Johansson lab: Our research
Does biological mosquito control (Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensi:s: Bti) affect terrestrial food web structure?
The microbial agent Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis (Bti) is used worldwide to control mosquitoes and other biting dipterans. However, its effects on non-target biodiversity are unclear and widely debated. For example, how does it affect terrestrial food webs and its interactions? We are using a food web-based approach to evaluate how species not directly affected by Bti are affected indirectly by changes of abundance in target species affected by Bti application. We will use state of-the-art methods (DNA metabarcoding) in combination with traditional ecological methods to establish the potential effects of Bti application on food web interactions. The study will be performed in Central Sweden, lower Dalälven, where application of Bti has been ongoing since 2002. Communication with stakeholders is a central part of the study.
The river Dalälven where we explore the effect of Bti application on food webs.
Conservation ecology of urban ponds
Urbanization has large negative impacts on biodiversity and structure of ecological communities. Despite this, urban environments may harbour surprisingly high levels of biodiversity. The main aim is to understand how species diversity and genetic diversity in a network of city ponds is affected by environmental variables, connectivity and community ecology effects. Traditionally species diversity and genetic diversity have been studied independently. This is unfortunate since the stability, resilience and dynamics of biological systems is linked to both genetic and species-based components. This aim is to fill this knowledge gap. This is done by sampling and analysing properties of the aquatic community and environmental variables in city ponds.
From Hyseni et al. (2021)
Potential responses to climate change: from genotype to community level
In this research, we aim to understand how future climate change will impact species, populations, and ecological communities. Our approach focuses on gene expression, life history traits, species interactions, and food web dynamics. Key questions include: (1) How does temperature adaptation vary across species and geographic regions? (2) How does animal behavior shift in a warming climate, and what are the implications for processes like cannibalism and predation rates? (3) How do interactions within communities’ influence life history responses, compared to predictions from single-species laboratory studies?
Our research is/was funded by The Swedish Research Council, FORMAS (the Swedish Research Council for Sustainable Development), Carl Tryggers foundation and Oscar and Lili Lamm Foundation.