1979: Abitur, Maximilian Kolbe Gymnasium, Cologne
1986: Diplom in Geography/Landscape Ecology (minor subjects: Geology/Geobotany), University of Münster
1992: PhD in Geography / Westphalian Wilhelms University of Münster
2001: Habilitation in Biology / University of Hanover

1987–1989: Research trainee at the Geographical Commission / Regional Association of Westphalia-Lippe
1989–1991: Research assistant at the Institute of Geobotany / University of Hanover
1991–1994: Postdoctoral researcher at the Lower Saxony Institute for Historical Coastal Research / Wilhelmshaven
1994–1999: Research assistant at the Lower Saxony State Office for Soil Research, Hanover
1999–2003: Research assistant at the Institute of Geobotany, University of Hanover
2003–2004: Acting Professor of Landscape Ecology at the University of Rostock
2004–2007: Head of the ICBM Marine Station, Wilhelmshaven
2008–present: Head of the Geoecology Research Group at ICBM-Terramare, Wilhelmshaven
2010: Visiting Professor at the University of Palermo, Sicily, Italy – Dipartimento di Scienze Botaniche