Dennis Rödder's Lab

“Earlier I was talking about the newly discovered stony coral on manganese nodules in the deep sea, and if we emerge again now, we will be on this wonderful planet where there are so many wonderful species. You only have to name the really big ones, the acquaintances, especially those in Africa, for example, whether giraffes, elephants or the many, many others here too. They are all more or less threatened; especially the big ones and those who are under particular pressure can use it if we humans take care of them. That is why there is a Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), the so-called Washington Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), and the signatory states that have signed it are currently meeting. This is the CITES COP 20 meeting. It is about binding decisions within this framework. It has been around for 50 years; an important tool to protect endangered species from plundering for international trade. In conversation here on SR Kultur is Priv.-Doz. Dr. Dennis Rödder from the Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change.”

“Good morning, Mr. Rödder.”

“Yes, good morning.”

“I have already said that the main issue is international trade and that species should be protected from plundering. Can you give a very specific example?”

“Well, the international pet trade would be a classic example of this. A whole range of species are collected either for private keeping or for commercial use and sold internationally. This ranges from endangered species in very small areas to widespread species, but where quantity is the huge problem. Of course, it’s also about regulating it and not just banning it. This is exactly how species protection has changed in recent decades. It’s not just about designating protected areas where nothing is allowed to happen, but trying to work with the local population and set quotas.”

“One asks: What is still justifiable in retail and what is perhaps no longer justifiable in order to be able to guarantee sustainable use?”

“A good example is perhaps Bernhard Grzimek and ‘The Serengeti must not die’. This is an icon in Tanzania, but there is now also heavy criticism because national parks were established at that time and the people who lived there and worked in this ecosystem were simply displaced. Has that changed massively?”

“Yes, today it has become much more complex. We try to work together with all stakeholders – the local population and international organizations. According to the IUCN, this is called the One Plan Approach, in which all available options are exhausted instead of enforcing a ban against the will of local communities.”

“Where do we stand in terms of species loss, perhaps also in Europe?”

“Unfortunately, species protection is a big issue; In recent years, insect mortality has been in the media a lot. You can see it for yourself: In the past, you had to use the windshield wipers regularly on the motorway, but today this almost doesn’t happen anymore – the so-called ‘windshield effect’. Many things are no longer as present in nature as they used to be, not only in the tropics, but also here in the agricultural landscape.”

“Is that related? Does the protection of exotic species also help the species in our country?”

“It has different dimensions. The tropical biodiversity hotspots are extremely important for climate protection. Deforestation in Brazil, for example, affects one of the major CO2 reservoirs, which has a direct impact on our climate. On the other hand, our species also fall under CITES protection. The green frogs, which are in almost every garden pond with us, are currently being discussed; they will probably also end up on a CITES list in the next few days.”

“What can these lists achieve?”

“There are three so-called appendizes. Annex I is the highest protection status; no trade may take place there at all. Annex II requires documentation of how much is traded and sets export quotas. If you own such an animal or plant – such as orchids – you have to prove that they are legally owned. This makes a big difference, because customs at the airport can pick up illegal shipments.”

We are just back from this year’s excursion to Egypt! We started two weeks ago with two intense days of introductory lectures setting the stage for marine biodiversity, ecology, and conservation. Together with a group of 16 students, we have explored Red Sea’s amazing biodiversity during numerous snorkeling and diving hours. Time has passed by just too fast. Still determining wildlife, we are impressed by the strong contrasts between land and ocean. Below are some impressions from the trip.

A new species of Microhyla was just published in the international journal Zootaxa!

Based on morphological and molecular evidence, the authors describe the new species of Microhyla (Nanohyla) from Deo Ca Mountain in Vietnam. The new species differs from congeners by high genetic divergences in 12S rRNA and 16S rRNA sequences (9.31–11.28 %), surpassing known genetic distances between other recognized species of the subgenus Nanohyla. The new species was revealed to be a sister species to M. nanapollexa from Kon Tum Province, Vietnam.

The discovery took place in the South-Central Vietnam Lowlands Subregion. The new species from Deo Ca Mountain was discovered on the ground near streams in the evergreen forest. Unfortunately, the habitat is not protected and is at risk of degradation.

Roedder’s Narrow-mouth frog (Microhyla roedderi) was named by the international research team after me to honor my long-term support of conservation-based research of our Vietnamese-German cooperation team from Cologne Zoo, University of Cologne, and the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, Hanoi, Vietnam, including supporting student work and providing expertise in species distribution modeling. Given the rapid decline of biodiversity, effective education of the next generation of biologists/conservationists and developing joint projects in such international, interdisciplinary collaboration networks is pivotal for effective documentation and protection of species and habitats.

I really like that small frog. Thank you so much!

Chung Van Hoang, Cuong The Pham, Truong Quang Nguyen, Tien Quang Phan, Thomas Ziegler, Nikolai Orlov, Jianping Jiang, Dang Trong Do (2025): A new species of Microhyla (Amphibia: Anura: Microhylidae), with an extended description of Microhyla nanapollexa from Vietnam. Zootaxa 5566: 347-369.

We are just back from this year´s Egypt Excursion! After two days of introductory talks on various aspects of tropical reef diversity and ecology, we explored the amazing biodiversity of the Red Sea for two weeks, spending numerous hours snorkeling and diving. Special thanks to Sinai Divers Backpackers for their great support, all of us had an amazing time in Dahab! Based on videos and photos, we are still adding species to our list, here are some impressions.