Norbert Gbenyedji, M.Sc.

Norbert Gbenyedji, M.Sc.

University of Freiburg
Biology I, Evolution & Ecology
Hauptstraße 1, Room 1014
D-79104 Freiburg
Phone. ++49/761/203-2578
E-Mail: koamigbenyedji@gmail.com
 

“Processes of community assembly in termites”

CV

• 2009
  Master 2 (D.E.A) in Developmental Biology Option: Agricultural Entomology
• 2007
  Master of Natural Sciences, Option: Animal Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Lomé (Togo).
• 2006
  Bachelor of Natural Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Lomé (Togo).
• 2002
  Baccalaurat: Mathematics and Natural Sciences
• Since 2011
  Phd Student; “Processes of community assembly in termites”
  
  Supervisors:
  Prof. Dr Judith KORB, University of Freiburg (Germany)
  Prof Isabelle Glitho, University of Lomé (Togo)
  Prof. Kouami KOKOU, University of Lomé (Togo)
   

Research

Termites (Isoptera) are the most important and most efficient lignocellulose (e.g., dead wood) decomposers. They play a vital role in recycling wood and plant materials, modifying soil condition, improving soil composition and fertility, and providing food for other animals. How do termite’s species communities assemble and why do individuals occur where they are? This crucial question is still highly debated in ecology. Environmental factors such as temperature and rainfall act as filters that can limit, for instance, the distribution of species and define part of a species niche. In more recent years the unified neutral theory of biodiversity was developed that challenges the classical niche theory and considers niche differences less important. It is based on the simplifying assumption that species are demographically equivalent. Ecological communities are structured by ecological drift, random migration and random speciation.

The high species diversity of tropical ecosystems where many species of seemingly identical niches co-exist, indeed, provides a challenge for classical niche theory. The aim of my project is, first, to determine and analyse termite assemblages under most natural conditions in a West-African national park (Togodo Reserve Fauna) in Togo. Second, we will study the processes of community assembly by investigating forest plantations, in various defined stages of community assembly.
 

Methods

• Termites sampling with transects protocol suggested by Eggleton et al.  (1997);
• DNA isolation for sequence edition, analyses and molecular phylogenetic inference;
• Phylogenetic community structure analysis (Webb's NRI/NTI and related measures of standardized effect size of community phylogenetic structure) by Phylocom 4.2
   

Meetings and Workshops

• Jean Norbert Bezo Koami Gbenyedji, Essè Anani Kotoklo, Isabelle Adolé Glitho (2010). Peuplement termitique dans les plantations  de Teck de Noèpé et Eto, deux localités du sud-Togo «   Journées Scientifiques Internationales de Lomé XIV ème  Edition 25-29 octobre 2010.»
• J.N.K.B. Gbenyedji, E.A. Kotoklo, I.A. Glitho (2010). Diversité des termites (Insecta: Isoptera) dans les plantations de Tecks (Tectona grandis L.) au sud Togo « 16 ème  Colloque de Biologie de l'Insecte, Lyon - 18 au 20 octobre 2010
   

Publications

• Jean Norbert Bezo Koami GBENYEDJI, Essè ANANI KOTOKLO, Komina AMEVOIN et Isabelle Adolé GLITHO, 2011. Diversité spécifique des termites (Isoptera) dans deux plantations de tecks (Tectona grandis L.) au sud du Togo. Int. J. Biol. Chem. Sci., Vol. 5, Number 2, pp 755-773