Thomas Petzoldt’s Personal Homepage

This page lists a few more details in addition to my standard homepage.

Contact

CV

  • 1983 - 1988: study of biology at Rostock University and Technische Universität Dresden
  • Diploma degree in biology (Dipl. Biol.), thesis about “Statistical data analysis and Monte Carlo simulation with an ecological lake model” (model SALMO)
  • 1988 - 1996: scientific assistant and “computer person” at the Institute of Hydrobiology
  • 1996: PhD about short-term predictability of phytoplankton blooms with different model approaches (statistical, neural networks, fuzzy logic, differential equations)
  • Since 1996: member of scientific staff at the Institute of Hydrobiology: teaching, research projects, computer network admin

Teaching

  • Ecological Statistics and Systems Analysis (in German, Master Hydrobiology, together with Dr. David Kneis, 10cp)
  • Applied Statistics (in English, Master Hydroscience and Engineering, 5cp)
  • Limnological field and lab courses about ecology of lakes and reservoirs for Bachelor Hydrosciences, Bachelor Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (MBBT), Master Hydrobiology, and Master Hydroscience and Engineering (together with other colleagues)

Research Interests

  • Process-based dynamical modeling
    • lake food webs, coupling with hydrophysical drivers
    • eutrophication control, especially role of phosphorus and nitrogen
    • effect of climate warming on aquatic systems, especially drinking water reservoirs
    • cyanobacteria and toxic metabolites
  • Data analysis and statistical modelling
    • biodiversity and ecological stability of benthic communities
    • analysis of climate trends in drinking water reservoirs
    • near-term forecasting of water quality indicators
  • Development of open source tools for an efficient implementation of ecological models

Our modelling technology depends on the question. We use differential equations and individual-based simulations but also statistical models and machine learning. The size of the models varies from very simple “toy models” up to models at the ecosystem level (e.g. coupled lake models).

Current Research Projects

Finished Projects

  • NITROLIMIT - Nitrogen limitation in freshwaters - Is nitrogen reduction ecologically meaningful and economically feasible?
    • Part: Lake Modelling - Direct and indirect effects of N-load and N-turnover on lake ecosystems
  • Collaborator of several stream ecology projects, e.g. MoBI-aqua Cross-border monitoring of biological invasions for conservation of native aquatic biodiversity
  • Development of an hydrophysical-ecological coupled reservoir model system (Joint Project GETAS)
  • Integrated management of multi-purpose drinking water reservoirs (Joint Project IntegTA)
  • International Water Alliance Saxony (IWAS), Regional Projekt Ukraine
  • Ecological role of the secondary metabolite “Microcystin”
  • Model-aided analysis of climate change impacts on planktonic food webs (part of the DFG program AQUASHIFT)
  • … see also: research pages of the limnology workgroup

Publications

See one of the following dictionaries:

Memberships

  • Member of the German Limnological Society (DGL) and of the R Foundation for Statistical Computing
  • Working group member of the German Drinking Water Reservoir Management Group (ATT)
  • Associate Editor of the “Journal of Statistical Software” (JSS)
  • Reviewer for several international limnological and ecological journals

Code

Resources for Students

2024-11-05, back to my official homepage