Leader

Tomasz Borowik
Academic title:
dr. habil.
Position:
Adjunct
Unit:
Biogeography — leader

Staff

Pracownik Stanowisko
prof Bogumiła Jędrzejewska Profesor
dr hab. Magdalena Niedziałkowska Adiunkt
dr Krzysztof Niedziałkowski Adiunkt
dr Tomasz Podgórski Adiunkt
mgr Kamila Plis Adiunkt
mgr Maciej Sykut Biolog
mgr Dominika Koprowska Biolog
Andrzej Waszkiewicz Laborant
   

About the unit

The Unit’s research interests are processes and ecological patterns at the broad spatio-temporal scale. We explore the following questions: (1) the significance of current and historical ecological factors and environmental impacts on the large-scale genetic variability of mammalian populations; (2) the role of habitat and forage productivity, as well as predation and other mortality factors in shaping the dynamics, population density and indices of reproduction in mammals; (3) biogeographic patterns in variability of the predator-prey relationships; and (4) the influence of large herbivores on the tree regeneration and structure of Białowieża Forest taking into account other ecological factors, i.e. the history of human utilization, abiotic conditions. Our research objects are ungulates (moose, red deer, roe deer, wild boar), rodents (bank vole, yellow-necked mouse) and wolf. Our methodological approach includes methods of intensive field surveys at the local scale (telemetry, assessments of population size, photo-trapping, vegetation measurements), collection of genetic samples at the regional and continental scale and laboratory analyzes (molecular genetics), as well as meta-analysis of ecological data and GIS techniques.

FOTO: One of the reasearch project explores the influence of large herbivores on the structure and regeneration of trees in Białowieża Forest