The Department of Freshwater and Terrestrial Ecosystems Research is carrying out the research within three main fields: ecophysiology, biodiversity and ecology. Our research is oriented towards better understanding the impacts of human activities on selected species or entire ecosystems in order to prepare environmental impact assessments, and developing guidelines for sustainable use of the environment and efficient conservation strategies.

Basic research:

• In the field of eco-physiology, by measuring the activity of the respiratory system and actual respiration, we study the responses of species to changes in environmental parameters, the ability of species to tolerate these changes, and the effects of these changes on function of entire ecosystems.
• Within the field of biodiversity we study the distribution of species in Slovenia. We are specialists for certain groups of crustaceans, coleopterans and birds. The species data we collect are being used for environmental impact assessments.
• In the field of ecology, we study population dynamics, interspecific relationships, influence of environmental features and the ecology of invasive species. Research is focused on long-term studies of high alpine lakes and the impacts of climate change as well as on studies of invertebrate communities in ground waters in relation to environmental parameters and human impacts. Further, we are studying the interspecific relationships of predators (owls) and the predator-prey relationship in forest ecosystems, population dynamics of beetles and the interaction between man and birds within cultivated land.

Head: Uni. Prof. Anton Brancelj, PhD

Photo gallery

Employees

Researchers
	Prof. Dr. Anton Brancelj	Science Councillor, Head of Scientific - Research unit(OE) II	05 923 27 31
	PhD Damijan Denac	Assistant with PhD	05 923 27 36
	PhD Nataša Mori	Research Associate	05 923 27 39
	PhD Tatjana Simčič	Senior Research Associate	05 923 27 38
	Uni. Prof., PhD Davorin Tome	Science Councillor	05 923 27 32
	PhD Al Vrezec	Research Associate	05 923 27 35
Young Researchers
	Dejan Bordjan	Young Researcher	05 923 27 32
	Barbara Debeljak	Young Researcher
	Martina Jaklič	Young Researcher	05 923 27 42
	Allen Wei Liu	Young Researcher
Technical Assistants
	Špela Ambrožič	Autonomous Specialised Staff Member	05 923 27 44
	Andreja Jerebic, MSc	Coordinator	05 923 27 30
	Andrej Kapla	Project Assistant	05 923 27 43
Former employees
	PhD Irena Bertoncelj	Assistant with PhD	05 923 27 34
	PhD Mateja Germ	Science Councillor
	PhD Urška Koce	Assistant with PhD
	Tina Leskošek	Autonomous Specialised Staff Member	05 923 27 33
	PhD Simon Lukančič	Assistant	05 923 27 41
	PhD Tadej Mezek, MBA	Assistant with PhD
	PhD Gregor Muri	Research Associate
	Polona Pagon	Young Researcher
	PhD Franja Pajk
	PhD Olga Urbanc Berčič	Senior Research Specialised Associate
	Uroš Žibrat