Curriculum vitae

from 04/2024 PostDoc in the Research Unit For3000 on chemodiversity of plants with Robert R. Junker, Philipps-University, Marburg.
12/2023 PhD (with distinction) in Biosciences , Deciphering Multidiversity - Multitrophic interactions underlie multidiversity patterns in a developing high alpine ecosystem.
find the thesis here
01/2024 - 10/2022 Connectivity Conservation Strategist in the Department of Biodiversity and Natural Resources, Bavarian Ministry of the Environment, Munich.
09/2022 - 04/2019 PhD-Student in the Functional Community Ecology research group of Robert. R. Junker, Paris-Lodron-University Salzburg. FWF-funded START-project Successional Generation of Functional Multidiversity
03/2019 - 08/2018 Researcher in the Terrestrial Ecology research group of Wolfgang W. Weisser at Technical University Munich. Project Animal Aided Design.
07/2018 M.Sc. (with distinction) Environmental Planning and Ecosystem Engineering; Technical University Munich.
07/2018 - 04/2015 M.Sc. Student Environmental Planning and Ecosystem Engineering; Technical University Munich, Germany. Master Thesis in the Plant Biodiversity research group of Hanno Schaefer under co-supervision of Jairo Patiño at the Island Plant Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Lab, La Laguna University, Tenerife.
03/2015 - 04/2011 B.Sc. Geography, University of Augsburg, Germany

Peer-reviewed publications

  • [11] He, X., Hanusch, M., Böll, L., Lach, A., Seifert, T., & Junker, R. R. (2024). Adding experimental precision to the realism of field observations: Plant communities structure bacterial communities in a glacier forefield. Environmental Microbiology, 26(2), e16590.
  • [10] He, X., Hanusch, M., Saueressig, L., Schriever, A., Seifert, T., Villhauer, H., ... & Junker, R. R. (2023). Tracking succession by means of 3D scans of plant communities in a glacier forefield to infer assembly processes. Oikos, e10095.
  • [9] Hanusch, M., He, X., Janssen, S., Selke, J., Trutschnig, W., & Junker, R. R. (2023). Exploring the Frequency and Distribution of Ecological Non-monotonicity in Associations among Ecosystem Constituents. Ecosystems, 1-22.
  • [8] He, X., Hanusch, M., Ruiz-Hernández, V., & Junker, R. R. (2022) Accuracy of mutual predictions of plant and microbial communities vary along a successional gradient in an alpine glacier forefield. Frontiers in Plant Science, 13, 5595.
  • [7] Hanusch, M., He, X., Ruiz-Hernández, V., & Junker, R. R. (2022) Succession comprises a sequence of threshold-induced community assembly processes towards multidiversity. Communications Biology 5, 424.
  • [6] Sweet, F. S., Apfelbeck, B., Hanusch, M., Garland Monteagudo, C., & Weisser, W. W. (2022). Data from public and governmental databases show that a large proportion of the regional animal species pool occur in cities in Germany. Journal of Urban Ecology, 8(1), juac002.
  • [5] Junker, R. R., He, X., Otto, J. C., Ruiz-Hernández, V., & Hanusch, M. (2021). Divergent assembly processes? A comparison of the plant and soil microbiome with plant communities in a glacier forefield. FEMS microbiology ecology, 97(10), fiab135.
  • [4] Junker, R. R., Hanusch, M., He, X., Ruiz-Hernández, V., Otto, J. C., Kraushaar, S., Bauch, K., Griessenberger, F., Ohler, L., & Trutschnig, W. (2020). Ödenwinkel: an Alpine platform for observational and experimental research on the emergence of multidiversity and ecosystem complexity. Web Ecology, 20(2), 95-106.
  • [3] Hanusch, M., Ortiz, E. M., Patiño, J., & Schaefer, H. (2020). Biogeography and integrative taxonomy of Epipterygium (Mniaceae, Bryophyta). Taxon, 69(6), 1150-1171.
  • [2] Apfelbeck, B., Jakoby, C., Hanusch, M., Steffani, E. B., Hauck, T. E., & Weisser, W. W. (2019). A conceptual framework for choosing target species for wildlife-inclusive urban design. Sustainability, 11(24), 6972.
  • [1] Bretzel, J., Endriß, T., Halbinger, F., Hanusch, M., Hege, R., Krömmüller, I., ... & Schaefer, H. (2018). Additions to the checklist of terrestrial biodiversity of Cabo Verde. Zoologia Caboverdiana 7, 2, 28–38

Other publications

Policy publications

Public outreach

Authorship of plant taxa

Epipterygium atlanticum     Hanusch in Taxon, 69(6), 1150-1171
Epipterygium biauritum       Hanusch in Taxon, 69(6), 1150-1171
Epipterygium oreophilum   Hanusch in Taxon, 69(6), 1150-1171
Epipterygium yunnanense  Hanusch in Taxon, 69(6), 1150-1171

Talks

  • OECMs in Europe workshop, Vilm, Germany (2023): OECMS as an important tool to improve landscape connectivity in Bavaria, Germany
  • GfÖ Meeting, Braunschweig, Germany (2021): Succession comprises a sequence of threshold-induced community assembly processes towards multidiversity
  • Biodiversity and Nature Conservation Seminar, Marburg, Germany Invited by Robert. R. Junker (2021): Succession comprises a sequence of threshold-induced community assembly processes towards multidiversity
  • FloraMac Conference, Funchal, Madeira (2018): Integrative Taxonomy reveals new Macaronesian bryohphyte species
  • iMoss Conference, St. Petersburg, USA (2018): Biogeography and integrative taxonomy of Epipterygium (Mniaceae, Bryophyta)

Poster

Teaching and supervisory experience

Teaching Philosophy

My teaching philosophy is grounded in the experiences I gained during my own studies. I believe that cultivating curiosity is not just about answering questions but also about inspiring others to ask them, just as I was inspired to stay curious by my mentors. Be it at field trips, lab sessions, or theoretical discussions — the aim is to transform the learning environment into an ecosystem in which curiosity thrives.

Courses taught

  • Scientific Methods and Communication (Salzburg, 2022)

Courses assisted

  • Ecology, Evolution and Systematics of Plants (Salzburg, 2019 - 2021)
  • Bryophyte Diversity and Evolution (Munich, 2017 - 2018)
  • Plant Systematics and Identification (Munich, 2016 - 2018)

Co-supervision of Students

  • Cynthia Garland Monteagudo (2018), Master-Thesis, Bird Species in German Cities: An assessment with publicly available data