My research concerns four main topics:
- Population and community ecology of waterfowl
- Community ecology of forest-breeding birds
- Reproductive ecology and population ecology of amphibians 
- Ecology and taxonomy of aquatic snakes

Please scroll down to find a list of my scientific publications. I will be glad to answer any questions and to send you reprints. Please write me at Johan.Elmberg@hkr.se

Population and community ecology of waterfowl

I study resource limitation, population dynamics, and community composition of breeding waterfowl on nemoral and boreal lakes. This involves experimental as well as descriptive work together with Gunnar Gunnarsson and Lisa Dessborn (Kristianstad university), and in collaboration with Kjell Sjöberg and Göran Englund (Umeå, Sweden), Hannu Pöysä (Joensuu, Finland) and Petri Nummi (Helsinki, Finland).

I also study how processes on breeding grounds are related to those on staging and wintering areas farther south in Europe. The aim is to gain an around-the-year understanding of individual behaviour in relation to population- and community-level processes. This work is done in collaboration with Celine Arzel and Matthieu Guillemain (ONCFS, Tour du Valat, Arles, France).

Since a few years I study effects of avian influenza (AIV) on wild ducks. This work is done with Gunnar Gunnarsson in collaboration with Björn Olsen, Jonas Waldenström and colleagues at The Linnaeus University (Sweden).


Forest bird communities
Modern forestry has a strong impact on bird communities. I have studied the effects of landscape composition and forestry-related fragmentation in boreal Swedish forests in co-operation with Lars Edenius (Umeå, Sweden). I have also worked with related questions in boreo-nemoral forests in the south of the country.



Ecology of amphibians
My ph.D. in the late 1980´s at Umeå university, Sweden was about the reproductive ecology of two boreal frog species . Yes, I was on "the sexual selection bandwagon" of that time, but I managed to dabble a bit into ecophysiology and population ecology as well. Although I have not published much in this field lately, I remain a devoted herpetologist. Feel free to discuss any boreal aspect of herpetology with me.

Ecology and taxonomy of aquatic snakes
Snakes have "re-entered" aquatic environments several times during the course of evolution, and some of them have even made the open sea their habitat. I cooperate with Arne Rasmussen at the School of Conservation at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts, Copenhagen, in projects concering adaptations, phylogeny and taxonomy of Sea snakes. 

My scientific papers
I will be glad to tell you more and to send you reprints. Please write me at Johan.Elmberg@hkr.se.

Elmberg, J., Dessborn, L. & Englund, G. 2010. Presence of fish affects lake use and breeding success in ducks. Hydrobiologia 641: 215-223.

Dessborn, L., Elmberg, J., Nummi, P., Pöysä, H. & Sjöberg, K. 2009. Hatching in dabbling ducks and emergence in chironomids: a case of predator-prey synchrony? Hydrobiologia 636: 319-329.

Guillemain, M., Elmberg, J., Gauthier-Clerc, M., Massez, G., Hearn, R., Champagnon, J.  & Simon, G. (in press). Wintering French Mallard and Teal are heavier and in better body conditions that 30 years ago: effects of a changing environment? Ambio.

Champagnon, J., Guillemain, M., Gauthier-Clerc, M., Lebreton, J-D. & Elmberg, J. 2009. Consequences of massive bird releases for hunting purposes: Mallard Anas platyrhyncos in the Camargue, Southern France. Wildfowl (2009). Special Issue 2: 184-191.

Elmberg, J. 2009. Are dabbling ducks major players or merely noise in freshwater ecosystems? A European perspective, with references to population limitation and density dependence. Wildfowl (2009). Special Issue 2: 9-23.

Rasmussen, A.R. & Elmberg, J. 2009 “Head for my tail”: a new hypothesis to explain how venomous sea snakes avoid becoming prey. Marine Ecology. 30:385-390

Gunnarsson, G., Jourdain, E., Waldenström, J., Helander, B., Lindberg, P., Elmberg, J., Latorre-Margalef, N. & Olsen, B. (in press) Zero prevalence of influenza A virus in two raptor species by standard screening. Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases.

Ottvall, R., Edenius, L., Elmberg, J., Engström, H., Green, M., Holmqvist, N., Lindström, Å., Pärt, T. & Tjernberg, M. 2009. Population trends for Sweish breeding birds. ornis Svecica 19: 117.192.

Latorre-Margalef, N., Gunnarsson, G., Munster, V.J., Fouchier, R.A.M., Osterhaus, A.D.M.E., Elmberg, J., Olsen, B., Wallensten, A., Fransson, T., Brudin, L. & Waldenström, J. 2009. Does influenza A affect body condition of wild mallard ducks, or vice versa? A reply to Flint & Franson. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 276: 2347-2349.

Latorre-Margalef, N., Gunnarsson, G., Munster, V.J., Fouchier, R.A.M., Osterhaus, A.D.M.E., Elmberg, J., Olsen, B., Wallensten, A., Haemig, P.D., Fransson, T., Brudin, L. & Waldenström, J. 2009. Effects of inluenza A virus infection on migrating mallard ducks. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 276: 1029-1036.

Elmberg, J., Folkesson, K., Guillemain, M. & Gunnarsson, G. 2009. Putting density dependence in perspective: nest density, nesting phenology, and biome, all matter to survival of simulated mallard Anas platyrhynchos nests. Journal of Avian Biology 40: 317-326.

Arzel, C., Elmberg, J., Guillemain, M., Lepley, M., Bosca, F., Legagneux, P. & Nogues, J-B. 2009. A flyway perspective on food resource abundance in a long-distance migrant, the Eurasian Teal (Anas crecca). Journal of Ornithology 150: 61-73.

Gunnarsson, G., Elmberg, J., Dessborn, L., Jonzén, N., Pöysä, H. & Valkama, J. 2008. Survival estimates, mortality patterns, and population growth of Fennoscandian mallards Anas platyrhynchos. Annales Zoologici Fennici 45: 483-495.

Elmberg, J. 2008. Ecology and natural history of the moor frog (Rana arvalis) in boreal Sweden. Journal of Field Herpetology, Supplement 13: 179-194.

Gunnarsson, G. & Elmberg, J. 2008. Density-dependent nest predation – an experiment with simulated Mallard nests in contrasting landscapes. Ibis 150: 259-269.

Guillemain, M., Elmberg, J., Arzel, C., Johnson, A.R. & Simon, G. 2008. The income-capital breeding dichotomy revisited: late winter body condition is related to breeding success in an income breeder. Ibis 150:172-176.

Arzel, C., Elmberg, J., Guillemain, M., Legagneux, P., Bosca, F., Chambouleyron, M., Lepley, M., Pin, C., Arnaud, A. & Schricke, V. 2007. Average mass of seeds encountered by foraging dabbling ducks in Western Europe. Wildlife Biology 13:328-336.

Guillemain, M., Arzel, C., Legagneux, P., Elmberg, J., Fritz, H., Lepley, M., Pin, C., Arnaud, A. & Massez, G. 2007. Predation risk constrains the plasticity of foraging behaviour in teals, Anas crecca: a flyway-level circumannual approach. Animal Behaviour 73(5): 845-854.

Elmberg, J. & Gunnarsson, G. 2007. Manipulated density of adult mallards affects nest survival differently in different landscapes. Canadian Journal of Zoology 85(5): 589-595.

Guillemain, M., Arzel, C., Legagneux, P., Elmberg, J., Fritz, H., Lepley, M., Pin, C., Arnaud, A. & Massez, G. 2007. Risky foraging leads to cost-free mate guarding in male Teal Anas crecca. Journal of Ornithology 148: 251-254.

Arzel, C., Guillemain, M., Gurd, D.B., Elmberg, J., Fritz, H., Arnaud, A., Pin, C. & Bosca, F. 2007. Experimental functional response and inter-individual variation in foraging rate of teal (Anas crecca). Behavioural Processes 75: 66-71.

Arzel, C., Elmberg, J. & Guillemain, M. 2007. A flyway perspective of foraging activity in Eurasian Green-winged Teal Anas crecca crecca. Canadian Journal of Zoology 85(1): 81-91.

Wallensten, A., Munster, V.J., Latorre-Margalef, N.L., Brytting, M., Elmberg, J., Fouchier, R.A.M., Fransson, T., Haemig, P.D., Karlsson, M., Lundkvist, Å., Osterhaus, A.D.M.E., Stervander, M., Waldenström, J. & Olsen, B. 2007. Surveillance of Influenza A virus in migratory waterfowl in northern Europe. Emerging Infectious Diseases 13(3): 404-411.

Gunnarsson, G., Elmberg, J., Sjöberg, K., Pöysä, H. & Nummi, P. 2006. Experimental evidence for density-dependent survival in mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) ducklings. Oecologia 149: 203-213.

Elmberg, J., Nummi, P., Pöysä, H., Sjöberg, K., Gunnarsson, G., Clausen, P., Guillemain, M., Rodrigues, D. & Väänänen, V-M. 2006. The scientific basis for new and sustainable management of migratory European ducks. Wildlife Biology 12: 121-127.

Arzel, C., Elmberg, J. & Guillemain, M. 2006. Ecology of spring-migrating Anatidae: a review. Journal of Ornithology 147: 167-184.

Nummi, P., Elmberg, J., Pöysä, H., Gunnarsson, G. & Sjöberg, K. 2005. Varhaiset tavipoikueet asuttavat suotuisimmat laikut ja menestyvät parhaiten. Suomen Riista 51: 27-34.

Wallensten, A., Munster, V.J., Elmberg, J., Osterhaus, A.D.M.E.,  Fouchier, R.A.M. & & Olsen, B. 2005. Multiple gene segment reassortment between Eurasian and American lineages of influenza A virus (H6N2) in Guillemot (Uria aalge). Archives of Virology 150: 1685-1692.

Elmberg, J., Nummi, P., Pöysä, H., Gunnarsson, G. & Sjöberg, K. 2005. Early breeding Teal Anas crecca use the best lakes and have the highest reproductive success. Annales Zoologici Fennici 42: 37-43.

Elmberg, J., Gunnarsson, G., Pöysä, H., Sjöberg, K. & Nummi, P. 2005. Within-season sequential density dependence regulates breeding success in mallards (Anas platyrhynchos). Oikos 108: 582-590.

Gunnarsson, G., Elmberg, J., Sjöberg, K., Pöysä, H. & Nummi, P. 2004. Why are there so many empty lakes? Food limits survival of mallard ducklings. Canadian Journal of Zoology 82: 1698-1703.

Arzel, C. & Elmberg, J. 2004. Time use, foraging behavior and microhabitat use in a temporary guild of spring-staging dabbling ducks (Anas spp.). Ornis Fennica 81: 157-168.

Pöysä, H., Elmberg, J., Gunnarsson, G., Nummi, P. & Sjöberg, K. 2004. Ecological basis of sustainable harvesting: is the prevailing paradigm of compensatory mortality still valid? Oikos 104(3): 612-615.

Elmberg, J. 2003. Density-dependent breeding success in mallards Anas platyrhynchos on a eutrophic lake. Wildlife Biology 9(1): 67-73.

Elmberg, J., Nummi, P., Pöysä, H. & Sjöberg, K. 2003. Breeding success of sympatric dabbling ducks in relation to population density and food resources. Oikos 100: 333-341.

Pöysä, H., Sjöberg, K., Elmberg, J. & Nummi, P. 2001. Pair formation among experimentally introduced mallards Anas platyrhynchos reflects habitat quality. Annales Zoologici Fennici 38: 179-184.

Nudds, T., Elmberg, J., Pöysä, H., Sjöberg, K. & Nummi, P. 2000. Ecomorphology in Holarctic breeding dabbling ducks: the importance of lamellar density and body length varies with habitat type. Oikos 91(3): 583-588.

Nummi, P., Sjöberg, K., Pöysä, H. & Elmberg, J. 2000. Individual foraging behaviour indicates resource limitation: an experiment with mallard ducklings. Canadian Journal of Zoology 78: 1891-1895.

Elmberg, J., Sjöberg, K., Pöysä, H. & Nummi, P. 2000. Abundance—distribution relationships on interacting trophic levels: the case of lake-nesting waterfowl and dytiscid water beetles. Journal of Biogeography 27(4): 821–827.

Pöysä, H., Elmberg, J., Sjöberg, K. & Nummi, P. 2000. Nesting mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) forecast brood-stage food limitation when selecting habitat: experimental evidence. Oecologia 122(4): 582-586.

Sjöberg, K., Pöysä, H., Elmberg, J. & Nummi, P. 2000. Response of Mallard ducklings to variation in habitat quality - an experiment of food limitation. Ecology 81(2): 329-335.

Elmberg, J. & Edenius, L. 1999. Abundance patterns in bird communities in old boreal forest in relation to stand structure and local habitat configuration. Ornis Fennica 76: 123-133.

Miaud, C., Guyétant, R. & Elmberg, J. 1999. Variations in life-history traits in the Common Frog Rana temporaria (Amphibia : Anura): a literature review and new data from the French Alps. Journal of Zoology (London) 247: 61-73.

Pöysä, H., Elmberg, J., Sjöberg, K. & Nummi, P. 1998. Habitat selection rules in breeding mallards (Anas platyrhynchos): a test of two competing hypotheses. Oecologia 114: 283-287.

Elmberg, J., Pöysä, H., Sjöberg, K. & Nummi, P. 1997. Interspecific interactions and co-existence in dabbling ducks: observations and an experiment. Oecologia 111(1): 129-136.

Edenius, L. & Elmberg, J. 1996. Landscape level effects of modern forestry on bird communities in North Swedish boreal forests. Landscape Ecology 11(6): 325-338.

Pöysä, H., Elmberg, J., Nummi, P. & Sjöberg, K. 1996. Are ecomorphological relationships among dabbling ducks consistent at different spatial scales? Oikos 76(3): 608-612.

Nummi, P., Elmberg, J., Pöysä, H. & Sjöberg, K. 1995. Occurrence and density of mallard and green-winged teal in relation to prey size distribution and food abundance. Annales Zoologici Fennici 32(4): 385-390.

Pöysä, H., Elmberg, J., Nummi, P. & Sjöberg, K. 1994. Species composition of dabbling duck assemblages: ecomorphological patterns compared with null models. Oecologia 98: 193-200.

Ranta, E., Laurila, A. & Elmberg, J. 1994. Reinventing the wheel: analysis of sexual dimorphism in body size. Oikos 70: 313-321.

Elmberg, J., Nummi, P., Pöysä, H. & Sjöberg, K. 1994. Relationships between species number, lake size and resource diversity in assemblages of breeding waterfowl. Journal of Biogeography 21: 75-84.

Nilsson, A., Elmberg, J. & Sjöberg, K. 1994. Abundance and species richness patterns of predaceous diving beetles (Coleoptera, Dytiscidae) in Swedish lakes. Journal of Biogeography 21: 197-206.

Pöysä, H., Elmberg, J., Nummi, P. & Sjöberg, K. 1994. Vesilintuyhteisöjen lajimäärän ja tiheyteen vaikuttavat tekijät. Suomen Riista 40: 61-71.

Elmberg, J., Nummi, P., Pöysä, H. & Sjöberg, K. 1994. Patterns of lake acidity and waterfowl communities. Hydrobiologia 279/280: 201-206.

Nummi, P., Pöysä, H., Elmberg, J. & Sjöberg, K. 1994. Habitat distribution of the mallard in relation to vegetation structure, food, and population density. Hydrobiologia 279/280: 247-252.

Elmberg, J. 1993. Song differences between North American and European White-winged Crossbills (Loxia leucoptera). The Auk 110(2): 385.

Elmberg, J., Nummi, P., Pöysä, H. & Sjöberg, K. 1993. Factors affecting species number and density of dabbling duck guilds in northern Europe. Ecography 16: 251-260.

Elmberg, J. 1993. Threats to boreal frogs. Ambio 22(4): 254-255.

Elmberg, J. 1992. Cooperative nest defense by trios of Arctic Skuas Stercorarius parasiticus. Ibis 134: 298.

Elmberg, J., Nummi, P., Pöysä, H. & Sjöberg, K. 1992. Do intruding predators and trap position affect the reliability of catches in activity traps? Hydrobiologia 239: 187-193.

Elmberg, J. 1991. Flight calls of Two-barred crossbill. British Birds. 84(8): 344-345.

Elmberg,J. & Lundberg, P. 1991. Intraspecific variation in calling, time allocation and energy reserves in breeding male Common Frogs Rana temporaria. Annales Zoologici Fennici 28: 23-29.

Elmberg, J. 1991. Ovarian cyclicity and fecundity in boreal Common Frogs Rana temporaria along a climatic gradient. Functional Ecology 5: 340-350.

Elmberg, J. 1991. Factors affecting male yearly mating success in the Common Frog Rana temporaria. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 28: 125-131.

Elmberg, J. 1990. Long-term survival, length of breeding season and operational sex ratio in a boreal population of Common Frogs Rana temporaria. Canadian Journal of Zoology 68:121-127.

Elmberg, J. 1989. Knee-tagging - a new marking technique for anurans. Amphibia-Reptilia 10:101-104.

Sjögren, P. , Elmberg, J. & Berglind, S-Å. 1988. Thermal preference in the pool frog Rana lessonae: impact on the reproductive behavior of a northern fringe population. Holarctic Ecology 11(3):178-184.

Elmberg, J. & Lundberg, P. 1988. Navigation in breeding-migrating Common frogs Rana temporaria: a simple translocation experiment. Amphibia-Reptilia 9:169-173.

Elmberg, J. 1987. Random mating in a boreal population of European Common Frogs Rana temporaria. Holarctic Ecology 10(3):193-195.

Elmberg, J. 1986. Apparent lack of territoriality during the breeding season in a boreal population of Common Frogs Rana temporaria L. The Herpetological Journal 1:81-85.