Forest integrity can be expressed through the degree of anthropogenic modification and the extent to which human influences diminish many of the benefits that forests provide. Using an indicator of forest health (Forest Landscape Integrity) we are evaluating the impact of human-driven degradation on the biotic community in Finland’s boreal forests. We study how native species, such as forest reindeer, pine marten, lynx and mountain hare, can be more abundant in forests with higher integrity, whereas invasive species that thrive in human-altered landscapes, that have recently arrived in Finland like brown hare and roe deer, were more common in degraded areas. Our work importance of testing global indices within biotic environments to provide more effective and practical recommendations for forest management at smaller scale.
For more info see our publication in Oecologia.
We are investigating whether structurally complex habitat features are selected by the Eurasian lynx and whether prey availability affects habitat choices. Predators are often faced with a trade-off between habitat suitable for catching prey and prey availability. In the case of the Eurasian lynx, structurally complex forest can help it approach and ambush prey species, but the primary prey species of hare and cervids often favour more open habitats of lower complexity. Due to differences in prey availability across lynx range in Finland, we are able to investigate how habitat selection and the importance of habitat types differ according to prey availability.
To get some 'first-hand' insight into how the lynx experiences its habitat visit Hidden Paws, a video game developed by Davide Cariola, Donato Bitetto and Valerio Vacca based on a concept of Francesca Malcangi developed through her research.
WildER visiting researcher Ira Topličanec is using habitat variables, species co-occurrence patterns, and disease/toxicology data from wolves and lynx to model community dynamics in the Dinaric Alps of Croatia. She uses Joint Species Distribution Modelling to understand how environment, species interactions, and health jointly shape mammal distributions.
Recent technological development in the field of bioacoustics is enabling insight into communication in elusive species and enlightening communication essential for reproduction, territory defense, predator avoidance, foraging, and group cohesion with consequences for behaviour both at the species and interspecies level. In this project we focus on a primarily solitary species exhibiting low density and large home ranges to understand how acoustic communication is used in their interactions. PhD research Lisa Treiber is investigating Eurasian lynx communication at the individual and species level and seeing how their communication affects the species communities they interact with.
Coexistence between humans and large carnivores is critical in an era of expanding human footprints and shrinking wild spaces. As Eurasian brown bears increasingly share landscapes with communities, conflicts over safety, livestock, and resources threaten both human livelihoods and bear conservation. Our research group investigates innovative, technology-driven solutions—from AI-powered real-time alert systems to non-lethal deterrents—that reduce these tensions while fostering coexistence. By understanding bear behavior and human perceptions, we aim to create proactive strategies that protect people, minimize economic losses, and safeguard bear populations. Our work not only addresses immediate conflicts but also contributes to broader goals of ecological resilience and sustainable coexistence in a rapidly changing world. PhD student Kasper Mickos' work focuses on the testing of predator reactions to human speech as a predator deterrent, while our work with cooperative partner Kim Hendrikse allows us to develop and test technology for alerting and deterrence.
The amphipod crustacean Palaseopsis quadrispinosa inhabits lakes and springs in Finland getting its scientific name from its four dorsal spines. But in the springs it inhabits the spines are either reduced or non-existent. The difference in predator assemblages in the spring vs lake populations seems to has lead to divergence in morphology. With thousands of years of separation between the amphipod populations, it appears that the reduction of spines has happened independently in each population indicating selection as the cause for smaller spines. The P. quadrispinosa system offers a unique opportunity to study the effect of predation or the lack thereof on animal behaviour and morphology.