Dr Aristides Moustakas
Postdoctoral Research Assistant

Research interests:

My work involves process-based modelling of ecological systems. In specific I am developing large scale computer models coupling forest models (to predict vegetation changes) with individual based models (to predict changes in herbivores and carnivores) in order to detect combined effects of climatic and land use changes in systems ecology.

I have broad interests in spatial ecology and ecological modelling. I have a good balance between numerical (modelling, statistics, remote sensing) and experimental (field work) research as well as between terrestrial and marine ecosystems. Epigrammatically, my research interests span the areas of:

• Ecological modelling – Computational Ecology (Individual Based Models & Cellular Automata)
• Statistical modelling (Spatial statistics, Mixed effects models, variance partitioning, variance nesting)
• Environmental change (Climatic change & Land use changes)
• Genetic – environmental interactions; evolutionary responses to environmental change
• Dispersal and migration
• Harvesting behaviour
• Design and impacts of protected areas
• Plant - environmental interactions
• Plant - plant interactions
• Applications of remote-sensing in ecology
• Ecological footprint, interdependency of social, economic, and geographic characteristics with environmental sustainability

Publications:

  • Keil, P., Schweiger, O., Kühn, I., Kunin, W.E., Kuussaari, M., Settele, J., Henle, K., Brotons, L., Pe’er, G., Lengyel, S., Moustakas, A., Steinicke, H. & Storch, D. (in press) Patterns of beta diversity in Europe: the effects of climate, land-cover and distance across scales. Journal of Biogeography
  • Matsinos Y.G., Wolff W.F, & Moustakas A. (in press) Adapting foraging to habitat heterogeneity and climate change: an individual-based model for wading birds. Ethology, Ecology, and Evolution  DOI:10.1080/03949370.2011.601762
  • Silvert, W. and Moustakas, A. (2011) The impacts over time of marine protected areas: a null model. Ocean & Coastal Management  54: 312-317
  • Moustakas, A. and Silvert, W. (2011) Spatial and temporal effects on the efficacy of marine protected areas: implications from an individual based model. Stochastic Environmental Research & Risk Assessment. 25: 403-413
  • Moustakas, A., Wiegand, K., Ward, D., Meyer, K.M. and Sankaran, M. (2010) Learning new tricks from old trees: revisiting the savanna question. Frontiers in Biogeography. 2: 47-53
  • Moustakas, A., Sakkos, K., Wiegand, K., Ward, D., Meyer, K.M. and Eisinger, D. (2009) Are savannas patch dynamic systems? A landscape model. Ecological Modelling. 220: 3576-3588
  • Moustakas, A. and Karakassis, I. (2009). A geographic analysis of published aquatic biodiversity research in relation to the ecological footprint of the country where the work was done. Stochastic Environmental Research & Risk Assessment. 23: 737-748
  • Moustakas, A. and Hristopulos D.T. (2009). Estimating tree abundance from remotely sensed imagery in semi-arid & arid environments: Bringing mall trees to the light. Stochastic Environmental Research & Risk Assessment. 23: 111-118.
  • Meyer, K.M., Wiegand, K., Ward, D. and Moustakas, A. (2008). Determining patch size. African Journal of Ecology. 46:  440-442
  • Moustakas, A., Wiegand, K., Getzin, S., Ward, D., Meyer, K.M., Guenther, M. and Mueller, K-H. (2008). Spacing patterns of an Acacia tree in the Kalahari over 61-year time replicate: how clumped becomes regular and vice versa. Acta Oecologica. 33: 355-364
  • Meyer, K.M., Ward, D., Wiegand, K. and Moustakas, A. (2008). Multi-proxy evidence for competition between savanna woody species. Perspectives in Plant Ecology Evolution & Systematics. 10: 63-72
  • Meyer, K.M., Wiegand, K., Ward, D. and Moustakas, A. (2007). SATCHMO: A spatial simulation model of growth, competition, and mortality in cycling savanna patches. Ecological Modelling. 209: 377-391
  • Meyer, K.M., Wiegand, K., Ward, D. and Moustakas, A. (2007). The rhythm of savanna patch-dynamics. Journal of Ecology 95: 1306–1315
  • Moustakas, A., Guenther, M., Wiegand, K., Mueller, K-H., Ward, D., Meyer, K.M. and Jeltsch, F. (2006). Long-term mortality patterns of the deep-rooted Acacia erioloba: the middle class shall die! Journal of Vegetation Science 17: 473-480
  • Moustakas, A, Silvert, W. and Dimitromanolakis A (2006) A spatially explicit learning model of migratory fish and fishers for evaluating closed areas. Ecological Modelling 192: 245-258
  • Moustakas, A. and Karakassis, I. (2005). How diverse is Aquatic Biodiversity research? Aquatic Ecology 39:367–375.
  • Meyer, K.M., Ward, D., Moustakas, A. and Wiegand, K. (2005).  Big is not better: Small Acacia mellifera shrubs are more vital after fire. African Journal of Ecology 43: 131-136.