Integrative Freshwater Ecology

Freshwater ecosystems provide goods and services of critical importance to human societies. However, they are among the most heavily altered ecosystems with an overproportional biodiversity loss. Biogeochemistry of freshwater ecosystems is closely linked to terrestrial, atmospheric, and climatic perturbations, and responds specially to the effects of global change. The Integrative Freshwater Ecology group addresses the interactions between abiotic and biotic factors on different levels of organization qualitatively and quantitatively, looking for a more holistic understanding of biodiversity functioning and ecological processes. Our expertise covers from microbes to macrophytes and fish, and biogeochemical cycling of carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur. We use cutting edge analytical methodologies from genetics, ecology, computational biology, and chemistry, and carry out observational and experimental research of exploratory nature and over long temporal and broad spatial scales.