School of Environmental Sciences
Karolina Petrovic 
BSc MSc (Botany) Warsaw University
Campus Thurgoona Campus
Office PhD Room, School of Environmental Sciences
Phone (02) 6051 9779
EMAIL KAROLINA PETROVIC 
Student Member of ILWS; Klub Przyrodnikow Poland
Mistletoes have disproportionally large effects on the woodland ecosystems in which they occur, relative to their minor vegetational biomass. They influence tree growth and allometry and, in the case of heavy infestation also host mortality, leading to changes in competitive balances between host and non-host species and, ultimately, affect successional dynamics and community structure. Moreover, mistletoes have significant impact on faunal community structure by providing abundant nutritional and nesting resources for a diverse range of animals, and therefore contribute to their higher biodiversity.In my future research I intend to concentrate on the breadth of interactions between mistletoes, their tree hosts, avian seed dispersers and marsupial herbivores in fragmented habitats. The effects of mistletoe density and richness on the diversity of faunal communities will be measured in the sites modified by human activity. Finally, implications for well-balanced management of mistletoes as a keystone resource will be given.
Thesis topic
Mistletoes on the edge: the influence of mistletoes on edge effects in fragmented eucalypt woodlands
Supervisors