Research+interests+Meike+Wittmann

PhD student
 * Meike Wittmann**

I am interested in the evolution and population genetics of introduced species and interacting native species in habitats with different spatial structures.

The introduction and establishment of a new species often leads to a reduction and fluctuations in the population sizes of native competitors. I would like to understand how this change in population size affects the amount and spatial structure of genetic diversity within the native species and consequently their ability to adapt to changing environmental conditions. To address this question I use analytical arguments and computer simulations.

Furthermore, I am interested in estimating important parameters of biological invasions such as time since first introduction, propagule pressure (frequency of introductions and number of individuals introduced at each introduction event) and the strength of a potential Allee effect (positive density-dependence of population growth rate at low density) from population genetic data.