From Malagasy Jungle to Viikki Lab

Ilkka Hanski: The Centre of Excellence in Metapopulation Biology

Many centres of excellence iconduct research in collaboration with other universities around Finland. With the Centre of Excellence in Metapopulation Biology the situation is reversed: all the researchers in the centre work at the Department of Biosciences, which is located at the Viikki Campus in Helsinki. However, the unit is extremely diverse. Among the team of about 50 people there are ecologists, conservation biologists, molecular biologists, cancer researchers, mathematicians and computer scientists from more than ten countries.

– I am highly appreciative of the value internationality has brought to our working community, says the head of the unit, Academy Professor Ilkka Hanski.

– Multidisciplinary research best progresses when researchers from different fields of study are in contact on a daily basis. When we’re dealing with each other the whole time it helps us gain an important level of mutual understanding.

The Centre of Excellence in Metapopulation Biology studies the effects that the physical structure of species habitats have on their ecology, the genetic make-up of populations and evolution. The Centre, which has been in existence since 2000, has concentrated its research on the depletion of habitats and the effects of fragmentation on various species.

The research is a combination of laboratory work, mathematical modeling and fieldwork carried out in other parts of the world. The Åland islands, between Finland and Sweden, and Madagaskar off the east coast of Africa have been particularly important research sites.

– A recent example is the interaction between the ecology of species and evolution. In laboratory investigations it has been discovered that the gene affecting the metabolism of the Glanville Fritillary butterfly, found in the Åland islands, varies considerably. Tests reveal that the genotype of the individual has an effect on, for example, the ability to fly, which in turn explains the differences found in the field research.

With the help of mathematical models, it has been possible to examine how gene variation affects the dynamics of small populations and equally/by the same token, how the population dynamics alter the gene’s allele frequency and promote genetic diversity more broadly.

Hanski stresses that most of the work done in the unit is basic research that aims to get an even better understanding of biological processes. Even so, the work has engendered a number of practical applications.

A few years ago the Metsähallitus (the body responsible for managing the Finland’s forests) was given the task of selecting 10,000 hectares of forest for conservation. With methods developed by Professor Atte Moilanen of the Finnish Centre of Excellence in Metapopulation Biology optimization analysis was conducted on the 10 million hectares of forest under their jurisdiction.

– The forest will come out high on the optimization scale if it is in a natural state or its stock is old. A wooded area’s value is also contingent on its location relative to other forests. The value of areas in proximity to high-quality woodland increases since the woodlands’ interconnectivity has a bearing on the vitality of species over a greater area, Hanski explains.

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Text: Tuomo Tamminen
Photo: Linda Tammisto
Video: Claudia Gorr
Translation: first-year students of English, rev. John Calton