9th European Conference of Tropical Ecology (ECTE) Passau, 23 - 27 February 2026: Book of Abstracts

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Welcome to Passau!

9TH EUROPEAN CONFERENCE OF TROPICAL ECOLOGY (ECTE) 37TH ANNUAL MEETING OF THE SOCIETY FOR TROPICAL ECOLOGY (gtoe)

“SPECIES – ECOSYSTEMS – PEOPLE“

23 – 27 February 2026

On behalf of the entire organising team, we are delighted to welcome you to the 9th European Conference

of Tropical Ecology at the University of Passau!

This year’s conference has its focus on the diverse interactions between species, ecosystems and people that

take place at diﬀerent spatial and temporal scales. In line with this theme, the conference oﬀers an

interdisciplinary perspective on tropical ecology spanning from purely ecological topics to issues such as the

sustainable use, conservation and restoration of tropical ecosystems. We are very pleased to count almost

240 participants from 31 countries, as well as roughly 180 oral presentations and 40 posters across 17

thematic sessions. This variety of participants and contributions promises an inspiring week full of new

insights and valuable exchange.

We want to extend our sincere thanks to the session chairs and the Scientific Committee for their support in

creating such an exciting programme. Moreover, we thank our six main speakers for their invaluable

contribution to this conference: Dr. Bea Maas holds the public Elisabeth Kalko Memorial Lecture, while Prof.

Alexandre Antonelli, Dr. Maria Fungomeli, Dr. Viola Heinrich, Prof. Rob Marchant and Dr. Alfredo Romero-

Muñoz contribute keynote lectures throughout the conference. We also gratefully acknowledge the German

Research Foundation (DFG) for providing funding, as well as sponsorship by the University of Passau, the

Faculty of Social and Educational Sciences and further partners.

Lastly, we thank you for joining us in Passau this week. We hope you enjoy your time here and take the

opportunity to explore the city’s rich cultural heritage, its beautiful riverside atmosphere, and the

surrounding landscapes. Have a productive and memorable conference, and many rewarding conversations

with colleagues old and new.

The Conference Organisers