Research interests

I am a plant ecologist with focus on biotic interactions as the determinants of plant species abundance and distribution. I entered this field by studying the impact of ground-dwelling ants on vegetation pattern and plant population dynamics in temperate grasslands.

In my recent research I investigate the interactions between exotic plant species and native organisms from invaded communities. I am trying to find out whether mechanisms such as release from enemies or allelopathic effects may explain invasive success of some exotic plants. At the same time I use exotic species as a mean for understanding the processes within native plant communities, namely those promoting the species coexistence. For that I study ecological and evolutionary response of native plants to exotic invaders in several study systems.