emg.umu.seResearch
My research focuses on the effects of climate change on plant recruitment, plant colonization and community invasibility in subarctic tundra. Both direct and indirect temperature effects, such as changes in productivity of the colonized vegetation, changes in nutrient availabilities, shifts from facilitation to competition, are examined. In different experiments, climate warming is simulated by means of an altitudinal gradient, infrared heating systems and growth chambers. This allows testing specific hypotheses under natural conditions, in which the influence of co-varying factors cannot be excluded, as well as under more controlled conditions. Further, also effects of mosses and litter on different phases of the recruitment process, such as seed germination, seedling growth and seedling establishment, are studied. Most experiments are carried out in subarctic tundra near the Abisko Scientific Research Station, Northern Sweden (68 °N).
In future projects, I would like to examine the effects of winter processes (freeze- thaw cycles; depth, timing and duration of the snow cover) on plant colonization and community functioning, develop experiments in which warming is combined with other factors (e.g. changes in precipitation), and also include ecophysiological measurements. Further, I am highly interested in studying the effects of climate warming and snow depth on root production and turnover in a range of subarctic plant species.
Current projects:
- Indirect effects of herbivores on arctic plant communities via nutrient availability and plant nutrient uptake (2010-2014)
- Influence of climate change on the invasibility of subarctic plant communities (Research Foundation Flanders, 2007-2010)
- Influence of nutrients, productivity and climate change on colonization in subarctic plant communities (Special Research Fund of the University of Antwerp, UA-BOF, 2008-2009)
- Subarctic plant community structure and invasibility: the effects of mosses and litter (EU-ATANS 2009)
- Arctic seed production and seedling establishment along climatic and productivity gradients (EU-ATANS 2008)
Previous projects:
- Predicting plant invasions: which taxa are the future invasive aliens in Ireland? (2006-2007, EPA Ireland; www.biochange.ie/alienplants)
- Invasion and Biodiversity in Grasslands and Field Borders (Belgian Science Policy, 2001-2005)
Publications
Shevtsova A, Graae BJ, Jochum T, Milbau A, Kockelbergh F, Beyens L & Nijs I (2009) Critical periods for impact of climate warming on early seedling establishment in subarctic tundra. Global Change Biology, 15, 2662-2680.
Milbau A, Graae BJ, Shevtsova A & Nijs I (2009) Effects of a warmer climate on seed germination in the Subarctic. Annals of Botany, 104, 287-296.
Graae BJ, Ejrnaes R, Marchand FL, Milbau A, Shevtsova A, Beyens L & Nijs I (2009) The effect of an early-season short-term heat pulse on plant recruitment in the Arctic. Polar Biology, 32, 1117-1126.
Milbau A, Stout JC, Graae BJ & Nijs I (2009) A hierarchical framework for integrating invasibility experiments incorporating different factors and spatial scales. Biological Invasions, 11, 941-950.
Seidlova L, Verlinden M, Gloser J, Milbau A & Nijs I (2009) Which plant traits promote growth in the low-light regimes of vegetation gaps? Plant Ecology, 200, 303-318.
Williamson M, Dehnen-Schmutz K, Kühn I, Hill M, Klotz S, Milbau A, Stout JC & Pyšek P (2009) The distribution of range sizes of native and alien plants in four European countries and the effects of residence time. Diversity and Distributions, 15, 158-166.
De Boeck HJ, Visscher A, Milbau A & Nijs I (2008) Quantifying the randomness of extinctions. Ecography, 31, 327-334.
Milbau A & Stout JC (2008) Factors associated with alien plants transitioning from casual, to naturalized, to invasive. Conservation Biology, 22, 308-317.
Williamson M, Stout JC, Dehnen-Schmutz K, Milbau A & Hall A (2008) A provisional list of Irish archaeophytes. Irish Naturalists’ Journal, 29, 30-35.
De Cauwer B, Reheul D, Nijs I & Milbau A (2008) Management of newly established field margins on nutrient-rich soil to reduce weed spread and seed rain into adjacent crops. Weed Research, 48, 102–112.
Milbau A, Reheul D, De Cauwer B & Nijs I (2007) Factors determining plant-neighbour interactions on different spatial scales in young species-rich grassland communities. Ecological Research, 22, 242-247.
De Cauwer B, Reheul D, Nijs I & Milbau A (2006) Effect of margin strips on soil mineral nitrogen and plant biodiversity. Agronomy for Sustainable Development, 26, 117-126.
De Cauwer B, Reheul D, Nijs I & Milbau A (2006) Dry-matter yield and herbage quality of field margin vegetations as a function of vegetation development and management regime. Wageningen Journal of Life Sciences, 54, 37-60.
De Cauwer B, Reheul D, De Laethauwer S, Nijs I & Milbau A (2006) The effect of light and botanical species richness on insect diversity. Agronomy for Sustainable Development, 26, 35-43.
De Cauwer B, Reheul D, D’hooghe K, Nijs I & Milbau A (2006) Disturbance effects on early succession of field margins along the shaded and unshaded side of a tree lane. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment, 112, 78-86.
Milbau A, Scheerlinck L, Reheul D, De Cauwer B & Nijs I (2005) Ecophysiological and morphological parameters related to survival in grass species exposed to an extreme climatic event. Physiologia Plantarum, 125, 500-512.
De Cauwer B, Reheul D, D’hooghe K, Nijs I & Milbau A (2005) Evolution of the vegetation of mown field margins over their first 3 years. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment, 109, 87-96.
Milbau A, Nijs I, De Raedemaecker F, Reheul D & De Cauwer B (2005) Invasion in grassland gaps : the role of neighbourhood richness, light availability and species complementarity during two successive years. Functional Ecology, 19, 27-37.
Nijs I, Milbau A & Seidlova L (2004) New methodologies for analyzing and predicting alien plant invasions from species and ecosystem traits. Weed Technology, 18, 1240-1245.
Milbau A & Nijs I (2004) The role of species traits (invasiveness) and ecosystem characteristics (invasibility) in grassland invasions: a framework. Weed Technology, 18, 1301-1304.
Milbau A, Nijs I, Van Peer L, Reheul D & De Cauwer B (2003) Disentangling invasiveness and invasibility during invasion in synthesized grassland communities. New Phytologist, 159, 657-667.
