How coevolving species respond to natural selection?

Our current research involves three main themes: (1) ecological and evolutionary implications of genetic variation, species richness and functional diversity of plants (both grasses and trees) and associated micro-fungi (incl. mycorrhizae, endophytes and pathogens) and herbivores, (2) climate change -driven species’ range shifts, and (3) new solutions to circumvent the heavy use of fertilizers and pesticides in man-made environments.

An introductory video to our projects:

News

Extreme polar light environment of the North and South Poles sustains biodiversity

https://www.utu.fi/en/news/press-release/extreme-polar-light-environment-of-the-north-and-south-poles-sustains

Does the world’s most widely used pesticide fuel global pollinator decline?

Blog post by Benjamin Fuchs about his research funded by the Sakari Alhopuro Foundation: Pollination decline is among the gravest...

bumblebees on purple flowers.

New article on glyphosate-based herbicide effects on bumblebees garners international attention

Press release News Researchers at the Universities of Turku and Oulu, Finland, found out how Roundup, a herbicide containing glyphosate,...

You can also find these from our site

Group picture of the the HelanderSaikkonen Lab. Picture was taken in the Botanical gardens and Ruissalo, and the group of 8 women and 4 men are posing surrounded by foliage. The team members are standing around/behind the team leaders, who are seated.

Research Themes

Climate change and species distributions

Multispecies interactions

Glyphosate in ecosystems