Dr. Winnifried Meier
1997 | Doctoral thesis at the Institute of Silviculture, Department of Vegetation and Site Science of the University of Freiburg; supervisor Prof. Dr. Albert Reif; topic: 'Flora and vegetation of the Ávila National Park (Venezuela, Central Coastal Cordillera) with particular emphasis on the cloud forest level'. |
August 1998 to August 2001 | Scientific director of the 'Cloud forests of the Venezuelan Coastal Cordillera: Distribution, diversity, ecology and conservation' project carried out by the Fundación Instituto Botánico de Venezuela (FIBV) in Caracas. Many collection expeditions in predominantly unstudied cloud forest regions. Construction of a database of the cloud forest species and cloud forest regions. Checklists. Curator of the Herbario Nacional de Venezuela in Caracas. Part supervision and evaluation of diplom and doctoral theses. Participation in preparation and presentation of courses at the Universidad Central de Venezuela in Caracas. Review of publications. Public relations work on the issue of the threats to and significance of cloud forests at different social levels (universities, congresses, political committess, NGOs, schools, farmers). |
2001 | Member of the editing committee of the 'Acta Botanica Venezuelica' journal |
Since August 2001 | Member of the scientific staff of the Institute of Silviculture of the University of Freiburg; floristic study of the endangered cloud forest region in 'Cerro La Chapa', a Pleistocene forest refuge hosting many endemic species and species with a disjoint distribution threatened with destruction. |