| 1979 
 | Master in Ecology (Diploma), University of Marburg, Germany | 
            
            
        
            
            
            
                
                    
                        
                        | 1981 
 | PhD, University of Marburg, Germany | 
            
            
        
            
            
            
                
                    
                        
                        | 1983/84 
 | Visiting scientist, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama | 
            
            
        
            
            
            
                
                    
                        
                        | 1985 
 | Habilitation in Zoology, University of Marburg, Germany | 
            
            
        
            
            
            
                
                    
                        
                        | 1985 - 1988 
 | Assistant professor, Institute of Zoology, University of Regensburg, Germany | 
            
            
        
            
            
            
                
                    
                        
                        | 1988 - 2019 
 | Full professor for ecology at the Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Switzerland |