Research interests
Research on plant populations and communities. Diversity and distribution patterns of wetland plants. Morphometric studies on plants. Studies on the distribution of invasive plants.
Dissertation annotation
The Lithuanian territory is characterised by two types of forest biomes – broadleaved and mixed forests and boreal forests, the boundary of which is relatively defined by the edge of the Carpinus betulus distribution. Lithuania’s geographical position thus means that the vegetation of the region is characterised by transitional features, with combinations of different species that are not always clearly ecologically or phytogeographically related. In addition, the diversity of forest communities is particularly shaped by human activities. Traditionally, vegetation data have been collected in so-called representative communities, bypassing damaged and disturbed communities. Therefore, the aggregation of data collected in this way does not always reflect the actual state of the vegetation.
This study would aim to reassess the state of forest vegetation and how it has changed over the last few decades: to identify which changes in communities may have been caused by (1) geographical factors, (2) human activities related to forest use, and which have been caused by (3) a changing climate.