Research at the Biodiversity Unit
Research at Biodiversity Unit focuses broadly on biodiversity and ecosystem functions and –services.
The research infrastructure including the botanical garden and two field stations, long-term experiments and environmental monitoring datasets and scientific collections provides an excellent support for multidisciplinary research on topical questions such as climate change, biodiversity crisis, and the sustainable use and protection of natural resources in both natural and man-made environments.
In addition to its own research, the Biodiversity Unit promotes multidisciplinary research at the university and serves as a showcase for public outreach.
Our research
New publications
Review of the genus Xanthephialtes Cameron (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae), with re-definition of the genus and description of a new species from Uganda (2026)
ZooKeys
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal)
A new species of Echinodorus (Alismatales, Alismataceae) from the Chaco region with a waterlily soul (2026)
PhytoKeys
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal)
Diurnal Variation in the Photosynthetic Traits of Sclerocarya birrea (Marula) Trees in North Namibia (2026)
African Journal of Ecology
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal)
Soil phytolith assemblages reflect palm community composition in western Amazonia (2026)
Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal)
Values, risk and biodiversity-friendly action: perceived consumer effectiveness matters (2026)
Journal of Consumer Marketing
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal)
Etelä-Amerikan kriisit ovat pelottavaa seurattavaa (2026)
Turun Sanomat
(E1 Popularised article)
West Side Story: systematics of funnel-weavers (Araneae: Agelenidae: Ageleninae) from arid western South Africa, with two new genera and 16 new species (2026)
Zootaxa
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal)
Ecological, morphological, and molecular diversification in a clade of Melanesian Ethmostigmus centipedes (Chilopoda: Scolopendromorpha), with the description of 2 new species (2026)
Insect Systematics and Diversity
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal)
Cross-Continental Ecological Drivers Behind Trait Clines in the Forest Grass <i>Milium effusum</i> (2026)
Global Ecology and Biogeography
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal)
Step-constrained self-avoiding walks on finite grids (2026)
Journal of Combinatorial Theory, Series A
(A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal)