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Klaus Rohde

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Residence
  
Australia

Name
  
Klaus Rohde

Notable awards
  
Clarke Medal

Fields
  
Ecology, Parasitology

Nationality
  
German

Education
  
Ruhr University Bochum

Awards
  
Clarke Medal

Klaus Rohde httpsuploadwikimediaorgwikipediacommonsthu
Born
  
30 March 1932 (age 91) Brandenburg an der Havel, Germany (
1932-03-30
)

Institutions
  
University of New England, Australia

Alma mater
  
Ruhr University Bochum, Germany

Known for
  
Latitudinal gradients, Ecology of marine parasites, Ultrastructure of lower invertebrates

Books
  
Marine Parasitology, Ecology of marine parasites, Nonequilibrium Ecology, Parasites: The Merits of Applie, Nonequilibrium Ecology Ecology

Klaus Rohde & LIDERBUKKEN


Klaus Rohde (born 1932 in Brandenburg an der Havel, Germany) is a German biologist at the University of New England (UNE), Australia, known particularly for his work on marine parasitology,evolutionary ecology/zoogeography, and phylogeny/ultrastructure of lower invertebrates.

Contents

He studied zoology, botany, physics, physiological chemistry in Potsdam (Brandenburgische Landeshochschule, Germany) from 1950–1952, and, after moving from East- to West-Germany, in Munster/Westfalen (Germany) from 1953–1956.

He received the degree of Dr.rer.nat. at University of Munster (Germany) in 1956 for a thesis on the behaviour and physiology of Paramecium. Subsequently (1957–1959), he did scientific work at ASTA-Werke, Brackwede/Westfalen (pharmaceutical industry) on the development of new tests for screening anthelminthic drugs (filariasis, hookworms, cysticercus).

From 1960–1967 he was a Lecturer at the University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, conducting work on the taxonomy, life cycles and fine structure of trematodes and monogeneans and supervising BSc. Honours, MSc. and PhD candidates. He participated in expeditions to various parts of Malaysia and visited many countries in Eastern, Southeastern, Southern Asia, and America.

From 1967 to 1970 he was a Research Fellow (Habilitandenstipendiat) at the Ruhr University Bochum, Germany. Habilitation in Bochum was successfully concluded in 1970 with a thesis on the morphology, life cycle and ultrastructure of the aspidogastrean Multicotyle purvisi.

He moved to Australia in 1970 to assume a two-year Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of Queensland, Australia, with research on the taxonomy, ecology, life cycles and ultrastructure of the aspidogastrean Lobatostoma manteri and various monogenea. During this period, he repeatedly visited the Great Barrier Reef as part of his work. In 1972 he was Reader in Zoology at the University of Khartoum, Sudan.

1973–1976 he was Director of the Heron Island Research Station, Great Barrier Reef, conducting research on the taxonomy and ecology of Monogenea and Aspidogastrea. The University of Queensland awarded him the degree of DSc. in 1975 for his parasitological and zoological work. In 1976 he was appointed Lecturer at the University of New England (UNE), Australia, subsequently promoted to Associate Professor and Professor (Personal Chair). In 2001 he became Professor emeritus.

Research and work

Rohde's main research fields are fine structure, ecology, zoogeography, parasitology, and phylogeny of invertebrates, particularly of Aspidogastrea, Monogenea, Amphilinidea, and general aspects of ecology (niche theory, competition) and zoogeography (latitudinal gradients). He supervised many BSc.Honours, MSc. and PhD candidates in these fields, and, jointly with Tim Littlewood at the Natural History Museum London, Nikki Watson, UNE and others, studied the phylogeny of Platyhelminthes, using ultrastructure, life cycle and DNA data.

His most important scientific contributions are on the following topics:

  • Marine parasitology.
  • Latitudinal gradients in species diversity (hypothesis of effective evolutionary time).
  • Niche theory (vacant niches, Mating hypothesis of niche restriction).
  • Phylogeny of Platyhelminthes and other invertebrates using ultrastructure and DNA.
  • Ultrastructure of spermatogenesis, protonephridia, sensory receptors of Platyhelminthes.
  • Taxonomy in particular of trematodes and monogeneans (many new species, 11 new genera and 2 new subfamilies, for one new genus a new family has now been established).
  • Life cycles of Aspidogastrea and Amphilinidea.
  • Klaus Rohde was the first who supplied quantitative evidence for the enormous species diversity of marine parasites in tropical (coral reef) waters, and for differences in latitudinal gradients between endo- and ectoparasites. His hypothesis of effective evolutionary time was an important stimulus for the development of the metabolic theory of ecology. His work on the phylogeny of Platyhelminthes provided evidence that the Neodermata (major groups of parasitic Platyhelminthes) have split early off the other flatworm groups. His demonstration of the great number and variety of sensory receptors and of the great complexity of nervous systems in some parasitic flatworms is convincing evidence that sacculinization (reduction in complexity) of parasites is not a general phenomenon. Rohde's work on the ecology of marine parasites has shown that most parasites live in largely non-saturated niche space, i.e., that most niches are vacant; proceeding from these findings, he concluded that equilibrium conditions in animal communities are the exception rather than the rule (discussed in detail in his book Nonequilibrium Ecology).

    After retirement he continues to publish scientific papers and books. He has cooperated with Dietrich Stauffer, a theoretical physicist, in using mathematical models to investigate latitudinal gradients in species diversity and niche width. He has recently published many German and English Google knols dealing with parasitological, ecological and philosophical topics, with the aim to popularize science and building bridges between disciplines (economics-ecology, evolution-philosophy, etc.).

    Honors

  • Clarke Medal of the Royal Society of New South Wales (1996, Zoology).
  • Inaugural Award for Excellence in Science of the Vice-Chancellor, University of New England (UNE), Australia (1996).
  • Fellow of various scientific societies and institutes including the Australian Society for Parasitology.
  • Many genera and species as well as a subfamily were named after Klaus Rohde to honour him for his taxonomic work.
  • Personal life

    Klaus Rohde was born to Franz and Martha Rohde. He lived and worked in Munster/Westfalen (Germany), Brackwede/Bielefeld (Germany), Bochum (Germany), Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), Khartoum (Sudan), Heron Island (Great Barrier Reef) and Brisbane (Australia). He now lives in Armidale (Australia).

    His hobbies are: art, classical music, German literature, travels. His graphical art and water colors were exhibited in art exhibitions in Australia (Armidale), USA ("ecological art" at some colleges), and Germany (Heidelberg).

    References

    Klaus Rohde Wikipedia