Research themes

We investigate lakes and their catchment areas to understand the effects of climate change and land use on lake quality, structure, and functioning. In the case of fish communities in particular, we examine their nutritional quality, for example, through mercury, lipid  and amino acid analyses.

Using the Glanville fritillary butterfly as a model organism, we investigate how human-induced environmental changes, such as climate change and habitat fragmentation, affect natural populations. We are particularly interested in understanding the mechanisms, ranging from genetic variation to landscape structure, that different species rely on to potentially reduce the adverse effects of these changes and adapt to the changing environment.

Research project studies how prey phenotypes are shaped by interactions with predators. With focus on avian predators, we run experiments asking birds which types of prey they can find and are willing to eat. In the new bird facilities in LBS it is possible run predator assays with wild birds that are held briefly in captivity. Using a variety of different experimental setups, birds will encounter stimuli that vary in appearance, chemical composition, or behaviour, to determine how these characteristics can help to protect prey from their enemies. Project uses also this system for more applied behavioural assays with a focus on avian conservation. 

For more than 40 years, an uninterrupted project has been ongoing in Lammi’s forest landscapes on the habitat choices, changes in abundance, regional variation, mutual relations and general biodiversity indicator species of nesting birds. A particular focus is on hole nesters and their habitat structure, as well as on the significance of hollow trees and hole nests to the biodiversity of the forest environment.

Understanding how individuals and populations differ in terms of the contagiousness and spread of pathogens is key to predicting and preventing the effects of diseases among humans and the rest of nature. Among other areas, the focus in this context is on how environmental factors and simultaneous pathogenic infections affect the spread of the Puumala  virus and the hantavirus  in the vole population. Such knowledge is directly linked to people’s risk of contracting a disease. Disease ecology is investigated through laboratory and field experiments as well as mathematical modelling.

The ecology of wetlands has been studied primarily in the Evo region of Lammi for 40 years. Key research themes include the population ecology of ducks and the role of beavers as ecosystem engineers. The beaver is a significant species in small water systems and coastal forests, affecting, among other things, the carbon cycle, forest structure and the variability of wetland patches in the landscape. The research focuses on, among other things, how beavers enrich wetland speci es. This can be seen, for example, through lichens and insects living within fallen trees as well as water beetles, amphibians, aquatic birds, bats and land mammals living in the flood basin  and on its edges.

Pikeperch is becoming more abundant in Finland. At the same time there are increasing signs that pikeperch are growing slower. Pikeperch is one of the most important catch species in the lakeland region of Finland, and decrease in growth rate may cause significant challenges for fisheries. 

Project focuses on studying the growth rate of pikeperch in lake Pääjärvi in Lammi, and how large is the proportion of stocked pikeperch in the population. Project analyses how stocking and other factors have affected to current state. 

Project aims to analyse effect of different measures for management of slow growing pikeperch stocks, to sustain the productivity and sustainability of pikeperch fishing.