Kari Saikkonen
karisaik@utu.fi +358 40 668 3468 Vesilinnantie 5 Turku |
Education
Ph.D., University
of Turku, Finland, 1994
Previous work experience
Research professor, Natural Resources
Institute Finland, Luke, 2009 – 2018
Station Manager, Kevo Subarctic Research
Institute, University of Turku, 2007 – 2009
Research professor, MTT Agrifood Research
Finland, 2005 - 2007
Academy Research Fellow Post, Academy of
Finland, 2000 - 2005
Senior Researcher, University of Turku (funded
by Academy of Finland) 1997 – 2000
Post-doctoral research fellow, Department of Zoology,
Arizona State University, USA (funded by Maytag Foundation and Academy of
Finland), 1995 - 1997
My current research involves three main themes: (1) ecological
and evolutionary implications of genetic variation, species richness and
functional diversity of plants 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.
- Variation and plasticity in Epichloë alkaloid content of Festuca rubra across Europe (2020)
- Fungal Ecology
- Effects of a glyphosate-based herbicide on soil animal trophic groups and associated ecosystem functioning in a northern agricultural field (2019)
- Scientific Reports
- Foraging preference of barnacle geese on endophytic tall and red fescues (2019)
- Human-Wildlife Interactions
- Glyphosate residues in soil affect crop plant germination and growth (2019)
- Scientific Reports
- Heritable Epichloe symbiosis shapes fungal but not bacterial communities of plant leaves (2019)
- Scientific Reports
- Impacts of experimental warming and northern light climate on growth and root fungal communities of Scots pine populations (2019)
- Fungal Ecology
- Interactive effects of Epichloë fungal and host origins on the seed germination of Achnatherum inebrians (2019)
- Symbiosis
- Local adaptation in natural European host grass populations with asymmetric symbiosis (2019)
- PLoS ONE
- Phenotypic and genetic variation in natural populations of Festuca rubra s.l. in Europe (2019)
- Plant Ecology and Diversity
- Postglacial colonization history reflects in the genetic structure of natural populations of Festuca rubra in Europe (2019)
- Ecology and Evolution
