Overview

I am a community ecologist who uses island ecosystem and network theory to address urgent conservation questions. A central part of my work aims to quantify the impact of humans on mutualistic interactions and their functions. I am particularly interested in the drivers of interactions in mutualistic networks (e.g. pollination, seed dispersal), which determine biodiversity organisation and persistence. I am equally interested in quantifying detailed species interactions and identifying their role in shaping ecosystem processes. Most of my research is at the interface of empirical and theoretical ecology and applied community conservation.

I'm a co-founder of ConScience, the Conservation Science Hub at the University of Exeter

Broad research specialisms:

I’m interested in the impact of humans on ecosystem functioning and I’m using a network approach to test theoretical and applied questions in an island setting.

Two excerpts of the film "Seychelles, un paradis en héritage" by Pierre Lane, a Camera Lucida production (2016). The material shown here is for non-commercial and educational purposes only.

Qualifications

2015: Habilitation in Ecology (TU Darmstadt, Germany)
2006: Dr sc. nat. in Environmental Sciences (University of Zurich, Switzerland)
2002: Diploma in Biology (University of Bonn, Germany)

Career

2018–present  Senior Lecturer, Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, UK
2015–present  Honorary Fellow at the University of Seychelles
2017   Heisenberg Fellow, Ecological Networks, TU Darmstadt
2013–2017   Senior Research Fellow, Prof. Nico Blüthgen, TU Darmstadt, Germany
2010–2013    Research Fellow, Prof. Jens Olesen, Ecology & Genetics, Aarhus University, Denmark
2008–2010    Post-doc, Prof. Peter Edwards, Plant Ecology, ETH Zurich, Switzerland
2007–2010    Post-doc, Prof. Jaboury Ghazoul, Ecosystem Management, ETH Zurich, Switzerland
2006–2010    Managing Editor, Biotropica, Association of Tropical Biology & Conservation

Links

• ORCID
• ORCID
• Google Scholar
• Research gate

Research group links

• Ecosystems

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Research

Research interests

Human impacts on ecological systems and processes are pervasive. The underlying rationale of my research is the need for insight into natural ecological resilience and evolutionary processes to assess ecosystem responses to change. Three aspects of this rationale drive my research:

1. Knowledge on communities and species’ interactions allows insights into the complex response of natural systems to change

2. Humans are at the centre of the change, and their actions define them as key players in any ecosystem

3. It is the ultimate responsibility of ecologists to consider and communicate the consequences of their findings to assist with applied biodiversity conservation and sustainable coexistence.

With this in mind, I use community ecology theory and tools derived from a network approach to address urgent ecosystem ecology and conservation questions. A central part of my work aims to identify the drivers of interactions in mutualistic networks, which determine biodiversity organisation and persistence. I am equally interested in quantifying detailed species interactions and identifying their role in shaping ecosystem processes. Most of my research is at the interface of empirical and theoretical ecology and applied community conservation

Currently I am pursuing three main research avenues:

I. Experimentally assessing the impact of ecological restoration and invasive species on ecosystem integrity. Here I use mutualistic (pollination, seed dispersal) and antagonistic (seed predation, floral larceny) networks to quantify the community response of habitat restoration and invasive alien species on ecosystem functions and ultimately plant reproductive performance.

II. Developing and implementing research and application strategies to use network theory in applied biodiversity conservation. This multi-facetted work encompasses various aspects of network ecology (including dynamic and structural equation modelling), conservation biology, applied restoration, and hard- and software development for evidence-based conservation.

III. Researching the ecology and evolution of palm forest community and thereby providing the foundation for adaptive management. Together with the Seychelles Islands Foundation, I work to understand the biotic and abiotic dynamics in the ancient coco de mer dominated palm forest of the Vallée de Mai, a natural UNESCO site in the Seychelles. The research is identified by the need for sustainable management of the site and the long-term mitigation of threats such as invasive alien species, poaching and habitat degradation.

Research projects

Spatio-temporal response patterns of ecological networks to anthropogenic stressors

This research includes two projects that aim to advance understanding of the mechanisms that link environmental threats (e.g. invasive species) and the mitigation of these threats (e.g. through ecological restoration) to ecosystem functioning, and provide predictions on how to sustain ecosystem functions (e.g. pollination, seed dispersal) under future scenarios of biodiversity loss.

1. Spatio-temporal responses of ecosystem functions to ecological restoration

This project will address the longer-term spatio-temporal responses of the removal of alien species on native mutualistic (pollination and seed dispersal) and antagonistic (nectar and pollen thieves and seed predator) interactions between species. We will use community field experiments in the Seychelles to evaluate the net gains and losses to native plant fitness of both interaction types and analyse their direct and indirect effects on community dynamics by implementing a multilayer network approach.

The research is carried out by Alba Costa, in collaboration with Ruben Heleno at the University of Coimbra. You can follow our research projects on ResearchGate.

2. Predicting the effects of exotic species on network structure and the consequences for ecosystem functions

Here, we will investigate changes in pollinator behaviour in response to two types of community-level interventions: the removal of invasive alien plants (restoration experiment), and the augmentation of alien honey bees in plant-pollinator communities (augmentation experiment). We will evaluate how alien and native super-generalist pollinators exert competition for floral resources on less abundant flower-visitors in pollination networks and contribute to pollination success of endangered plants under the two experimental scenarios. Further, we will model interaction dynamics of pollination networks with cost and fitness functions to account for intra- and interspecific competition between alien and native pollinators.

The research is carried out by Arturo Lonighi, in collaboration with Gita Benadi and Jochen Fründ, University of Freiburg, and Benjamin Mauroy, University of Nice. You can follow our research projects on ResearchGate

The ecology, evolution, and conservation of an ancient palm forest community

1. The pollination ecology of coco de mer Lodoicea maldivica

The iconic coco de mer is endemic to the Seychelles and the largest seeded plant in the world. The species grows in monodominant stands only on the islands of Praslin and Curieuse, with the largest population in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Vallée de Mai. Previous work has shown that coco de mer is central to the stability of the palm forest ecosystem, with numerous palm forest endemics directly and indirectly depending on the survival of coco de mer.

Little is known to date about the reproductive ecology of the species, which is critical to the long-term survival of this ancient plant species and the associated flora and fauna. Together with the Seychelles Islands Foundation, partners from ETH Zurich, and herpetological experts from Mauritius (Dr Nik Cole, Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust) we are studying the pollination ecology of coco de mer by applying field experiments, observations, molecular techniques, and field technologies to track movements of potential pollinators.

2. The ecology of the threatened giant bronze gecko Ailuronyx trachygaster and its role as top predator in an endemic palm forest ecosystem

Another key species in the Vallée de Mai palm forest ecosystem is the elusive and iconic giant bronze geckos A. trachygaster. The giant bronze gecko is a canopy-dwelling, rare, highly specialised species with a tiny distribution, which is most commonly seen feeding on male coco de mer catkins. Its ecological role as apex predator with a very restricted range in the palm forest ecosystem is unknown, which renders the species highly vulnerable to loss or degradation of its habitat, the spread of invasive species and poaching for the illegal wildlife trade.

Finally, I am currently developing new research projects on the impact of invasive mammals on island invertebrates, together with my colleagues Dr Sara Rocha, Prof. Tom Gilbert and Dr Nancy Bunbury. We aim to use advanced molecular methods and bioinformatics to evaluate the impact of predation by invasive mammals on native fauna and the consequences for food web structure and ecosystem functioning.

Grants/Funding:

2018 – 2021 Effects of global change on small island trophic meta-networks. Spanish Research Council, £132,000; PI: Prof. Anna Traveset; Cols: Heleno, Olesen, Nogales, Kaiser-Bunbury et al.

2017 – 2020  Spatio-temporal response patterns of ecological networks to anthropogenic stressors. German Research Foundation, £405,000; PI: Kaiser-Bunbury; Cols: Heleno, Benadi, Fründ, Mauroy.

2015 – 2018  Importance of single and double plant-vertebrate mutualisms on islands: double benefits and double risks? A comparative study across three archipelagos. Spanish Research Council, £117,000; PI: Prof. Anna Traveset; Cols: Heleno, Olesen, Nogales, Kaiser-Bunbury et al.

2014 – 2017 Habitat restoration of Seychelles’ upland forest: community engagement and long-term effects on ecosystem integrity. Environment Trust Fund Seychelles and Small Grants Projects UNDP/GEF, £8,100 and £50,000, resp.; PI: Kaiser-Bunbury; Cols: James Mougal and Seychelles National Parks Authority.

2010 – 2017  A novel experimental approach with complex pollination network analysis to quantify the impact of habitat restoration on ecosystem integrity. German Research Foundation (2013-2017), and Swiss National Science Foundation (2010-2013), £270,000 and £125,000, resp. PI: Kaiser-Bunbury.

2007 – 2016  Demographic structure, reproduction and genetic diversity of coco de mer Lodoicea maldivica. ETH Zurich, £179,000; PI: Dr Chris Kettle; Cols: Kaiser-Bunbury, Edwards.

2012 – 2016 Functional ecology of native and invasive flora of Seychelles. ETH Zurich, £4,000; PI: Prof. Christoph Kueffer; Cols: Kaiser-Bunbury.

2013 ­– 2016  From understanding to predicting: Giant tortoises as drivers of the seed dispersal network of Aldabra. Swiss National Science Foundation, £180,000; PI: Dr Dennis Hansen; Cols: Kaiser-Bunbury.

2007– 2010   Using plant–pollinator networks to identify barriers to plant reproduction and population viability of endangered endemics on Seychelles’ inselbergs. Swiss National Science Foundation, £62,000; PI: Kaiser-Bunbury.

2007 – 2010  Ecological and genetic processes underlying Allee effects among plant populations in the context of divergent population histories.  ETHIIRA, ETH Zurich, £193,000; PI: Prof. Jaboury Ghazoul; Cols: Kaiser-Bunbury, Kettle.

Research networks

For the last 15 years I pursued my research in perfectly-suited natural laboratories—first in Mauritius, then in the Seychelles (Biodiversity Hotspots in the Western Indian Ocean), together with highly engaged and committed collaborators, colleagues, students, and policy makers. With my colleagues and partners from local NGOs (SIF, PCA, ICS), parastatal (SNPA) and governmental organisations (UNDP/GEF, MEECC), local (UniSey) and international universities (ETH Zurich, University of Zurich, DICE, CSIC-UIB, Aarhus University, CCT-CONICET, TU Darmstadt) and research institutes (Senckenberg BiK-F), I work towards combining the outcomes of my research with achieving goals and objectives outlined in institutional management plants, national research and conservation agendas (e.g. SSDS, SNBSAP) and multilateral environmental agreements (e.g. CBD).

My main collaborators in the Seychelles are:

• Seychelles National Parks Authority (SNPA)
• Seychelles Islands Foundation (SIF)
• Plant Conservation Action group (PCA)
• University of Seychelles (UniSey)
• Island Conservation Society (ICS)

Internationally, I currently collaborate closely with

• Ruben Heleno – University of Coimbra
• Anna Traveset – CSIC and University of Mallorca
• Jens M. Olesen – Aarhus University
• Nico Blüthgen – TU Darmstadt
• Chris Kettle – ETH Zurich and DIVERSITY International
• Gita Benadi – University of Freiburg
• Jochen Fründ – University of Freiburg
• Benjamin Mauroy – University of Nice
• Sara Rocha – University of Vigo

Research grants

• 2017 German Research Foundation (DFG)
  Ecological restoration is employed widely in biodiversity conservation to counteract ecosystem degradation and slow the loss of diversity. Yet the efficacy of restoration interventions for supporting self-sustaining communities has rarely been quantified. Instead of focussing only on species as the unit of study, researchers and conservationists aim to understand, preserve and restore ecosystem functioning, which is largely maintained by interactions between species. Here, we aim to advance understanding of the mechanisms that link environmental threats (e.g. invasive species) and the mitigation of these threats (e.g. through ecological restoration) to ecosystem functioning, and provide predictions on how to sustain ecosystem functions (e.g. pollination) under future scenarios of biodiversity loss.

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Publications

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External Engagement and Impact

Awards

Heisenberg Fellowship 2017, German Research Foundation DFG

Committee/panel activities

• Insect and People of the Southwest Indian Ocean, USA/Madagascar – since 2016
• Seychelles – ETH Research Platform – co-founder 2015
• Plant Conservation Action Group (PCA), Seychelles – since 2006

Editorial responsibilities

Reviewer of >35 international journals including  Biol Invasions, Conserv Biol, Ecol Letters, Funct Ecol, Nature Ecol & Evol, Methods Ecol & Evol, J Ecol, Ecology, J Applied Ecology, Proceedings B

Reviewer and contributor to national policy documents and strategies, such as:

• National Coco de Mer Policy and Cabinet Paper, Ministry of Environment, Seychelles (2015)
• Seychelles Sustainable Development Plan 2011–2020 (2010)
• Seychelles National Strategy for Plant Conservation 2005–2010 (2010)
• Plant Conservation Research Agenda 2008–2015

Editorial Manager of Biotropica from 2006- 2010.

Media Coverage

Selected

• Seychelles News Agency, Landmark study shows hope for restoring native plant communities, 02/2017
• The Scientist, Restoring a Native Island Habitat, 01/2017
• BBC News, Restoring native plants boosts pollination, 01/2017
• Science, Removing invasive plants is good for the birds and the bees, 01/2017
• France Ô television, Seychelles, un paradis en héritage. 01/2017
• National Geographic Magazine, In the Seychelles, Taking Aim at Nature’s Bullies, 03/2016
• Science News, How slow plants make ridiculous seeds, 02/05/2015
• Discover (Inkfish blog), The palm tree that waters and fertilizes itself, 17/03/2015
• New Scientist, The secret of the world's largest seed revealed, 06/02/2015
• Seychelles News Agency, Bridging the divide between research and action, 05/11/2014
• New Scientist, Flying Conservationist, 12/10/2013
• BBC Radio 4, From Our Own Correspondent, 16/07/2011

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Teaching

• BIO2406 - Biodiversity and Conservation (co-taught with Dr Nicola Weber)
• BIO2407 - Population and Community Ecology (co-taught with Dr Xavier Harrison)

Modules

2023/24

• BIO2407 - Population and Community Ecology

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Supervision / Group

Postgraduate researchers

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Office Hours:

Office hours are Tuesday 11:00-12:00 and Friday 12:00-13:00. Tuesday meetings are in my office at Stella Turk, 1st floor, and for the online meetings on Friday please follow the link below to join at the specific times

Friday: Join Microsoft Teams Meeting

If you cannot make these times/days please drop me an email and we arrange a meeting. 

I'm also PGR Pastoral Tutor for International Students. If you're an international PGR student in need of pastoral support, please send me an email and we arrange a meeting.

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