iNTERACT

Apr 1, 2021 · 1 min read
project

Description

Land-use intensification is a major threat to biodiversity, affecting natural pest control and pollination services. While impacts at community levels are well documented, we focus on a mechanistic understanding of pathways impacting the health of beneficial arthropods. With field experiments, we will (1) test the effects of resource availability, landscape structure and pesticide application on the gut microbiome of pollinators (bumblebees), biocontrol agents (ground beetles) and pest species (pollen beetle) as a proxy for organismic health, and (2) identify the subsequent impact on performance (colony performance of bumblebees, abundances of carabids). With our interdisciplinary team, we seek to support healthy beneficial insect populations for sustainable agricultural landscapes, with high relevance for the EU 2030 Biodiversity Strategy and Nature Restoration Plan in general.

Funding

UFZ and iDiv Support funds 2021

Principal Investigators

Official website

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INTERACT Past
Christophe Dominik
Authors
Christophe Dominik
Scientist / Postdoctoral Researcher
I am an ecologist looking at patterns of biodiversity and associated ecosystem services at different spatial and temporal scales. As a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Community Ecology at the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), I investigate how pollinators and the services they provide are influenced by landscape and land-use intensity. My main research interests focus on landscape ecology, macroecology, agro-ecology, pollination services and biological control.