Molecular Biogeography

Position

Head of the MB team

Address

W. Szafer Institute of Botany
Polish Academy of Sciences
Lubicz 46, 31-512 Kraków
Poland

Room

A-28

Phone

+48 12 42 41 799

E-mail

Research interests

Structure and patterns of biodiversity (mainly of plants and fungi) and dynamics of their change in time and space. Applying molecular tools to unravel patterns of genetic diversity and divergence in cold-adapted organisms with disjunctive distribution ranges, in order to understand their historical biogeography and population genetic processes within- and among extant populations. Main biological models: cold (alpine and arctic) ecosystems, especially the island-like alpine life zone of the Carpathians and other mountain ranges of Central Europe.

Higher education and employment history

2014 / Professorship of the Polish Academy of Sciences
2014 / Habilitation for leading research in biological sciences (biogeography), with distinction of the Scientific Council
2011–present / Head of the Molecular Biogeography Group and of the Laboratory of Molecular Analyses, W. Szafer Institute of Botany, Polish Academy of Sciences
2005 / PhD in biological sciences, W. Szafer Institute of Botany, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kraków, with distinction of the Scientific Council
2005–2014 / Assistant professor (adiunkt), W. Szafer Institute of Botany, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kraków
2000–2005 / Research assistant, W. Szafer Institute of Botany, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kraków
1998 / MSc in biology, Institute of Botany, Jagiellonian University, Kraków

Projects

2016–2019 / Evolution and past range dynamics of the terrestrial Antarctic biota: insights from next-generation phylogeography of endemic mosses. NCN (National Science Centre, Poland) OPUS grant. Project leader
2012–2016 / DRYADE: The fate of ecological interactions in a changing climate: using next-generation sequencing technologies to unravel adaptive and historical processes in a community of interrelated arctic-alpine organisms. Polish-Swiss Research Programme grant. Project leader (with Dr Nadir Alvarez, Lausanne, co-leader in Switzerland)
2007–2011 / ECOCHANGE: Challenges in assessing and forecasting biodiversity and ecosystem changes in Europe. 6th FP EU-funded grant. Task leader, researcher (project leader: Dr Pierre Taberlet, Grenoble, France)
2007–2010 / Comparative phylogeography of selected high-mountain species in the Carpathians: retracing historical relationships and identifying centers of genetic diversity. Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education grant. Project leader
2004–2006 / INTRABIODIV: Tracking surrogates for intraspecific biodiversity: towards efficient selection strategies for the conservation of natural genetic resources using comparative mapping and modeling approaches. 6th FP EU-funded grant. Task coordinator, researcher (project leader: Dr Pierre Taberlet, Grenoble, France)

Selected publications

Cieślak E, Cieślak J, Ronikier M, 2021. Phylogeographical structure of a narrow endemic plant in an isolated high-mountain range: the case of Cochlearia tatrae in the Tatra Mts (Western Carpathians). Preslia 93: 125–148. DOI

Breman E, Hurdu B-I, Kliment J, Kobiv Y, Kučera J, Mráz P, Pușcaș M, Renaud J, Ronikier M, Šibík J, Schmotzer A, Štubňová E, Szatmari P-M, Tasenkevich L, Turis P, Slovák M, 2020. Conserving the endemic flora of the Carpathian Region: an international project to increase and share knowledge of the distribution, evolution and taxonomy of Carpathian endemics and to conserve endangered species. Plant Systematics and Evolution 306: 59 (2020). DOI

Fragnière Y, Pittet L, Clément B, Bétrisey S, Gerber E, Ronikier M, Parisod C, Kozlowski G, 2020. Climate change and alpine screes: no future for glacial relict Papaver occidentale (Papaveraceae) in Western Prealps. Diversity 12: 346. DOI

Janik P, Ronikier M, Ronikier A, 2020. New protocol for successful isolation and amplification of DNA from exiguous fractions of specimens: a tool to overcome the basic obstacle in molecular analyses of myxomycetes. PeerJ 8: e8406. DOI

Pittet L, Fragnière Y, Grünig S, Bétrisey S, Clément B, Gerber E, Ronikier M, Kozlowski G, Parisod C, 2020. Genetic structure of the endemic Papaver occidentale indicates survival and immigration in the Western Prealps. Alpine Botany 130: 129–140. DOI

Stachurska-Swakoń A, Cieślak E, Ronikier M, Nowak J, Kaczmarczyk A, 2020. Genetic structure of Doronicum austriacum (Asteraceae) in the Carpathians and adjacent areas: toward a comparative phylogeographical analysis of tall-herb species. Plant Systematics and Evolution 306: 14. DOI

Malicki M, Pusz W, Ronikier M, Suchan T, 2019. Population characteristics, habitat, and conservation status of Rhododendron ferrugineum L. (Ericaceae), a glacial relict new to Poland. Acta Societatis Botanicorum Poloniae 88(3): 3634. DOI

Pusz W, Malicki M, Patejuk K, Ronikier M, Suchan T, 2019. First record of Exobasidium rhododendri (Fuckel) C. E. Cramer in Poland. Acta Societatis Botanicorum Poloniae 88(3): 3632. DOI

Suchan T, Malicki M, Ronikier M, 2019. Relict populations and Central European glacial refugia: the case of Rhododendron ferrugineum (Ericaceae). Journal of Biogeography 46(2): 392–404. DOI

Suchan T, Talavera G, Sáez L, Ronikier M, Vila R, 2019. Pollen metabarcoding as a tool for tracking long‐distance insect migrations. Molecular Ecology Resources 19(1): 149–162. DOI

Tkach N, Röser M, Suchan T, Cieślak E, Schönswetter P, Ronikier M, 2019. Contrasting evolutionary origins of two mountain endemics: Saxifraga wahlenbergii (Western Carpathians) and S. styriaca (Eastern Alps). BMC Evolutionary Biology 19:18. DOI

Ronikier M, Saługa M, Jiménez JA, Ochyra R, Stryjak-Bogacka M, 2018. Multilocus DNA analysis supports Didymodon gelidus (Musci, Pottiaceae) as a distinct endemic of the austral polar region. Acta Societatis Botanicorum Poloniae 87(4): 3609. DOI

Saługa M, Ochyra R, Żarnowiec J, Ronikier M, 2018. Do Antarctic populations represent local or widespread phylogenetic and ecological lineages? Complicated fate of bipolar moss concepts with Drepanocladus longifolius as a case study. Organisms Diversity & Evolution 18: 263–278 DOI

Urbaniak J, Kwiatkowski P, Ronikier M, 2018. Postglacial history and current population genetic diversity of a central-European forest plant Hacquetia epipactis. Preslia 90: 39–57 DOI

Wierzgoń M, Suchan T, Ronikier M, 2018. Two additions to the moss flora of the South Shetland Islands in the maritime Antarctic. Acta Societatis Botanicorum Poloniae 87(4): 3598. DOI

Wojtuń B, Ronikier M, 2018. Polar terrestrial ecosystems: ecology, diversity, and biogeography. Acta Societatis Botanicorum Poloniae 87(4): 3610. DOI

Cieślak E, Cieślak J, Ronikier M, 2017. Population genetic structure of Cochlearia tatrae Borbás (Brassicaceae) – a narrow endemic species of the Tatra Mts. Studia Universitatis Babeş-Bolyai. Biologia 62, Sp. Iss. 2017: 94–95

Mamla K, Stachurska–Swakoń A, Cieślak E, Saługa M, Ronikier M, 2017. Plastid DNA variation in Cicerbita alpina (Asteraceae) populations across the European mountains. Studia Universitatis Babeş-Bolyai. Biologia 62, Sp. Iss. 2017: 160–161

Migdałek G, Nowak J, Saługa M, Cieślak E, Szczepaniak M, Ronikier M, Marcussen T, Słomka A, Kuta E, 2017. No evidence of contemporary interploidy gene flow between the closely related European woodland violets Viola reichenbachiana and V. riviniana (sect. Viola, Violaceae). Plant Biology 19: 542–551 DOI

Nowak J, Cieślak E, Korzeniak J, Ronikier M, 2017. Phylogeographical structure of the Carpathian endemic plant Campanula serrata (Kit.) Hendrych (Campanulaceae). Studia Universitatis Babeş-Bolyai. Biologia 62, Sp. Iss. 2017: 174–175

Dr Michał Ronikier

Research interests

Higher education and employment history

Projects

Selected publications