Agnes Dellinger

Flowers continuously adapt to different pollinators, which disperse their pollen. This process is regarded as key mechanism of plant diversification and is embedded in complex abiotic contexts, such as climatic conditions, as well as biotic contexts, such as interactions with other plants and animals in the ecosystem. To date, the joint relative impact of these factors on the distribution and functionality of flower diversity has not been assessed. The biologist Agnes Dellinger aims at closing this knowledge gap with her new project MountBuzz. Dellinger wants to develop a new, ecological perspective on how both abiotic and biotic contexts influence the evolution and function of flower diversity, a particularly relevant topic in light of the global loss of biodiversity.