Excursion EES

Dear students,

in 2026 we will offer the following destinations for the MEES.C5 excursions! If you are interested in participating, please contact the responsible persons (see below) as soon as possible (see registration deadlines).

Ecology and Diversity of Mediterranean Ecosystems (Southern France; Provence, Côte-d‘Azur)​

Christine Römermann & Markus Bernhardt-Römermann

• 21 May – 31 May 2026
• Registration deadline: 31 January 2026
• Available places: 14
• Premeeting: Tba
• Contact & registration: markus.bernhardt@uni-jena.de

Arthropods of the Mediterranean (Italy or Croatia)

Hans Pohl

• 22 May – 31 May 2026
• Registration deadline: 31 January 2026
• Available places: 12
• Contact & registration: hans.pohl@uni-jena.de

Other destinations will follow soon

Southern Alps, Northern Apennines and Apuan Alps - habitats and flora

Responsible: Dimitrij Trofimov and Jochen Müller

The Apuan Alps are located in the north-west of the province of Tuscany and border on the Tyrrhenian Sea. The mountains are characterized by high precipitation and account for about 30% of all Italian flora. Geologically, the Apuan mountain region is mainly composed of marble. The southern Alps in northern Italy consist mostly of calcareous rock formations. The excursion destination was close to the Slovenian and Austrian borders. Due to the geological conditions in both mountain regions, a rich flora occurs, including many endemic species.

The objectives of the excursion were to get to know ecological and geological aspects of the visited areas. The focus was on the knowledge of characteristic species in the two Italian mountains.

• Tusco-Emilian Apennines near Abetone (Tuscany)
• Forte dei Marmi on the Tyrrhenian Sea (Tuscany)
• Wild River Meduna near Vivaro (Friuli)
• Rocky Coast Nature Reserve near Duino (Venezia Giulia)
• Carnic Alps and Pre-Alps (Friuli)
• Apuan Alps (Northern Tuscany)

Bird migration

Responsible: Holger Schielzeth

Every year millions of migratory birds are on the move between their breeding and wintering grounds. There are few places in Europe where bird migration can be better observed than in southern Spain, where thousands of soaring birds cross the narrow strait of Gibraltar that separates Europe and Africa. We stay at an international bird observatory run by the Migres Foundation. Migres implements systematic counts of migratory raptors and scientific bird ringing programs. These programs allow insights into the ecology of bird migration and population trends of many migratory species.   

We join bird ringing sessions of passerine birds and – quite fascinatingly – black kites, count soaring birds of dozens of species and thousands of individuals, watch migratory seabirds and cetaceans. We search for owls, nightjars and bats at night and for birds and dragonflies during the day. We read a number of bird rings in the field and locate elusive chameleons in the coastal dunes. We learn about the strategies of migratory birds to cross oceans and deserts and about the challenges to bird conservation along migratory routes. A diverse program with a focus on bird migration that remains one of the most fascinating phenomena in nature.

Island Biogeography

Responsible: Ulrich Brose

In 2016 and 2018, the course has been carried out on the island Dugi Otok in Croatia. During two weeks in the field, we have been sampling the fauna (terrestrial and marine) and flora of islands of different size. Day trips with small boats were organized to travel to the islands.

The students have chosen a species group and teamed up in small groups to carry out systematic samples. Species identification is done is a laboratory room with digital microscopes. The course includes lectures and hands-on training in island biogeography, ecological field sampling designs and estimation of biodiversity, and a day trip to the National Park Kornati.

Ecology and Flora of Mediterranean ecosystems

Responsible: Christine Römermann and Markus Bernhardt-Römermann

• Camargue / Rhone estuary (conservation / rice and salt production)
• Crau (dry steppe / conservation and restoration ecology)
• Alpilles (garrigue and macchia)
• Upper Provence (dry forest / fire ecology / silviculture)
• Massif de Maures (ephemeral ponds)
• Côte d'Azur / Calanques  (coastal vegetation / viticulture)