry for amphibians and reptiles in Southeast Asia: combining correlative models with follow-up field experiments. Journal of Applied Ecology. 46,823-832. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2664.2009.01663.x

T.C. WANGER, MOTZKE, I., FURRER, S.C., BROOK, B.W. & GRUBER, B. (2009): How to monitor elusive lizards: comparison of capture-recapture methods on giant day geckos ( Gekkonidae, Phelsuma madagascariensis grandis ) in the Masoala rainforest exhibit, Zurich Zoo. Ecological Research. 24(2); 345-353. doi:10.1007/s11284-008-0511-3

T.C. WANGER, MOTZKE, I., FURRER, S.C., & GRUBER, B. (2009): Spatial distribution and habitat preferences of the giant day gecko (Phelsuma madagascariensis grandis) in the Masoala rainforest exhibit, Zoo Zurich. Salamandra. 45(3); 15p., 4 Fig.

 

2008

M. OLSSON, WILSON, M., ULLER, T., MOTT, B., ISAKSSON, C., HEALEY, M. & WANGER, T.C. (2008): Free radicals run in lizard families. Biology Letters, 4(2):186-8. doi:10.1098/rsbl.2007.0611

 

2007

T.U. GRAFE & WANGER, T.C. (2007): Multimodal signaling in male and female foot-flagging frogs Staurois guttatus (Ranidae): an alerting function of calling. Ethology, 113: 772-781.

 

2006

T.C. Wanger, Motzke, I. & Rödel, M.O. (2006): Zur Entwicklung der Diversität der Herpetofauna des östlichen Landschaftsschutzgebietes Spitzberg bei Tübingen am Neckar. - Jahresheft der Gesellschaft für Naturkundliche Mitteilungen Württemberg, 162: 283-294.

T.U. Grafe, Wanger, T.C., Dehling, J.M., Proksch, S., & Braasch, T. (2006): Use of individual markings in the study of the foot-flagging frog, Staurois guttatus. Scientia Bruneiana, 7: 3-8.

 

2005

T.C. Wanger (2005): Amphibians of Kiang West National Park, The Gambia. Salamandra, 41(1/2): 27-33.

T.C. Wanger (2005): Bird watching along Badas Road. - Brunei Nature Society, 3: 2-3.

 

In revision or submitted

Y. Clough, Barkmann, J., Juhrbandt, J., Kessler, M., Wanger, T.C., et al. (in revision): Combining high biodiversity with high yields in tropical agroforests. Proceedings of the National Academy of Science USA

E. Kudavidanage, Wanger, T.C., Kotagama, S., Sodhi, N.S. (submitted): Dung removal in Sri Lanka's land-use mosaic: possible implications for tea production.

E. Kudavidanage, Wanger, T.C., de Alwis, C., Sanjeewa, S., Kotagama, S. (submitted): Effect of selective logging and anthropogenic land use on amphibians and butterfliesin Sinharaja Man and bioshpere reserve, Sri Lanka.

E. Kudavidanage, Wanger, TC (subm.) Tagging your conservation buddies on facebook.

T.C. Wanger, Brook, B.W., Bickford, D.P. (subm.). Disease infection probability and body size are the best predictors for amphibian invasion success

I. MOTZKE, GUTH, E., WANGER, T.C., BARKMANN, J. (subm.): Socio-economic context of biodiversity use and conservation along a town-forest gradient in Cambodia.

D.T. ISKANDAR, BROWN, R., WANGER, T.C. (subm.): Discovery of a Papuan frog genus Callulops (Anura, Microhylidae) in Sulawesi, Indonesia with description of a new species and comments on the status of Oreophryne zimmeri Ahl, 1933.

 

in preparation (* = Manuscript available)

*L. Traill, Wanger, TC., Brook, B.W. (in prep.): Global change affects in alpha, beta, and gamma diversity in multiple taxa - a South Australian case study..

T.C. Wanger, Traill, L.W., Brook, B.W. (in prep.): Objective Species Richness Estimator choice

D.T. Iskandar, Wanger, T.C. (in prep.): A new species of Eutropis (Scincidae) from Sulawesi, Indonesia.

 

 

C O N F E R E N C E S   &   W O R K S H O P - C o n t r i b u t i o n s

Sept 2010 - (Oral contribution) T.C. Wanger, Rauf, A. & Schwarze, S. (2010): Pesticides and tropical biodiversity. - British Ecological Society Meeting 2010, Leeds, UK.

Aug 2010 - (Invited Oral contribution) T.C. Wanger (2010): Endemic toads control invasive ants: amphibin ecosystem services in cacao agroforest. 40th International Ecological Society of Germany (GfÖ) meeting, Giessen, Germany.

July 2010 - (Invited Oral contribution) T.C. Wanger, Motzke, I. & Wielgoss A. (2010): Amphibians, reptiles and the yellow crazy ant; impact of cacao farming on diversity patterns and ecosystem functioning. - ATBC International Meeting 2010 Bali, Indonesia.

July 2010 - (Poster) I. Motzke, T.C. Wanger, Kehlenbeck, K., Tscharntke, T., & Klein, A.M. (2010): Pollination in traditional Indonesian homegardens. - ATBC International Meeting 2010 Bali, Indonesia.

October 2009 - (Booklet contribution) T.C. Wanger & Motzke, I. (2009): Why are frog, toads, lizards, and snakes good for cacao plantations? - STORMA final workshop, Palu, Indonesia

June 2009 - (Oral presentation) E. Kudavidanage, Wanger, T.C., Sodhi, N.S. (2009): Diversity patterns of amphibians and reptiles across a habitat gradient in Sri Lanka. Society for Conservation Biology, 23rd International Congress of Conservation Biology, Beijing, China.

Oct 2008 - (Poster) I. MOTZKE, GUTH, E., WANGER, T.C., BARKMANN, J. (2008): Socio-economic Conditions of Biodiversity Conservation in Central Cambodia. TropenTag, Hohenheim, Germany.

Sept 2008 - (Poster) I. MOTZKE, GUTH, E., WANGER, T.C., BARKMANN, J. (2008): Socio-economy and Biodiversity Conservation in Central Cambodia. EURECO - EEF & GfOE "Biodiversity in an Ecosystem Context", Leipzig, Germany.

Nov 2007 - "Global Change, Biodiversity and Foodweb Interactions, testing the Insurance Hypothesis" - Workshop, University of Göttingen, Germany.

April 2006 - "5th Invertebrate and lower vertebrate Taxonomic Advisory Group (TAG)" Meeting: Global Amphibian Decline: EAZA Guidelines for amphibian- and reptile keeping and breeding in zoological gardens. Zoo Zurich, Switzerland

Community Engagement

M E D I A   C O V E R A G E

Sept. 2010              Science News coverage of Endemic toads, invasive ants, native diversity article

                               Wired Science coverage of Endemic toads, invasive ants, native diversity article

09.01.2010             Interview about PhD work published (in german; Oberhessische Presse, Marburg): "Mitmenschen - Thomas Wanger ist Urwaldtieren auf der Spur"

Files

• Wanger 2005 Salamandra - Wanger_2005_Salamandra.pdf [286.7K] (application/pdf)
• Grafe and Wanger 2007 Ethology - Grafe_and_Wanger_2007_Ethology.pdf [704.6K] (application/pdf)
• Olsson et al. 2008 Biol Lett - Olson_et_al._2008_BiolLett.pdf [100.4K] (application/pdf)
• Wanger et al. 2009 Salamandra - Wanger_et_al,_2009_Salamandra.pdf [209.9K] (application/pdf)
• Wanger et al. 2009 J Appl Ecol - Wanger_et_al._2009_JApplEcol.pdf [330.1K] (application/pdf)
• Wanger et al. 2009 Ecol Res - Wanger_et_al._2009_EcolRes.pdf [329.4K] (application/pdf)
• Wanger et al. 2010 Conserv Biol - Wanger_et_al._2010_ConsBiol.pdf [225.9K] (application/pdf)
• Sodhi et al. 2010 Biol Conserv - Sodhi_et_al._2010_BiolCons.pdf [814.2K] (application/pdf)
• Wanger et al. 2010 Front Ecol Environ - Wanger_et_al._2010_FEE.pdf [113.5K] (application/pdf)
• Wanger et al. 2010 ProcB - Wanger_et_al._2010_ProcB.pdf [496.3K] (application/pdf)

Entry last updated: Friday, 22 Jul 2011