Anneli Hoikkala

No active affiliation

Research interests

On high latitudes large seasonal changes in temperature and day length set several kinds of challenges for the plant and animal species. Our aim is to find out how the insects can forecast the forthcoming winter in advance and what kind of changes it causes in their gene function, metabolism, physiology and behavior. Comparing the northern and southern populations of closely-related species gives important information e.g. on the genetic changes that the adaptation to seasonally changing environment has required and helps to find out whether the species have obtained from each other adaptively beneficial gene alleles. Our research also helps to anticipate the effects of global warming on the life-cycle of species living in rhythmically changing environment and to find out how it, together with species hybridization, can aid the invasion of new pest species towards North.

Follow-up groups

Projects as Principal investigator

Publications and other outputs