Walz, Norbert
Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries,
D-12587 Berlin, Müggelseedamm 301
Germany
Fields of Interests:
Benthic-pelagic interactions, shallow lakes,
macrozoobenthos in lakes, lake shores, continuous cultures,
ecology and ecophysiology in mussels, Chaoborus and
rotifer, i.e. ingestion, reproduction, growth rate, respiration.
Tel: +49 (0)30-64 181 680
Fax: +49 (0)30-64 181 682
Curriculum vitae
Lectures
Fields of study
Publications
Running Projects
Editorship
Curriculum vitae
1946
born in Karlsruhe
1966
Study of biology in Heidelberg and Freiburg
1972
Diploma thesis at the Limnological Institute, University of Freiburg in Constance:
"Studies on the biology of Dreissena polymorpha Pallas in the Lake Constance"
1977
Doctoral thesis at the same institute: "Production and energy balance of Dreissena
polymorpha Pallas"
1977
Scientific employee in the project "Studies on the phosphorus circulation and its
relation to eutrophication"
1978-91
Scientific employee and university assistant and at the Limnological Department,
Zoological Institute, University of Munich
1988
Habilitation in Zoology with thesis: "Energetics and kinetics of regulatory processes
in zooplankton populations. ? Analyses and models in rotifer chemostats and in the
plankton of a lake". Senior Lecturer at the Faculty of Biology.
1989
Representation of a professorship at the Institute for Engineering Biology and
Biotechnology of used Water, Technical University of Karlsruhe
1992
Head of Department Limnology of Shallow Lakes and Lowland Rivers in the IGB
1994
Executive editor of the journal: "International Review of Hydrobiology"
2000
Honorary professorship at the Faculty of Agriculture, Humboldt-University Berlin
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Fields of study
Benthic-pelagic coupling
In lowland river-lake ecosystems pelagial and benthal, open water and littoral, are closely
coupled, especially by the filtration capacity of some macrozoobenthos organisms. The
primary production of such ecosystems is concentrated on the open water zones of lakes,
whereas the mineralisation takes place at the bottom of lower river stretches mainly (?) by
filtration of mussels. For this reason the difference of the qualitative nutrition of the plankton
and benthos in lotic and lentic water bodies is becoming the focus of research. Because of the
reduction of biodiversity in the fauna of the urban part of the River Spree it is not clear yet
whether here the filtration by mussels is able to fulfill the same function.
Studies on ecology and ecophysiology of mussels and other macrozoobenthos organisms also
take place.
In such aquatic lowland ecosystems there is a special close contact to the littoral, to the shores
and to the terrestrial environment. However, it is not well known which processes are really
dominating here. At present, the lack of this knowledge is inhibiting the establishment of new
criteria for the protection or the ecological reconstruction of the shores.
Pelagic interactions
The larvae of the phantom midge Chaoborus flavicans are situated on an important pelagic
interface between zooplankton and fish. To elucidate their function, their grazing pressure on
zooplankton, their respiration and their population dynamics are analysed.
Rotifers play an important role in shallow lakes with short retention times and here they often
surpass the cladocerans. However, they are sensitive against any decrease in food quality. At
high abundances they even reduce themselves this quality by grazing and defecation.
Therefore the qualitative function of the food is studied in chemostats, too.
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Editorship
Executive Editor" of the journal: "International Review of Hydrobiology".
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Lectures
Systematics and Ecology of Plankton and Benthos, 4 h every 2 years. Faculty for Agriculture
and Horticulture, HU Berlin, Master-Study Fishery Science and Aquaculture.
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Running Projects
Evaluation of lake types in northern Germany according to littoral macrozoobenthos
Project of the Landesumweltamt Brandenburg, Project leadership with Rainer Brüggemann
and Martin Pusch, co-working withXavier-François Garcia, Steffi Noack, Mario Brauns,
Christian Polleichtner.
Testing the approach proposed in the EU-WFD to assess the current ecological status of 30
lakes with macrozoobenthos.
Assessment of a method for the ecological evaluation of lake shores
Project leadership with Rainer Brüggemann, co-working with Mario Brauns (Berlin PhDgrants).
Assessment of the urban River Spree bed and –bank eco-morphology with regard to the
colonization of benthic macroinvertebrates
Project in "DFG-Postgraduate Research and Study Programm 780: Perspectives on urban
ecology - the example of the European metropolis of Berlin, Co-working with Marc Leszinski.
Aims:
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Assessment of abiotic factors (morphometry, grain size, substrate, light, O2, flowing
velocity, nutrients, sedimentation of particles, boat traffic) and of the invertebrate
community.
Trophic interactions between abundance of mussel and the plankton density, biomass
spectra of plankton and sediments.
Interactions between invertebrates and macrophytes compared on locations
with/without macrophytes.
Influence of other biotic elements.
Proposals for a better morphometry of the river in the urban part of the River Spree.
Cascading effects of the bottom-up regulation by Chaoborus-larvae at the fishzooplankton interface
DFG-Project, co-working with Ines Jäger und René Faccin.
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Publications since 2000
Kasprzak, P., F. Gervais, R. Adrian, W. Weiler, R. Radke, I. Jäger, S. Riest , U. Siedel, B.
Schneider-Olt, M. Böhme, R. Eckmann, N. Walz (2000): Trophic status and pelagic food web
structure of two mesotrophic lakes in Brandenburg (Germany).- Internat. Rev. Hydrobiol. 85:
167-189.
Weithoff, G., Lorke, A, Walz, N. (2000) Effects of water column mixing on bacteria,
phytoplankton, and rotifers under different levels of herbivory in a shallow eutrophic lake.Oecologia 125: 91-100.
Kim, H-W., Walz, N., Joo, G.-J. (2000) Differences of zooplankton development along a lake
and a river stretch of the River Spree (Germany).- J. Korean Limnology 33: 197-205.
Walz, N., Kim, H-W., Köhler, J., Welker, M. (2000): Plankton community dynamics in a riverlake ecosystem (River Spree, Germany).- Proc. 10th Internat. Symp. on River and Lake
Environments, Pusan, Korea, 2.-4. November 2000, pp. 1-3.
Pusch, M., Siefert, J., Walz, N. (2001) Filtration and respiration rates of two unionid species
and their impact on the water quality of a lowland river.- In: Bauer, G.; Wächtler, K. (eds.)
Ecology and evolutionary biology of the freshwater mussels Unionidea. Springer Verlag, Berlin,
Ecological Studies 145: 317-326.
Kim, H. W., Joo, G. J., Walz, N. (2001) Zooplankton dynamics in a hyper-eutrophic river
system (Nadkong River, Korea) regulated with estuary dam and side channels.- Internat. Rev.
Hydrobiol. 86: 127-143.
Weithoff, G., Walz, N., Gaedke, U. (2001) The intermediate disturbance hypothesis - species
diversity or functional diversity?- J. Plankton Res. 23: 1147-1155.
Böttcher, G., Chorus, I., Ewald, S., Hinze, T., Walz, N. (2001): Light-limited growth and
microcystin content of Microcystis aeruginosa and Planktothrix agardhii in turbidostats. In:
Chorus, I. (ed.) Cyanotoxins. Occurrence, causes, consequences.- Springer Verlag, Berlin, pp.
115-33.
Kim, H.-W., Hwang, S.-J.; Chang, K-H., Kim, J.-G., Joo, G.-J., Walz, N. (2002) Longitudinal
difference in zooplankton grazing on phytoplankton and bacteria in the Nakdong River
(Korea).- Internat. Rev. Hydrobiol. 87: 281-293.
Jäger, I. S., Walz, N. (2002) Chaoborus flavicans (Diptera) is an oxy-regulator.- Arch.
Hydrobiol. 155: 401-411.
Garcia, X. F., Brauns, M., Pusch, M., Walz, N. (2002) Typologie und ökologische Bewertung
von Seen in Brandenburg auf der Grundlage des Makrozoobenthos.- In: Deneke, R., Nixdorf,
B. (eds.) Implementierung der EU-Wasserrahmenrichtlinie in Deutschland: Ausgewählte
Bewertungsmethoden und Defizite. BTUC-Aktuelle Reihe: 5/2002: 53-68.
Walz, N., Garcia, X.-F., Pusch, M. (2002) Typology of lakes based on macrozoobenthos in
Brandenburg/Germany, central Plains (Ecoregion 14).- In: Ruoppa, M., Karttunen, K. (eds.)
Typology and ecological classification of lakes and rivers. TemaNord 2002: 566, pp. 123-125.
Walz, N., Brüggemann, R., Ostendorp, W. (2002) Die Seeufer, ein vergessenes Ökoton.UWSF - Z. Umweltchem. Ökotox. 14 (4): 1-2.
Köhler, J., Walz, N., Nixdorf, B. (2002) Planktondynamik.- In: Köhler, J., Gelbrecht, J., Pusch,
M. (eds.): Die Spree - Zustand, Probleme und Entwicklungsmöglichkeiten. Schweizerbart’sche
Verlagsbuchhandlung, Stuttgart, Limnologie aktuell 10: 111-120.
Walz, N., Kim, H-W., Köhler, A., Rusche, R. Welker, M. (2002) Zooplankton in der Spree.- In:
Köhler, J., Gelbrecht, J., Pusch, M. (eds.): Die Spree - Zustand, Probleme und
Entwicklungsmöglichkeiten. Schweizerbart’sche Verlagsbuchhandlung, Stuttgart, Limnologie
aktuell 10: 156-165.
Körner, S., Schreiber, E. S. G., Walz, N. (2002): Herbivory on submerged macrophytes - who's
to blame? - Verh. Internat. Verein. Limnol. 28: 967-970.
Jäger, I. S., Walz, N. (2003) Unusual allometry between respiration rate and body size in
Chaoborus species.- J. Plankton Res. 25 (3): 255-260.
Walz, N., Ostendorp, W., Brüggemann, R. (2003) Die ökologische Bewertung von Seeufern in
Deutschland.- UWSF - Z. Umweltchem. Ökotox. 15 (1): 31-38.
Ostendorp, W.; Walz, N.; Brüggemann, R. (2003) Grenzüberschreitender Seeuferschutz im
Spannungsfeld von Nutzungsinteressen am Beispiel Bodensee (Teil 1).- UWSF-Z.
Umweltchem. Ökotox. 15 (2): 125-134.
Ostendorp, W.; Walz, N.; Brüggemann, R. (2003) Problemfeld Seeufer am Beispiel Bodensee.
Umsetzung der Uferschutzbestimmungen (Teil 2).- UWSF-Z. Umweltchem. Ökotox. 15 (3):
187-198.
Garcia, X.-F.; Brauns, M.; Pusch, M.; Walz, N. (2003) Selecting potential type-specific lakes of
reference in implementing the E.U. water-framework directive. In: Ruoppa, M.; Heinonen, P.;
Pilke, A.; Rekolainen, S.; Toivonen, H.; Vuoristo, H. (eds.) How to assess and monitor
ecological quality in freshwaters.- TemaNord 2003: 547: pp. 206-211.
Brüggemann, R.; Walz, N.; Brauns, M.; Ostendorp, W. (2004) Gedanken zum Schutzziel
"Artengemeinschaften" (Teil 3).- UWSF-Z. Umweltchem. Ökotox. 16 (1): 48-56.
Brauns, M.; Garcia, X.-F.; Pusch, M.; Walz, N. (2004) Beitrag zur Litoralfauna der Großseen
Brandenburgs.- Lauterbornia 49: 43-72.
Brauns, M.; Walz, N.; Brüggemann, R. (2004) Seeufer 2003 - Ökologie, Bewertung,
Nachhaltige Entwicklung. Bericht von der 1. Seeuferkonferenz in Konstanz, 19.-21. Juni 2003
(Beitrag 4).- UWSF-Z. Umweltchem. Ökotox. 16 (2): 113-114.
Luo, W.; Krinitz, L.; Pflugmacher, S.; Walz, N. (2004) Genus and species concept in Chlorella
and Micractinium (Chlorophyta, Chlorellaceae): Genotype versus phenotypical variability und
ecosystem conditions.- Verh. Internat. Verein. Limnol. 29: 170-173.
Köhler, J.; Hilt, S.; Adrian, R.; Nicklisch, A.; Kozerski, H. P.; Walz, N. (2005) Long-term
response of shallow, moderately flushed Müggelsee (Berlin, Germany) to reduced external
phosphorus and nitrogen loading.- Freshw. Biol. 50: 1639-1650.
Walz, N. (2005) Walter Koste – a K-strategist? A laudatio.- Hydrobiologia 546: 1-8.
Luo, W.; Pflugmacher, S.; Pröschold, T.; Walz, N.; Krienitz, L. 2006. Genotype versus
Phenotype variability in Chlorella and Micractinium (Chlorophyta, Trebouxiophyceae).- Protist,
157: 315-333.
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