Description of research and teaching

Insects dominate the world, both in terms of abundance and diversity. In my research, I have therefore focused on the processes that structure insect populations and communities worldwide. During the last few years, I have been particularly interested in how the spatial context may affect interactions between plants, herbivorous insects and their natural enemies. While much of classical herbivore-plant ecology has been focusing on the role of local host plant quality as a determinant of herbivore densities, my colleagues and I have been able to partition spatiotemporal variation in host plant quality into different hierarchical levels, to show that variation among host plant individuals is frequently secondary to variation at other levels, and to ascribe regional patterns in herbivore distribution and abundance to spatial population processes beyond the previous top-bottom paradigm. In addition to showing effects on ecological population dynamics, we have also demonstrated how spatial context affects microevolutionary processes such as local adaptation. Overall, I believe that these insights pave the way for a novel, more dynamic view on trophic interactions in spatially structured landscapes. They also help identify how and why human modification of the landscape may affect interactions among species.

In my latest research, I have increasingly used quantitative food webs as descriptors of how insects interact with other trophic levels. As key initiatives, I aim to address general patterns across multiple local food webs, and to link food web structure to food web functioning. For more information on our research group, click here.

In terms of instruction, I currently serve as a University Lecturer, teaching regular courses on ecological processes in agricultural landscapes. I have also trained students in communicating their scientific findings to a broader audience than traditional academia.