Zoltán Elek, Ph.D.

I'm interested in the ecology and behaviour of ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) concerning on the spatio-temporal variation and its diversity patterns. Recently, I examined the possible role of poplar plantations in the conservation of ground beetles (in France). I have studied the effect of urbanisation on ground beetles, which involved two mainstreams: a.) I evaluated the methods for studying fluctuating asymmetry on carabids, and the physical condition (relationship between the body mass and body length estimators) of carabids among different urbanisation stages; b.) I also studied the assemblage characteristics (diversity and distribution) of carabids among urbanisation stages using the GLOBENET protocol in Soroe, Denmark. I also studied the impact of forest edges on carabids and its responses to the local environmental effects. More...

Nikoletta Geltsch, M.Sc.

I am interested in behavioural ecology and evolutionary biology, with special attention to the brood parasitic common cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) and its great reed warbler (Acrocephalus arundinaceus) host. My experimental fields are in wetland habitats in central Hungary. I am interested in the evolutionary adaptations of the pattern of eggshell maculation in cuckoos and great reed warblers. I also study the hygienic environment of nests of great reed warblers through eggshell bacterial flora samples. I also take part in studies on optimal laying strategy of cuckoos, and in spatial, territorial and social relationships of brood parasites, using radio telemetry and playback experiments.

Veronika Gergócs, M.Sc.

I'm interested in biogeography, ecology and taxonomy of oribatid mites. I study pattern formation of oribatid assemblages at different spatial scales. I'm interested in global patterns of oribatid fauna. I'd like to reveal the factors influencing the composition of oribatid assemblages. They have high abundance and species richness in most of the terrestrial habitats so they are good candidates as bioindicators of soil health. In addition, I study the methods using soil dwelling microarthropods as biodiversity indicators. Finally, I'm interested in soil ecology especially litter decomposition and interactions between soil microarthropods and fungi.

Ádám Kőrösi, Ph.D.

My main area of interest is population ecology and behaviour of butterflies. My studies focus on estimating parameters of population dynamics relying on mark-recapture datasets and quantifying habitat use and movement pattern based on individuals' movement tracks. Furthermore, I assess the effects of abandonment on the diversity of butterflies in agricultural landscapes. More...

Ádám Kun, Ph.D.

Origin of life, RNA world, stochastic corrector model, evolution of cooperation. More...

Csaba Moskát, D.Sc.

Presently I am interested in ecological, behavioural and evolutionary adaptations in avian brood parasitism. I have been conducting my main project on the common cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) and its great reed warbler (Acrocephalus arundinaceus) hosts in central Hungary since 1998. Previously I worked on bird-habitat relationships, bird census methodology, environmental monitoring, multivariate statistics and simulation modelling.

Kirill Márk Orci, Ph.D.

Research interests:
- taxonomy and acoustic communication of Orthoptera (descriptive and comparative oscillographic analysis of acoustic signals; female preferences for male song characters and male song character distributions)
- community ecology of Orthopteran insects (effects of agriculture and grassland management on the composition and structure of Orthoptera assemblages; morphology and ecological patterns in Orthoptera assemblages).

János Podani, D.Sc., member of HAS

I am interested in numerical ecology and systematics, with special attention to the methodology of data analysis and to the manner diversity of life may be summarized and explored for underlying patterns. More...

Csilla Ricsóy, secretary

As a secretary of the Research Group I manage all the administrative issues and help the well-functioning of the group.

Lajos Rózsa, D.Sc.

I study different aspects of the biology of pathogens. I am most interested in (i) the evolutionary ecology of host-parasite interactions (bird-lice interactions in particular), (ii) the history of biological warfare, and (iii) pathogens' impact on human evolution. More...

Viktor Szigeti, M.Sc.

My research interest is focused on pollination biology. I am interested in the ecology of plant-pollinator interactions, primarily in the foraging behaviour of insect pollinators. I study the relationship between the nectar-plant availability and consumption in the Clouded Apollo butterfly (Parnassius mnemosyne). I work on better understanding of spatio-temporal dynamics and individual patterns in nectar consumption.

Eszter Szöllősi, Ph.D.

I am currently interested in how different ecological factors and life-history characteristics of the avian malaria parasites affect their distribution and prevalence in different host species. I am also investigating the short and long-term fitness consequences of the infection on the host. Previously I studied the causes and consequences of hatching asynchrony and factors influencing nestling growth in collared flycatchers.