Short bio

Short bio

We are a group of researchers interested in ecological networks

Sitemap

A list of all the posts and pages found on the site. For you robots out there is an XML version available for digesting as well.

Pages

Posts

Future Blog Post

less than 1 minute read

Published:

This post will show up by default. To disable scheduling of future posts, edit config.yml and set future: false.

Blog Post number 4

less than 1 minute read

Published:

This is a sample blog post. Lorem ipsum I can’t remember the rest of lorem ipsum and don’t have an internet connection right now. Testing testing testing this blog post. Blog posts are cool.

Blog Post number 3

less than 1 minute read

Published:

This is a sample blog post. Lorem ipsum I can’t remember the rest of lorem ipsum and don’t have an internet connection right now. Testing testing testing this blog post. Blog posts are cool.

Blog Post number 2

less than 1 minute read

Published:

This is a sample blog post. Lorem ipsum I can’t remember the rest of lorem ipsum and don’t have an internet connection right now. Testing testing testing this blog post. Blog posts are cool.

Blog Post number 1

less than 1 minute read

Published:

This is a sample blog post. Lorem ipsum I can’t remember the rest of lorem ipsum and don’t have an internet connection right now. Testing testing testing this blog post. Blog posts are cool.

people

Guy Herrmann

I am a PhD Candidate at the University of Cardiff developing methods to automatically detect ecological interactions from video footage. With a background in Electronic Engineering (Bachelors) and Conservation and Land Management (Masters), my research looks to bridge these fields and explore technical solutions to ecological problems. I aspire to design new methods that contribute towards data driven, predictive approaches within ecology.

Outside of my work I am often playing guitar in a park or exploring the countryside around Cardiff!

Vitória Lima

My research interests are centered on understanding ecological interactions in freshwater environments of the Brazilian semiarid (Caatinga domain), using the fish community and its parasites and prey. At Cardiff University, the study plan “Antagonistic interactions networks from intermittent rivers in the Brazilian semiarid” is being conducted through the CAPES doctoral sandwich scholarship. Our aims are to verify if human impacts, as inter-basins transpositions, are affecting the aquatic biota and its interactions.

Sophie Edwards

My name is Sophie Edwards, and I am a final year Integrated Masters student at Cardiff University. The aim of my Master’s project is to quantify competition in freshwater macroinvertebrate communities using stable isotope analysis. In my spare time I am an avid record collector and run Cardiff University’s Vinyl and Music Appreciation Society, in addition to being an enthusiastic crocheter.

publications

Fishes in a changing world: learning from the past to promote sustainability of fish populations

Published in Journal of Fish Biology, 2015

This paper reviews the threats to fish populations across the globe.

Recommended citation: Gordon, T.A.C., Harding, H.R., Clever, F.K., Davidson, I.K., Davison, W., Montgomery, D.W., Weatherhead, R.C., Windsor, F.M., Armstrong, J.D., Bardonnet, A., Bergman, E., Britton, J.R., Côte, I.M., D’agostino, D., Greenberg, L.A., Harborne, A.R., Kahilainen, K.K., Metcalfe, N.B., Mills, S.C., Milner, N.J., Mittermayer, F.H., Montorio, L., Nedelec, S.L., Prokkola, J.M., Rutterford, L.A., Salvanes, A.G.V., Simpson, S.D., Vainikka, A., Pinnegar, J.K. & Santos, E.M. (2015). "Fishes in a changing world: learning from the past to promote sustainability of fish populations." Journal of Fish Biology. 92(3), 804-827. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jfb.13546

An inter-catchment assessment of macroinvertebrate communities across groundwater-fed streams within Denali National Park, interior Alaska

Published in Hydrobiologia, 2016

This research describes the composition and structure of aquatic macroinvertebrate communities in groundwater-fed streams across Denali National Park, Alaska, USA.

Recommended citation: Windsor, F.M., Grocott, M.T. & Milner, A.M. (2017). "An inter-catchment assessment of macroinvertebrate communities across groundwater-fed streams within Denali National Park, interior Alaska." Hydrobiologia. 785, 373-384. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-016-2944-y

Endocrine disruption in aquatic systems: up‐scaling research to address ecological consequences

Published in Biological Reviews, 2017

A review of the effects of endocrine disruption in aquatic environments, focusing on how effects upscale from individuals to ecosystems.

Recommended citation: Windsor, F.M., Ormerod, S.J. & Tyler, C.R. (2018). "Endocrine disruption in aquatic systems: up‐scaling research to address ecological consequences." Biological Reviews 1. 93(1), 626-641. https://doi.org/10.1111/brv.12360

A catchment‐scale perspective of plastic pollution

Published in Global Change Biology, 2019

A review of the sources, transfer, distribution and effects of plastic pollution in river catchments.

Recommended citation: Windsor, F.M., Durance, I., Horton, A.A., Thompson, R.C., Tyler, C.R. & Ormerod, S.J. (2019). "A catchment‐scale perspective of plastic pollution." Global Change Biology. 25(4), 1207-1221. https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.14572

Persistent contaminants as potential constraints on the recovery of urban river food webs from gross pollution

Published in Water Research, 2019

This work shows the incomplete recovery of urban river food webs due to POP contamination.

Recommended citation: Windsor, F.M., Pereira, M.G., Tyler, C.R. & Ormerod, S.J. (2019). "Persistent contaminants as potential constraints on the recovery of urban river food webs from gross pollution." Water Research. 163, 114858. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2019.114858

River organisms as indicators of the distribution and sources of persistent organic pollutants in contrasting catchments

Published in Environmental Pollution, 2019

This work determines the potential use of organisms as effective indicators of POPs across river systems (in comparison to traditional sediment and water sampling).

Recommended citation: Windsor, F.M., Pereira, G.M., Tyler, C.R. & Ormerod, S.J. (2019). "River organisms as indicators of the distribution and sources of persistent organic pollutants in contrasting catchments." Environmental Pollution. 255(1), 113144. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2019.113144

Biological traits and the transfer of persistent organic pollutants through river food webs.

Published in Environmental Science & Technology, 2019

This paper investigates how the traits of aquatic organisms affect the flux of pollutants through river food webs.

Recommended citation: Windsor, F.M., Pereira, G.M., Tyler, C.R. & Ormerod, S.J. (2019). "Biological traits and the transfer of persistent organic pollutants through river food webs." Environmental Science & Technology. 53(22), 13246-13256. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.9b05891

Natural or synthetic – how global trends in textile usage threaten freshwater environments

Published in Science of the Total Environment, 2020

This review compares the environmental risk of synthetic and natural textile production across the globe.

Recommended citation: Stone, C., Windsor, F.M., Munday, M. & Durance, I. (2020). "Natural or synthetic – how global trends in textile usage threaten freshwater environments." Science of the Total Environment. 718, 134689. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.134689

Estimating the size distribution of plastics ingested by animals

Published in Nature Communications, 2020

This paper presents an allometric equation linking body size of animals and the size of plastic particle they ingest in natural systems (useful for risk assessments!).

Recommended citation: Jâms, I.B., Windsor, F.M., Poudevigne-Durance, T., Ormerod, S.J. & Durance, I. (2020). "Estimating the size distribution of plastics ingested by animals." Nature Communications. 11, 1594. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-15406-6

Environment and food web structure interact to alter the trophic magnification of persistent chemicals across river ecosystems

Published in Science of the Total Environment, 2020

This paper investigates how the structure of river food webs affects the transfer of POPs.

Recommended citation: Windsor, F.M., Pereira, M.G., Morrissey, C.A., Tyler, C.R. & Ormerod, S.J. (2020). "Environment and food web structure interact to alter the trophic magnification of persistent chemicals across river ecosystems." Science of the Total Environment. 717, 137271. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.137271

Global variation in freshwater physicochemistry and its influence on chemical toxicity in aquatic wildlife.

Published in Biological Reviews, 2021

This paper reviews our understanding of how water physicochemistry alters chemical toxicity in aquatic ecosystems.

Recommended citation: Pinheiro, J.P.S., Windsor, F.M., Wilson, R. & Tyler, C.R. (2021). "Global variation in freshwater physicochemistry and its influence on chemical toxicity in aquatic wildlife." Biological Reviews. 96(4), 1528-1546. https://doi.org/10.1111/brv.12711

Identifying plant mixes for multiple ecosystem service provision in agricultural systems using ecological networks

Published in Journal of Applied Ecology, 2021

A data paper detailing a multilayer genetic algorithm that can be used to select mixes of plant species that can provide multiple ecosystem services simultaneously.

Recommended citation: Windsor, F.M., Tavella, J., Rother, D.C., Raimundo, R.L.G., Devoto, M., Guimarães Jr., P.R. & Evans, D.M. (2021). Identifying plant mixes for multiple ecosystem service provision in agricultural systems using ecological networks. Journal of Applied Ecology. 58(12), 2770-2782. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2664.14007

Hydrological, physicochemical and metabolic signatures in groundwater and snowmelt streams in the Japanese Alps

Published in Journal of Hydrology, 2021

An analysis of the hydrology of different groundwater and snowmelt fed streams in the Japanese Alps

Recommended citation: Windsor, F.M., Docherty, C.L., Brekenfeld, N., Tojo, K., Krause, S. & Milner, A.M. (2021). Hydrological, physicochemical and metabolic signatures in groundwater and snowmelt streams in the Japanese Alps Journal of Hydrology. 600, 126560. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2021.126560

Influence of European Beech (Fagales: Fagaceae) Rot Hole Habitat Characteristics on Invertebrate Community Structure and Diversity

Published in Journal of Insect Science, 2021

An investigation of the invertebrate community structure of rot hole habitats in European Beech woodlands across the UK.

Recommended citation: Cuff, J.P., Windsor, F.M., Gilmartin, E.C., Boddy, L. & Jones, T.H. (2021). Influence of European Beech (Fagales: Fagaceae) Rot Hole Habitat Characteristics on Invertebrate Community Structure and Diversity Journal of Insect Science. 21(5), 7. https://doi.org/10.1093/jisesa/ieab071

Overcoming the pitfalls of merging dietary metabarcoding into ecological networks

Published in Methods in Ecology and Evolution, 2021

This paper reviews the use of metabarcoding in ecological networks and best practices.

Recommended citation: Cuff, J.P., Windsor, F.M., Tercel, M.P.T.G., Kitson, J.J.N. & Evans, D.M. (2021). "Overcoming the pitfalls of merging dietary metabarcoding into ecological networks" Methods in Ecology and Evolution. Early View. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jfb.13546

Mismatch between IUCN range maps and species interactions data illustrated using the Serengeti food web

Published in EcoEvoRxiv, 2022

This paper shows that adjusting species distributions based on ecological interaction data shows large mismatches in different biogeographical datasets

Recommended citation: Higino, G., Windsor, F.M., Banville, F., Dansereau, G., Forero Muñoz, N.R. & Poisot, T. (2022). "Mismatch between IUCN range maps and species interactions data illustrated using the Serengeti food web." EcoEvoRxiv. 1-14. https://doi.org/10.32942/osf.io/8rvzf

Networking nutrients: how nutrition determines the structure of ecological networks

Published in Authorea, 2022

This paper discusses the role of nutrients as drivers of trophic interactions and new avenues of research along these lines

Recommended citation: Cuff, J.P., Evans, D.M., Vaughan, I.P., Wilder, S., Tercel, M.P.T.G. & Windsor, F.M. (2022). "Networking nutrients: how nutrition determines the structure of ecological networks." Authorea. 1-19. https://doi.org/10.22541/au.165296710.03877564/v1

Using motifs in ecological networks to identify the role of plants in crop margins for multiple agriculture functions

Published in Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, 2022

This paper provides a motif-based method for understanding network structures of agronomic importance

Recommended citation: Tavella, J., Windsor, F.M., Rother, D.C., Evans, D.M., Guimarães Jr., P.R., Palacios, T.P., Lois, M. & Devoto, M. (2022). "Using motifs in ecological networks to identify the role of plants in crop margins for multiple agriculture functions." Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment. 331, 107912. https://doi.org/10.32942/osf.io/8rvzf

Weather modulates spider trophic interactions: the interactive effects of prey community structure, adaptive web building and prey choice

Published in Authorea, 2022

This paper assesses the temporal variation in spider diets in agroecosystems and looks at whether this is related to meteorological variation

Recommended citation: Cuff, J.P., Windsor, F.M., Tercel, M.P.T.G., Bell, J., Symondson, W.O.C. & Vaughan, I.P. (2022). "Weather modulates spider trophic interactions: the interactive effects of prey community structure, adaptive web building and prey choice." Authorea. 1-36. https://doi.org/10.22541/au.167025244.48870292/v1

talks

Microplastics in river environments

Published:

A talk on the paper “Microplastic ingestion by riverine macroinvertebrates”. The work describes the distribution of microplastics in three different invertebrate taxa. The talk provided a basis for discussion sessions at the workshop organised by the Environment Agency.

Endocrine disruption in aquatic ecosystems

Published:

A talk summarising the article “Endocrine disruption in aquatic systems: Up‐scaling research to address ecological consequences” in Biological Reviews.

Plastic pollution in the river environment

Published:

A talk based on the papers “Microplastic ingestion by riverine macroinvertebrates” and “A catchment-scale perspective on plastic pollution”. The talk formed the basis for discussions at the workshop.

The global biogeography of ecological networks

Published:

A talk summarising aspects of the article “Ecological networks in global biogeography and ecology” in review as part of the Journal of Biogeography Innovation Award.

teaching

BIO3040: Current Research in Ecology

Undergraduate course, Newcastle University, School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, 2020

Delivered lecture material for the module, including recent applied research investigating the management of plants in field margins to provide multiple ecosystem services in agricultural systems.

BIO2032: Residential field course

Undergraduate course, Newcastle University, School of Natural and Environmental Science, 2021

Organised the field and data analysis component of the residential field course. The work focused on changes in bird species richness in response to management in upland ecosystems.