Jukka Suhonen profile picture
Jukka
Suhonen
Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Docent, Department of Biology

Contact

+358 29 450 4277
+358 50 461 6931
Vesilinnantie 5
20500
Turku

Areas of expertise

Conservation biology
Urban Ecology
Evolutionary Ecology
Community ecology
Behavioral ecology

Biography

 I am currently University Lecturer in Department of Biology. Previously, I have worked as an assistant and senior assistant in the Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences at the University of Jyväskylä for more than ten years, and I was one of the senior and founder members of the Centre of Excellence in Evolutionary Ecology led by professor Rauno Alatalo from 1999 – 2005 in the Department of Biological and Environmental Science at the University of Jyväskylä. I have been the leader of a medium-sized research group since the middle of the1990s. An average my research group have one or two doctoral students and up to four undergraduate students.




Teaching

My main principles of teaching are based on the deep lead process: (i) individual encounter, (ii) constructing confidence, (iii) intellectual stimulation, and (iv) inspiring motivation and feedback from students and from colleagues. The position of a university a lecturer is demanding, as one has to simultaneously be an enthusiastic teacher and an excellent scientist. The time allocation of different duties is often problematic but also positively challenging. My idea is that my own active research is a sound base for good teaching - without good teaching there is not high quality research and vice versa.

My main principles of teaching are a multi-level approach to science. This is based on a solid knowledge of theory to enable a student to develop creativity by giving practical exercises in ecology and data analysis to improve his/her professional self-esteem. How I do this? I support critical evaluation by students of scientific works and text books in small group discussions and by role-games. Through small group discussions, role-games and writing essays, students will discover their strengths and weaknesses by acknowledging alternative explanations or approaches to scientific papers, challenges in conservation biology or to environmental problems. By learning to critically evaluate scientific papers, students are also better able to conduct their own research. I think that this approach, together with a more formal teaching program, will lead to the creation of ideas and the formulation of hypotheses in students, to enable them to conduct their own research projects. This, in my opinion, is the best method to increase in students individual creativity and for them to gain positive educational experiences.

Currently I am teaching:

Lecture: Introduction to Ecology

Lecture: Population ecology

Lecture: Introduction of statistics in biology

Cource: Field course of terrestrial vertebrates

Seminar: Seminar in bachelor's degree.




Research

The basic theme of my research and my research group’s resolves five areas of ecological interactions and community ecology namely: (i) intraspecific interactions (behavioural ecology such as territorial behaviour, parental care, intrasexual competition and dispersal), (ii) interspecific interactions (mainly predator-prey, host-parasites interactions, intra guild predation and interspecific competition, frugivorous-plant interactions), (iii) interspecific comparisons in evolutionary biology (e.g. evolutionry ecology in host –parasite interactions, evolution of generalist and specialist species, (iv) community ecology (geographical variation in species richness, turn-over of community, species  abundance and occupancy frequency distribution patterns) and (v) applied ecology (conservation biology, urban ecology, landscape ecology). I am working on a diversity of organisms including birds, mammals, insects and plants.

Publications

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Urban landscape organization is associated with species-specific traits in European birds (2024)

Science of the Total Environment
Ibáñez-Álamo Juan Diego, Izquierdo Lucía, Mourocq Emeline, Benedetti Yanina, Kaisanlahti-Jokimäki Marja-Liisa, Jokimäki Jukka, Morelli Federico, Rubio Enrique, Pérez-Contreras Tomás, Sprau Philipp, Suhonen Jukka, Tryjanowski Piotr, Díaz Mario
(Vertaisarvioitu alkuperäisartikkeli tai data-artikkeli tieteellisessä aikakauslehdessä (A1))

Dense city centers support less evolutionary unique bird communities than sparser urban areas (2024)

iScience
Morelli Federico, Reif Jiri, Díaz Mario, Tryjanowski Piotr, Ibáñez-Álamo Juan Diego, Suhonen Jukka, Jokimäki Jukka, Kaisanlahti-Jokimäki Marja-Liisa, Møller Anders Pape, Jerzak Leszek, Bussière Raphaël, Mägi Marko, Kominos Theodoros, Galanaki Antonia, Bukas Nikos, Markó Gábor, Pruscini Fabio, Ciebiera Olaf, Benedetti Yanina
(Vertaisarvioitu alkuperäisartikkeli tai data-artikkeli tieteellisessä aikakauslehdessä (A1))

EVI and NDVI as proxies for multifaceted avian diversity in urban areas (2023)

Ecological Applications
Benedetti Yanina, Callaghan Corey T., Ulbrichová Iva, Galanaki Antonia, Kominos Theodoros, Abou Zeid Farah, Ibáñez-Álamo Juan Diego, Suhonen Jukka, Díaz Mario, Markó Gábor, Bussière Raphaël, Tryjanowski Piotr, Bukas Nikos, Maegi Marko, Leveau Lucas, Pruscini Fabio, Jerzak Leszek, Ciebiera Olaf, Jokimäki Jukka, Kaisanlahti-Jokimäki Marja-Liisa, Møller Anders Pape, Morelli Federico
(A1 Vertaisarvioitu alkuperäisartikkeli tieteellisessä lehdessä )

Spatial Overlap and Habitat Selection of Corvid Species in European Cities (2023)

Animals
Abou Zeid F, Morelli F, Ibáñez-Álamo JD, Díaz M, Reif J, Jokimäki J, Suhonen J, Kaisanlahti-Jokimäki ML, Markó G, Bussière R, Mägi M, Tryjanowski P, Kominos T, Galanaki A, Bukas N, Pruscini F, Jerzak L, Ciebiera O, Benedetti Y
(Vertaisarvioitu alkuperäisartikkeli tai data-artikkeli tieteellisessä aikakauslehdessä (A1))