Research Group
Biodiversity

Our group focuses on different levels of biodiversity in mountain ranges. Alongside studying the spatiotemporal evolution and diversification of plants in the Alps and other regions both at the intraspecific and at the interspecific levels, we address the effects of climate and land use change at the level of individuals, populations, and plant communities.

Our research relies on data derived from molecular genetics and genomics, flow cytometry and morphometry as well as experimental and observational field research, population and vegetation ecology. The overarching goal is to reconstruct the origin and to understand the make-up of the high biodiversity of mountain areas.

conducting vegetation plots for the GLORIA project at 3420 m in the Central Alps, South Tyrol. — Conducting vegetation plots for the GLORIA project at 3420 m in the Central Alps, South Tyrol.

Flowering Impatiens glandulifera — *Impatiens glandulifera,* invasive plant species

Processing the extracted plant DNA in the laboratory

Main research topics

Intraspecific diversification (phylogeography) and microevolution (speciation processes)
Biogeography of different biomes (e.g., mountains, steppes, forests)
Systematics and taxonomy of various flowering plant groups
Impact and management of alien plants (neophytes)
Vegetation dynamics and monitoring of global change effects