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Dr Ralf Schaefer

Position

Casual

School /
Work Unit

Applied Sciences

Contact Details

+(61 3) 9925 7105

ralf.schaefer@rmit.edu.au

Location

Building: 223
Level: 1
Room: 6

Bundoora West Campus

College/Portfolio

Science, Engineering & Health

Ralf Schaefer

Qualifications

  • PhD (Dr. rer. nat.) in Environmental Sciences, Leuphana University Lüneburg, Germany
  • MSc in Environmental Sciences at the Leuphana University, Lüneburg, Germany
  • BSc in Sociology, University Kassel, Germany

Teaching

  • Introduction to multivariate statistics in the Environmental Sciences – Introduction with R
  • Mathematics for Environmental Scientists
  • Prediction in Ecotoxicology

Grants and Awards

  • Postdoc grant of German Research Foundation (DFG), Bonn, Germany.
  • Best publication award of the SETAC Europe for the paper: Effects of pesticides on community structure and ecosystem functions in agricultural streams of three biogeographical regions in Europe. Science of the Total Environment. 382: 272-285.
  • 2nd best presentation award at the 11th annual meeting of the SETAC German Language Branch, Landau, Germany.
  • Dissertation grant of the German National Academic Foundation, Bonn, Germany.

Research areas

  • Development of a trait-based indicator systems for invertebrate biomonitoring in streams
  • Effects of pesticides on lotic ecosystem functions and structure
  • Passive sampling of organic contaminants
  • Statistical methods for the analysis of environmental data
  • Ecological modelling of the effects of organic toxicants

Publications

Peer-reviewed journals

  • Beketov, M. A.; Foit, K.; Schäfer, R. B.; Schriever, C. A.; Sacchi, A.; Capri, E.; Biggs, J.; Wells, C.; Liess, M., SPEAR indicates pesticide effects in streams - Comparative use of species- and family-level biomonitoring data. Environmental Pollution 2009, 157, 1841-1848.
  • Schäfer RB, Paschke A, Vrana B, Mueller R, Liess M. 2008. Performance of the Chemcatcher passive sampler when used to monitor 10 polar and semi-polar pesticides in 16 Central European streams, and comparison with two other sampling methods. Water research. 42: 2707-2717.
  • Schäfer RB, Paschke A, Liess M. 2008. Aquatic passive sampling of a short-term thiacloprid pulse with the Chemcatcher: Impact of biofouling and use of a diffusion-limiting membrane on the sampling rate. Journal of Chromatography A. 1203: 1-6.
  • Beketov MA, Schäfer RB, Marwitz A, Paschke A, Liess M 2008. Long-term stream invertebrate community alterations induced by insecticide thiacloprid: effect concentrations and recovery dynamics. Science of the Total Environment. 405: 96-108.
  • Liess M, Schäfer RB, Schriever CA. 2008. The footprint of pesticide stress in communities - species traits reveal community effects of toxicants. Science of the Total Environment. 406: 484-490.
  • Gunold R, Schäfer RB, Paschke A, Schüürmann G, Liess M. 2007. Calibration of the Chemcatcher passive sampler for monitoring selected polar and semi-polar pesticides in surface water. Environmental Pollution. 155:52-60. Doi:10.1016/j.envpol.2007.10.037
  • Schäfer RB, Lagadic L, Raucoute M, Caquet T, Siimes K, Liess M. 2007. Effects of pesticides on community structure and ecosystem functions in agricultural streams of three biogeographical regions in Europe. Science of the Total Environment. 382: 272-285.
  • Schäfer RB, Mueller R, Brack W, Wenzel K-D, Streck G, Liess M. 2007. Determination of 10 particle-associated multiclass polar and semi-polar pesticides from small streams using accelerated solvent extraction. Chemosphere 70: 1952-1960
  • von der Ohe PC, Prüß A, Schäfer RB, Liess M, Deckere Ed, Brack W. 2007. Water quality indices across Europe - a comparison of the good ecological status of five river basins. Journal of Environmental Monitoring. 9: 970-978.
  • Schäfer RB, Palm W-U, Steffen D, Ruck W. 2004. Plant-treatment and pest-control agents in rivers of Lower Saxony from 1994 to 2001. Hydrologie und Wasserbewirtschaftung 48: 117-125. (in German, english Abstract, Figures and Tables)

Book chapters and reports

  • Beketov, M. A.; Foit, K.; Biggs, J. P.; Sacchi, A.; Schäfer, R. B.; Schriever, C. A.; Liess, M. Freshwater biological indicators of pesticide contamination – an adaptation of the SPEAR approach for the UK - Science Report – SC030189/SR4; Environment Agency: Bristol, 2008; p 30 p.
  • Schäfer RB, Creutzig F 2008. Protecting the climate with a global carbon tax or emissions trading: A matter of instruments or implementation? In: Altvater E, Brunnengräber A, ed, Selling of indulgences against climate change? VSA, Berlin, pp. 106-119
  • Schäfer RB, Liess M. 2005. Long-term effects of pesticides in the field. In: Wasserwirtschaft BLf, ed, Münchner Beiträge zur Abwasser-, Fischerei und Flussbiologie, 1. ed, Vol 57. Oldenbourg, München, pp 217-243. (in German, book chapter)
  • Schäfer, RB. 2003. Pesticides in rivers of Lower Saxony. Hildesheim: Niedersächsisches Landesamt für Ökologie. Series: Surface waters 19/2003, 48 p. (in German, report)