High mountains

Mountains can support a tremendous (often endemic) biodiversity. Elevational gradients and species diversity patterns have long been fascinating for both early naturalists and contemporary ecologists and biogeographers. Studies on abiotic and biotic gradients on mountains contributed significantly to our understanding of ultimate drivers of biodiversity. Various hypotheses have been involved in ongoing debates on important factors in species richness trends in general and on mountains in particular. Spatial, climatic, and evolutionary factors are among underlying factors prominently discussed. Comparatively few studies have approached an evolutionary view on causes of elevational richness patterns. We study elevational patterns of freshwater mollusks and the role of mountains as so-called "islands in the sky" with a high degree of endemism in Afromontane mountains.
A similar project deals with the Himalaya (Nepal). On Tibetan Plateau, phylogeographical patterns of freshwater gastropods are investigated in order to give insights into Tibetan freshwater biogeography and the history of the Tibetan Plateau lakes.