I teach/assist both on undergraduate (e.g.: GE2020, GE4023, GE4030 ) and master levels (e.g.: GE7081, GE8030), mainly in landscape ecolgy and GIS related subjects.

I am interested in the drivers of plant colonization, especially how landscape change, compositon and the management affect the establishment of plants. I use a combination of field studies and spatial analysis to study these drivers at diferent temporal and spatial scales.

During my PhD, I studied the restoration of semi-natural grasslands in Sweden with the supervision of Prof. Sara Cousins and funded by The Oscar and Lili Lamm Memorial Foundation. More specifically, I looked at the role of the grazing animals, connectivity and seed bank on the assembly of plant species in semi-natural grasslands.

In addition, I have a great interest in alpine and invasive plant species and their responses to different changes in the environment.

 

A selection from Stockholm University publication database

• Grazing livestock increases both vegetation and seed bank diversity in remnant and restored grasslands

  2020. Rozália E. Kapás (et al.). Journal of Vegetation Science 31 (6), 1053-1065

  Article

  Questions: Restoring grasslands is of great importance to biodiversity conservation to counteract widespread, ongoing losses of plant species diversity. Using source populations in remnant habitats and increasing functional connectivity mediated by grazing animals within and between habitats can benefit grassland restoration efforts. Here we investigate how grazing contributes to vegetation and seed bank diversity and composition in remnant and restored grassland communities in fragmented landscapes.

  Location: Stockholm archipelago, Sweden.

  Methods: We investigated the effects of the presence or absence of grazing animals as potential elements of functional connectivity on grassland species composition in both the vegetation layer and in the seed bank. Species inventory and seed bank sampling were carried out in 2 m × 2 m plots in remnant grassland habitats and adjacent restored grasslands on former arable fields.

  Results: Species composition varied between remnant and restored grasslands, with management-dependent species more common in remnant grasslands. Remnant habitats with active grazing management contained a higher number of species in both the vegetation and seed bank compared to restored grasslands, but grazing reduced dispersal limitation from higher distance to source populations for specialist species. Where grazing was absent fewer plant species occurred in both the vegetation and in the seed bank.

  Conclusion: Our results show that grazing livestock play a key role in facilitating both spatial and temporal dispersal in fragmented grasslands. This results in increased species diversity in the vegetation and the seed bank of grazed grasslands compared to those maintained by mowing only. Functional connectivity provided by grazing management increases the possibility for species establishment from both the below-ground seed bank and the surrounding landscape, thus increasing the resilience of plant communities against disturbances or climatic changes.

  Read more about Grazing livestock increases both vegetation and seed bank diversity in remnant and restored grasslands

• Grassland restoration: Connectivity, plant community change and cows

  2023. Rozália E. Kapás.

  Thesis (Doc)

  The ecological significance of semi-natural grasslands is high because these habitats provide a home for a diverse flora and fauna and support a range of associated ecosystem services. Due to large-scale land-use changes the extent of grassland habitat has declined. Hence, restoration efforts to mitigate grassland losses are now being prioritized across the globe and there is an increasing need to understand the drivers behind the recovery of degraded habitats. Since many restoration initiatives rely on spontaneous dispersal of plant species from sources at both local- and landscape-scales, community assembly is influenced by a range of factors which interact both over time and across spatial scales. Given this complexity over the scales, gaps remain in our understanding of how post-restoration management can be designed to facilitate the effective dispersal and establishment of target species in restored grasslands.

  In this thesis, I examined colonization patterns in Swedish grasslands by comparing plant communities in both ancient and restored grasslands and under contrasting management regimes. At small spatial scales and over the short-term following restoration, I investigated species recruitment sources and their relative contribution to colonization and regeneration. At larger temporal and spatial scales, I examined how the composition of vegetation and seed bank communities is determined by local environmental factors together with distance to species pool and presence of grazing livestock.

  I found that species mostly colonized spatially from local species sources through seed rain. The seed bank contributed to species colonization to a greater extent in ancient grasslands than in restored grasslands. Management through livestock grazing and shorter distance to species pool were positively associated with the number of species found in grasslands. Grazing livestock facilitated target species establishment into restored sites and the differences between ancient and restored grassland communities were smaller when grazing was active, highlighting that ancient sites can provide a source of colonizing species for restored sites. I found that plant species associated with former land-use declined immediately following restoration, while the occurrence of target species generally increased. However, there was a high initial stochasticity in the establishment of the target species and communities in restored grasslands were still distinct from continuously managed sites even after several decades.

  These results demonstrate that species presence in nearby ancient grasslands and potential dispersal from the local seed sources drives species colonization in restored and ancient grasslands. Livestock grazing was shown to be an important driver of grassland recovery, either by mediating spatial dispersal of seeds or improving site conditions for establishment. Target species are able to accumulate in the vegetation and seed bank over the long-term, as restored grasslands age. This accumulation will ensure an increasing resilience of grassland communities against future disturbances or changes in the climate. However this depends upon active management, for example by implementing management plans which include continued livestock grazing, and upon conserving remaining ancient grasslands as hotspots for biodiversity within the wider landscape.

  Read more about Grassland restoration

• Grassland species colonization of a restored grassland on a former forest varies in short-term success but is facilitated by greater functional connectivity

  2023. Rozália E. Kapás, Adam Kimberley, Sara A. O. Cousins. Nordic Journal of Botany

  Article

  In recent years, restoration on former grassland sites has been widely encouraged globally, aiming to address the historical loss of 90% of ancient species-rich grasslands, and to mitigate the associated threat to grassland biodiversity. The objective of our study was to investigate on a small-scale how plant species spontaneously colonize restored grasslands. We inventoried 275 permanent plots twice (in 2019 and 2021) in a restored grassland, following the removal of a conifer plantation. Species richness and vegetation cover in surveyed plots were dependent on grazing activity and distance to adjacent grassland. Plant species associated with forest habitats declined, while the occurrence of generalist species together with a few grassland specialists generally increased. However, not all grassland specialists gained occurrence and the colonization pattern was not consistent over time, possibly due to the lack of continuous seed arrival and low livestock activity and hence lack of disturbance. These results suggest that successful colonization of plant species benefits from links to species-rich sites adjacent to the restoration target, with spatial dispersal and improved conditions for species establishment being key to species occurrence. Both dispersal and establishment potential are likely facilitated through the presence of grazing livestock with access to both species-rich grasslands and restoration targets. However, the shift towards a more typical grassland community takes place gradually, with vulnerable populations of early colonizing grassland species prone to local extinction in short-term. As a result, continued functional connectivity provided by grazing animals is necessary to improve the diversity of the restored site and ensure the establishment of grassland specialists and to maintain the plant community composition. 

  Read more about Grassland species colonization of a restored grassland on a former forest varies in short-term success but is facilitated by greater functional connectivity

• Linking microenvironment modification to species interactions and demography in an alpine plant community

  2023. Courtenay A. Ray (et al.). Oikos 2023 (3)

  Article

  Individual plants can modify the microenvironment within their spatial neighborhood. However, the consequences of microenvironment modification for demography and species interactions remain unclear at the community scale. In a study of co-occurring alpine plants, we 1) determined the extent of species-specific microclimate modification by comparing temperature and soil moisture between vegetated and non-vegetated microsites for several focal species. We 2) determined how vital rates (survival, growth, fecundity) of all species varied in response to aboveground and belowground vegetative overlap with inter- and intraspecific neighbors as proxies for microenvironment modification. For 1), surface temperatures were buffered (lower maximums and higher minimums) and soil moisture was higher below the canopies of most species compared to non-vegetated areas. For 2), vegetative overlap predicted most vital rates, although the effect varied depending on whether aboveground or belowground overlap was considered. Vital rate response to microenvironment-modification proxies (vegetative overlap) was also frequently context dependent with respect to plant size and macroclimate. Microenvironment modification and spatial overlapping of individuals are key drivers of demography and species interactions in this alpine community. 

  Read more about Linking microenvironment modification to species interactions and demography in an alpine plant community

• Remote sensing of ploidy level in quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.)

  2020. Benjamin Blonder (et al.). Journal of Ecology 108 (1), 175-188

  Article

  Ploidy level in plants may influence ecological functioning, demography and response to climate change. However, measuring ploidy level typically requires intensive cell or molecular methods. We map ploidy level variation in quaking aspen, a dominant North American tree species that can be diploid or triploid and that grows in spatially extensive clones. We identify the predictors and spatial scale of ploidy level variation using a combination of genetic and ground-based and airborne remote sensing methods. We show that ground-based leaf spectra and airborne canopy spectra can both classify aspen by ploidy level with a precision-recall harmonic mean of 0.75-0.95 and Cohen's kappa of c. 0.6-0.9. Ground-based bark spectra cannot classify ploidy level better than chance. We also found that diploids are more common on higher elevation and steeper sites in a network of forest plots in Colorado, and that ploidy level distribution varies at subkilometer spatial scales. Synthesis. Our proof-of-concept study shows that remote sensing of ploidy level could become feasible in this tree species. Mapping ploidy level across landscapes could provide insights into the genetic basis of species' responses to climate change.

  Read more about Remote sensing of ploidy level in quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.)

• Low predictability of energy balance traits and leaf temperature metrics in desert, montane and alpine plant communities

  2020. Benjamin Blonder (et al.). Functional Ecology 34, 1882-1897

  Article

  1. Leaf energy balance may influence plant performance and community composition. While biophysical theory can link leaf energy balance to many traits and environment variables, predicting leaf temperature and key driver traits with incomplete parameterizations remains challenging. Predicting thermal offsets (δ, T_leaf − T_air difference) or thermal coupling strengths (β, T_leaf vs. T_air slope) is challenging.

  2. We ask: (a) whether environmental gradients predict variation in energy balance traits (absorptance, leaf angle, stomatal distribution, maximum stomatal conductance, leaf area, leaf height); (b) whether commonly measured leaf functional traits (dry matter content, mass per area, nitrogen fraction, δ¹³C, height above ground) predict energy balance traits; and (c) how traits and environmental variables predict δ and β among species.

  3. We address these questions with diurnal measurements of 41 species co‐occurring along a 1,100 m elevation gradient spanning desert to alpine biomes. We show that (a) energy balance traits are only weakly associated with environmental gradients and (b) are not well predicted by common functional traits. We also show that (c) δ and β can be partially approximated using interactions among site environment and traits, with a much larger role for environment than traits. The heterogeneity in leaf temperature metrics and energy balance traits challenges larger‐scale predictive models of plant performance under environmental change

  Read more about Low predictability of energy balance traits and leaf temperature metrics in desert, montane and alpine plant communities

• Contrasting microclimates among hedgerows and woodlands across temperate Europe

  2020. Thomas Vanneste (et al.). Agricultural and Forest Meteorology 281

  Article

  Hedgerows have the potential to facilitate the persistence and migration of species across landscapes, mostly due to benign microclimatic conditions. This thermal buffering function may become even more important in the future for species migration under climate change. Unfortunately, there is a lack of empirical studies quantifying the microclimate of hedgerows, particularly at broad geographical scales. Here we monitored sub-canopy temperatures using 168 miniature temperature sensors distributed along woodland-hedgerow transects, and spanning a 1600-km macroclimatic gradient across Europe. First, we assessed the variation in the temperature offset (that is, the difference between sub-canopy and corresponding macroclimate temperatures) for minimum, mean and maximum temperatures along the woodland-hedgerow transects. Next, we linked the observed patterns to macroclimate temperatures as well as canopy structure, overstorey composition and hedgerow characteristics. The sub-canopy versus macroclimate temperature offset was on average 0.10 degrees C lower in hedgerows than in woodlands. Minimum winter temperatures were consistently lower by 0.10 degrees C in hedgerows than in woodlands, while maximum summer temperatures were 0.80 degrees C higher, albeit mainly around the woodland-hedgerow ecotone. The temperature offset was often negatively correlated with macroclimate temperatures. The slope of this relationship was lower for maximum temperatures in hedgerows than in woodlands. During summer, canopy cover, tree height and hedgerow width had strong cooling effects on maximum mid-day temperatures in hedgerows. The effects of shrub height, shrub cover and shade-casting ability, however, were not significant. To our knowledge, this is the first study to quantify hedgerow microclimates along a continental-scale environmental gradient. We show that hedgerows are less efficient thermal insulators than woodlands, especially at high ambient temperatures (e.g. on warm summer days). This knowledge will not only result in better predictions of species distribution across fragmented landscapes, but will also help to elaborate efficient strategies for biodiversity conservation and landscape planning.

  Read more about Contrasting microclimates among hedgerows and woodlands across temperate Europe

• Plant diversity in hedgerows and road verges across Europe

  2020. Thomas Vanneste (et al.). Journal of Applied Ecology 57 (7), 1244-1257

  Article

  Linear landscape elements such as hedgerows and road verges have the potential to mitigate the adverse effects of habitat fragmentation and climate change on species, for instance, by serving as a refuge habitat or by improving functional connectivity across the landscape. However, so far this hypothesis has not been evaluated at large spatial scales, preventing us from making generalized conclusions about their efficacy and implementation in conservation policies. Here, we assessed plant diversity patterns in 336 vegetation plots distributed along hedgerows and road verges, spanning a macro-environmental gradient across temperate Europe. We compared herb-layer species richness and composition in these linear elements with the respective seed-source (core) habitats, that is, semi-natural forests and grasslands. Next, we assessed how these differences related to several environmental drivers acting either locally, at the landscape level or along the studied macro-ecological gradient. Across all regions, about 55% of the plant species were shared between forests and hedgerows, and 52% between grasslands and road verges. Habitat-specialist richness was 11% lower in the linear habitats than in the core habitats, while generalist richness was 14% higher. The difference in floristic composition between both habitat types was mainly due to species turnover, and not nestedness. Most notably, forest-specialist richness in hedgerows responded positively to tree cover, tree height and the proportion of forests in the surrounding landscape, while generalist richness was negatively affected by tree height and buffering effect of trees on subcanopy temperatures. Grassland and road verge diversity was mainly influenced by soil properties, with positive effects of basic cation levels on the number of specialists and those of bioavailable soil phosphorus on generalist diversity. Synthesis and applications. We demonstrate that linear landscape elements provide a potential habitat for plant species across Europe, including slow-colonizing specialists. Additionally, our results stress the possibility for land managers to modify local habitat features (e.g. canopy structure, subcanopy microclimate, soil properties, mowing regime) through management practices to enhance the colonization success of specialists in these linear habitats. These findings underpin the management needed to better conserving the biodiversity of agricultural landscapes across broad geographical scales.

  Read more about Plant diversity in hedgerows and road verges across Europe

Show all publications by Rozália Kapás at Stockholm University