Research Focus

I am interested in inter- and intraspecific trait variation and their relevance for community functioning. Key aspects have been the effects of environmental fluctuation, disturbance and multiple stressors on composition, diversity and stability of plankton communities, implications of species traits and diversity for the stability of communities exposed to stress, and consequences of intraspecific trait variation for interspecific competition and predator prey relationships. Currently, I am investigating the context-dependence of symbioses and how shifts in the form of symbiosis might affect community structure. 

Keywords

Biodiversity – Trait variation – Symbiosis – Trophic Interactions – Plankton Communities

Most Recent Projects

2024 – 2028 Shifts in the form of a ciliate – microalgae symbiosis in response to altered prey densities, competitor densities and temperature. DFG funded project within the Research Unit FOR 5726 “Density dependent symbiosis in planktonic systems” (DynaSym).

2018 – 2022 The relevance of consumer competition and feeding traits, as well as their trade-offs, in determining multispecies trophic interactions. DFG funded project within the Priority Program SPP1704 “Flexibility matters: Interplay between trait diversity and ecological dynamics using aquatic communities as model systems” (DynaTrait).

Selected publications

Flöder, S., T. Klauschies, M. Klaassen, T. Stoffers, M. Lambrecht, and S. Moorthi. 2024. Competition between mixo- and heterotrophic ciliates under dynamic resource supply. Ecosphere 15: e4950.

Flöder, S., J. Yong, T. Klauschies, U. Gaedke, T. Poprick, T. Brinkhoff, and S. Moorthi. 2021. Intraspecific trait variation alters the outcome of competition in freshwater ciliates. Ecology and Evolution 11: 10225-10243.

Flöder, S., and H. Hillebrand. 2012. Species traits and species diversity affect community stability in a multiple stressor framework. Aquatic Biology 17: 197-209.

Short CV

2015 – today Postdoctoral researcher, University of Oldenburg, ICBM Whv, Germany

2010 – 2015 Educator and guide, Royal Albatross Centre in Dunedin, New Zealand

2006 – 2008 Algal ecologist, Nat. Inst. of Wat. Atmos. Res., Christchurch, New Zealand

2004 – 2006 Senior researcher, University of Cologne, Germany

2002 – 2004 Senior researcher, Kiel University, GEOMAR, Kiel, Germany

2000 – 2002 Postdoctoral fellow, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand

1999 – 2000 Postdoctoral fellow, Center for Ecological Research, Kyoto University, Japan

1998 – 1999 Research assistant, Max-Planck-Institute for Limnology, Plön, Germany

1994 – 1997 Dissertation, Max-Planck-Institute for Limnology, Plön, Germany