About
86
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Introduction
I am doing research on ecological networks with multiple interaction types, such as plant-flower visitor, plant-herbivore, and predator-prey interactions. My work ranges from studies on individual-level insect behaviour to analyses of the structure of ecological networks. I like to take an integrative approach combining small-scale laboratory experiments, observational and experimental research in the field, and DNA metabarcoding.
Additional affiliations
November 2015 - present
January 2014 - October 2015
August 2013 - August 2014
Publications
Publications (86)
The evolution of wasp mimicry and biogeography in the genus Temnostoma
(Diptera: Syrphidae)
One of the most vulnerable phases in the plant life cycle is sexual reproduction, which depends on effective pollen transfer, but also on the thermotolerance of pollen grains. Pollen thermotolerance is temperature-dependent and may be reduced by increasing temperature associated with global warming. A growing body of research has focused on the eff...
One of the most vulnerable phases in the plant life cycle is sexual reproduction, which depends on effective pollen transfer, but also on the viability of pollen grains. Pollen viability is temperature-dependent and may be reduced by increasing temperature associated with global warming. A growing body of research has focused on the effect of incre...
Biodiversity can increase in both high‐ and low‐connected landscapes. However, we lack predictions related to biodiversity dynamics when accounting for the temporal heterogeneity in the connections among the habitats of a landscape. Here, we study the relationship between fluctuations in landscape connectivity and biodiversity dynamics at local and...
Many species of plants and animals shift to higher altitudes in response to the ongoing climate warming. Such shifts of species distributions lead to the co-occurrence of species that have not previously lived in the same environment and allow the emergence of novel plant-animal interactions with potential implications for species diversity and com...
The diversification of alpine species has been modulated by their climatic niches interacting with changing climatic conditions. The relative roles of climatic niche conservatism promoting geographical speciation and of climatic niche diversification are poorly understood in diverse temperate groups. Here, we investigate the climatic niche evolutio...
Efficient thermoregulation is crucial for animals living under fluctuating climatic and weather conditions. We studied the body heating of six butterfly species of the genus Erebia (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) that co-occur in the European Alps. We tested whether butterfly physical characteristics (body size, wing loading) are responsible for the int...
Efficient thermoregulation is crucial for animals living under changing climatic and weather conditions. We used a thermal camera to measure thermoregulation of six co-occurring species of Erebia (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) mountain butterflies in a laboratory experiment with artificial light and heating source. We studied wild individuals to test w...
It is increasingly recognised that intraspecific variation in traits, such as morphology, behaviour, or diet is both ubiquitous and ecologically important. While many species of predators and herbivores are known to display high levels of between-individual diet variation, there is a lack of studies on pollinators. It is important to fill in this g...
The evolution and distribution of alpine species have been modulated by their climatic niches. However, the relative roles of climatic niche conservatism promoting geographical speciation and of climatic niche diversification are poorly understood in diverse temperate groups. Here, we describe the evolution of climatic niche in a species rich butte...
Changes in environmental conditions are likely to have a complex effect on the growth of plants, their phenology, plant-pollinator interactions, and reproductive success. The current world is facing an ongoing climate change along with other human-induced environmental changes. Most research has focused on the impact of increasing temperature as a...
The composition of gut bacterial communities is strongly influenced by the host diet in many animal taxa. For birds, the effect of diet on the microbiomes has been documented through diet manipulation studies. However, for wild birds, most studies have drawn on literature-based information to decipher the dietary effects, thereby, overlooking indiv...
• Drastic reductions of insect diversity and abundance have been observed in highly fragmented agricultural landscapes of central Europe. Declines of pollinators may have detrimental effects on the reproduction of wild insect-pollinated plants as well as the yield of crops. In order to mitigate such impacts, sown flower strips on arable land within...
Low-elevation mountains represent unique model systems to study species endangered by climate warming, such as subalpine and alpine species of butterflies. We aimed to test the effect of climate variables experienced by Erebia butterflies during their development on adult abundances and phenology, targeting the key climate factors determining the p...
It is increasingly recognised that intraspecific variation in traits, such as morphology, behaviour, or diet is both ubiquitous and ecologically important. While many species of predators and herbivores are known to display high levels of between-individual diet variation, there is a lack of studies on pollinators. It is important to fill in this g...
Drastic reductions of insect diversity and abundance are observed in the highly fragmented agricultural landscapes of central Europe. Declines of pollinators may have detrimental effects on the reproduction of wild insect-pollinated plants as well as the yield of crops. In order to mitigate such impacts, sown flower strips on arable land within Agr...
Climate change is likely to have a complex effect on the growth of plants, their phenology, plant-pollinator interactions, and reproductive success. Therefore, we tested the impact of three key factors (temperature, water, and nitrogen supply) on traits, pollination, and seed production in Sinapis alba (Brassicaceae). We grew the plants in differen...
Climate change is likely to have a complex effect on the growth of plants, their phenology, plant-pollinator interactions, and reproductive success. Therefore, we tested the impact of three key factors (temperature, water, and nitrogen supply) on traits, pollination, and seed production in Sinapis alba (Brassicaceae). We grew the plants in differen...
The Sundarbans, the largest mangrove forest in the world and a UNESCO world heritage site has been facing increasing pressure of habitat destruction. Yet, no study has been conducted to test how human disturbances are affecting plant-pollinator interactions in this unique ecosystem. Hence, we aimed to provide the first insight into the impact of ha...
Ecological network theory hypothesizes that the structuring of species interactions can convey stability to the system. Investigating how these structures react to species loss is fundamental for understanding network disassembly or their robustness. However, this topic has mainly been studied in‐silico so far.
Here, in an experimental manipulation...
The Sundarbans, the largest mangrove forest in the world and a UNESCO world heritage site has been facing an increasing pressure of habitat destruction. Yet, no study has been conducted to test how human disturbances are affecting plant-pollinator interactions in this unique ecosystem. Hence, our aim was to provide the first study of the impact of...
Ecological network theory hypothesizes a link between structure and stability, but this has mainly been investigated in-silico. In an experimental manipulation, we sequentially removed four generalist plants from real plant-pollinator networks and explored the effects on, and drivers of, species and interaction extinctions, network structure and in...
[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0224037.].
The way pollinators gather resources may play a key role for buffering their population declines. Social pollinators like bumblebees could adjust their foraging after significant workforce reductions to keep provisions to the colony optimal, especially in terms of pollen diversity and quantity. To test what effects a workforce reduction causes on t...
Despite a long tradition of research, our understanding of mechanisms driving prey selectivity in predatory insects is limited. According to optimal foraging theory, predators should prefer prey which provides the highest amount of energy per unit time. However, prey selectivity may also depend on previous diet and specific nutritional demands of t...
Species extinctions undermine ecosystem functioning, with the loss of a small subset of functionally important species having a disproportionate impact. However, little is known about the effects of species loss on plant-pollinator interactions. We addressed this issue in a field experiment by removing the plant species with the highest visitation...
Despite a long tradition of research, our understanding of mechanisms driving prey selectivity in predatory insects is limited. According to optimal foraging theory, predators should prefer prey which provides the highest amount of energy per unit time. However, prey selectivity may also depend on previous experience and nutritional demands driven...
Despite a long tradition of research, our understanding of mechanisms driving prey selectivity in predatory insects is limited. According to optimal foraging theory, predators should prefer prey which provides the highest amount of energy per unit time. However, prey selectivity may also depend on previous experience and nutritional demands driven...
The way pollinators gather resources may play a key role for buffering their population declines. Social pollinators like bumblebees could adjust their foraging after significant workforce reductions to keep provisions to the colony optimal, especially in terms of pollen quality, diversity, and quantity. To test what effects a workforce reduction c...
Hoverflies (Diptera: Syrphidae) are among the most important pollinators, although they attract less attention than bees. They are usually thought to be rather opportunistic flower visitors, although previous studied demonstrated that they show colour preferences and their nectar feeding is affected by morphological constraints related to flower mo...
Hoverflies (Diptera: Syrphidae) are among the most important pollinators, although they attract less attention than bees. They are usually thought to be rather opportunistic flower visitors, although previous studied demonstrated that they show colour preferences and their nectar feeding is affected by morphological constraints related to flower mo...
Hoverflies (Diptera: Syrphidae) are among the most important pollinators, although they attract less attention than bees. They are usually thought to be rather opportunistic flower visitors, although previous studied demonstrated that they show colour preferences and their nectar feeding is affected by morphological constraints related to flower mo...
Visitation of plants by different pollinators depends on individual plant traits, spatial context, and other factors. A neglected aspect of small-scale variation of plant–pollinator interactions is the role of vertical position of flowers. We conducted a series of experiments to study vertical stratification of plant–pollinator interactions in a dr...
Table S1. Complete inflorescence visitation data from the experiment on the role of inflorescence height and the height of the surrounding vegetation in Centaurea scabiosa and Inula salicina
The number of inflorescence visits on individual plants in experimental transects surrounded by short or tall vegetation is shown for each flower visitor speci...
Table S3. Records of individual visits of inflorescences of Salvia verticillata
Identity of a flower visitor and the number of flowers probed is provided for each inflorescence visit on individual plants. Three ramets per plant were observed and can be distinguished by different inflorescence height.
Table S2. Total visitation of inflorescences of Salvia verticillata depending on inflorescence height.
Total number of visitors arriving in each inflorescence during one recording period of approximately 30 minutes is provided for three ramets per plant differing in inflorescence height. Total number of flower visits during the recording period is...
Table S4. Seed set in individual ramets of Salvia verticillata in relation to inflorescence height.
The number of flowers and the number of developed seeds was counted in individual whorls in inflorescences of each Salvia verticillata plant. Three ramets differing in inflorescence height were used in each plant. Inflorescences were composed of the...
Interactions between plants and their pollinators vary in time and space at different scales. A neglected aspect of small-scale variation of plant-pollinator interactions is the role of vertical position of flowers. We conducted a series of experiments to study vertical stratification of plant-pollinator interactions in a dry grassland. We observed...
Visitation of plants by different pollinators depends on individual plant traits, spatial context, and other factors. A neglected aspect of small-scale variation of plant-pollinator interactions is the role of vertical position of flowers. We conducted a series of experiments to study vertical stratification of plant-pollinator interactions in a dr...
Species extinctions undermine ecosystem functioning, with the loss of a small subset of functionally important species having a disproportionate impact. However, little is known about the effects of species loss on plant-pollinator interactions. We addressed this issue in a field experiment by removing the plant species most frequently visited by i...
Hoverflies (Diptera: Syrphidae) are among the most important pollinators, although they attract less attention than bees. They are usually thought to be rather opportunistic flower visitors, although previous studied demonstrated that they show colour preferences and their nectar feeding is affected by morphological constraints related to flower mo...
Interactions between plants and their pollinators vary in time and space at different scales. A neglected aspect of small-scale variation of plant-pollinator interactions is the role of vertical position of flowers. We conducted a series of experiments to study vertical stratification of plant-pollinator interactions in a dry grassland. We observed...
Plants often grow in clusters of various sizes and have a variable number of flowers per inflorescence. This small-scale spatial clustering affects insect foraging strategies and plant reproductive success. In our study, we aimed to determine how visitation rate and foraging behaviour of pollinators depend on the number of flowers per plant and on...
Data from the first experiment on flower visitation of individual plants with a variable number of flowers.
(CSV)
Data on honeybee handling time per flower: Feeding time and total time spent per flower.
(CSV)
Data from the second experiment on flower visitation of clusters of multiple plants.
(CSV)
Plants often grow in clusters of various sizes and have a variable number of flowers per inflorescence. This small-scale spatial clustering affects insect foraging strategies and plant reproductive success. In our study, we aimed to determine how visitation rate and foraging behaviour of pollinators depend on the number of flowers per plant and on...
Post-industrial sites, including fly ash deposits, are common landscape components in many Central European regions. Their effective restoration is thus crucial because such habitats have been recognised as critical secondary refuges for many endangered and declining species. Controversially, the overwhelming majority of restoration projects consid...
Spatial heterogeneity is a factor generally considered to promote biodiversity of a given habitat. We studied a colonization of isolated, newly formed pools with different heterogeneity levels (with and without artificial vegetation) and permanence (temporary and permanent). Using mayflies (Ephemeroptera) as a model group, we estimated the effect o...
Understanding the potential of animals to quickly respond to changing temperatures is imperative for predicting the effects of climate change on biodiversity. Ectotherms, such as insects, use behavioural thermoregulation to keep their body temperature within suitable limits. Behavioural thermoregulation may be particularly important at warm margins...
Understanding the potential of animals to immediately respond to changing temperatures is imperative for predicting the effects of climate change on biodiversity. Ectothermic animals, such as insects, use behavioural thermoregulation to keep their body temperature within suitable limits. It may be particularly important at warm margins of species o...
Papua New Guinea is one of the most valuable tropical regions but ecological research of its freshwater invertebrates has been lacking. The goal of this paper is to evaluate the species richness, diversity and structure of aquatic insect assemblages in different habitats in the Wanang River catchment in a well-preserved lowland rainforest. Assembla...
This experiment was conducted to test how the structure of plant-pollinator networks respond to invasion by different plant species.
Dispersal and the underlying movement behaviour are processes of pivotal importance for understanding and predicting metapopulation and metacommunity dynamics. Generally, dispersal decisions are condition-dependent and rely on information in the broad sense, like the presence of conspecifics. However, studies on metacommunities that include intersp...
Predictions from theory, field data, and experiments have shown that high landscape connectivity promotes higher species richness than low connectivity. However, examples demonstrating high diversity in low connected landscapes also exist. Here we describe the many factors that drive landscape connectivity at different spatiotemporal scales by vary...
Dispersal, and the underlying movement behaviour, are processes of pivotal importance for understanding and predicting metapopulation and metacommunity dynamics. Generally, dispersal decisions are non-random and rely on information, such as the presence of conspecifics. However, studies on metacommunities that include interspecific interactions gen...
1.Laboratory microcosm experiments using protists as model organisms have a long tradition and are widely used to investigate general concepts in population biology, community ecology and evolutionary biology. Many variables of interest are measured in order to study processes and patterns at different spatiotemporal scales and across all levels of...
The structure of food webs is frequently described using phenomenological stochastic models. A prominent example, the niche model, was found to produce artificial food webs resembling real food webs according to a range of summary statistics. However, the size structure of food webs generated by the niche model and real food webs has not yet been r...
Structurally complex habitats provide cover and may hinder the movement of animals. In predator-prey relationships, habitat structure can decrease predation risk when it provides refuges for prey or hinders foraging activity of predators. However, it may also provide shelter, supporting structures and perches for sit-and-wait predators and hence in...
Freshwater food webs are dominated by aquatic invertebrates whose trophic relationships are often poorly known. Here, I used laboratory experiments to study the role of a water bug, Sigara striata, as a potential predator and prey in food webs of stagnant waters. Multiple-choice predation experiment revealed that Sigara, which had been considered m...
