VERG at University of Turku, Finland:
A coalition of several researchers (PIs) conducting empirical work on wild vertebrate populations
The Vertebrate Ecology Research Group (VERG) is a coalition of several Principal Investigators and their students. The main thrust of the group is empirical work on wild vertebrate populations, especially focusing on long-term studies and large-scale experiments. VERG team members study fundamental questions of ecology and evolution: trade-offs in life history decisions and behaviors, population
20/11/2020
It has been three years since this last VERG post! Since that day much has happened. The activity in this community went to pause due to people moving around, but the work continued. Most of the PhD students at the time have already gotten their PhDs, and the last ones are about to do that soon. Others have moved to senior post docs or scientists, or to professors. Now there would seem to be a momentum to begin fresh again as the community.
10/11/2017
Today we had our own tight half-day seminar In Ruissalo Botanical Garden and then some outdoors activity to catch the last rays of sun. Nice :-)
28.9.2017: Population dynamics of two beaver species in Finland
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Population dynamics of two beaver species in Finland Two beaver species are found in Finland: The invasive North American and the native Eurasian beaver. Both were (re-)introduced in the 1930s at several sites in Finland after the last Eurasian beavers were hunted to extinction in the late 19th century. North-American beaver population increased rapid...
26.9.2017: Habitat use of coexisting Microtus vole species under competition and predation risk.
Habitat use of coexisting Microtus vole species under competition and predation risk Both interspecific competitors and predation risk can modify the habitat use of a species. In nature these factors rarely operate in isolation and thus knowing which factors is more prominent in causing observed habitat use patterns is challenging. In large outdoor enclosures, we studied the habitat...
28/09/2017
20.9.2017: Jenni Poutanen interviewed by YLE on white-tailed deer project
Kakkapussit ja kamerat apuna, kun valkohäntäpeurojen määrästä yritetään ottaa selvää 1930-luvulla Suomeen tuotu valkohäntäpeura viihtyy ja voi hyvin. Kannan määrästä on olemassa enemmän tietoa kuin arvaus, m***a nyt tarvitaan täsmällistä tietoa tärkeästä riistaeläimestä.
25.9.2017: Insect herbivory may cause changes in the visual properties of leaves and affect the camouflage of herbivores to avian predators. Insectivorous birds are able to detect herbivore-damaged trees
Insect herbivory may cause changes in the visual properties of leaves and affect the camouflage of herbivores to avian predators Insectivorous birds are able to detect herbivore-damaged trees even when the herbivores and the damage have been removed from the birds’ sight, indicating that birds use cues related to the systemic responses by plants. However, the mechanism behind this behaviour is not clear, as previous studies s...
22.9.2017: Effects of Insect Herbivory on Bilberry Production and Removal of Berries by Frugivores. Most of the seed dispersal is mediated by vertebrates, mainly via birds and mammals.
Effects of Insect Herbivory on Bilberry Production and Removal of Berries by Frugivores Most of the seed dispersal is mediated by vertebrates, mainly via birds and mammals. For this reason, fruits should be highly rewarding to these mutualists. However, insect herbivory can cause allocation cost to plants by decreasing resources invested e.g. in fruit yield, as well as ecological costs...
11.9.2017: Measures of assortative mating may be biased by environmentally-driven resemblance of partners. http://www.utu.fi/en/units/sci/units/biology/research/projects/verg/Pages/Blog110917.aspx
Järvinen et al..2017. Experimental manipulation of nest height does not support the hypothesis that birds build thicker nests for better thermoregulation of their offspring.
09/09/2017
Tuuli-Marjaana Koski after an interesting and successful defense with the opponent Prof. Julia Koricheva and custos Prof. Erkki Korpimäki. Congratulations Tuuli!
Meidän Tuuli väittelee parin tunnin kuluttua/Our Tuuli has her PhD defense today. Exciting!
Reaktiot kasvinsyöjien aiheuttamiin vaurioihin voivat vaikuttaa sekä kasvinsyöjiin että kasvin kannalta hyödyllisiin eliöihin (Väitös: FM Tuuli-Marjaana Koski, 9.9.2017, ekologia) Turun yliopistossa väittelevän Tuuli-Marjaana Kosken väitöstutkimuksessa selviää, että kasvit reagoivat hyönteistoukkien aiheuttamiin vaurioihin sekä paikallisesti että kokonaisvaltaisesti. Muutokset kasvissa voivat vaikuttaa sitä puolustaviin hyönteistoukkien petoihin tai muihin mutualistisiin eli…