Dr. Elli Tzirkalli

I am a Research Associate at the Open University of Cyprus (TEM lab) and have been recently awarded a Darwin Plus Fellowship concerning the conservation and protection of pollinators (2022-2023). I hold a BSc in Environmental and Natural Resources Management from the University of Ioannina and an MSc in Biodiversity, Conservation, and Management from the University of Oxford, United Kingdom. My PhD was in the field of Biodiversity Conservation at the Department of Biological Applications & Technology (Biodiversity Conservation Lab), University of Ioannina. I have participated in various research and monitoring programs in Greece and Cyprus concerning the conservation and management of flora and invertebrate fauna (2005-present). I am the co-chair of the Cyprus Butterfly Study Group (2012-present) and a member of the IUCN SSC Grasshopper Specialist Group (2013-present).  My research interest focuses on exploring patterns and drivers of biodiversity, investigating the impacts of climate change on species distribution, community ecology of terrestrial invertebrates (butterflies and grasshoppers), and mountain biodiversity. I have presented my research work at international and national conferences (>10) and in international peer-reviewed journals (12 papers, 2 books, 3 book chapters).  

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​Key publications

Peyton J, Hadjistylli M, Tziortzis I, …, Tzirkalli E, Varnava AI, Pescott OL (2022) Using expert-elicitation to deliver biodiversity monitoring priorities on a Mediterranean island. PLoS ONE 17:e0256777 https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0256777

​Tzirkalli E, Kadis C, Halley JM, Vogiatzakis I, Wilson RJ, Zografou K, Antoniou A, Tsintides T, Makris C, Kati V, (2019) Conservation ecology of butterflies in Cyprus in the context of Natura 2000. Biodiversity and Conservation 28(7), 1759-1782 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-019-01755-2

Maes D, Verovnik R, Wiemers M, …, Tzirkalli E et al. (2019) Integrating national Red Lists for prioritising conservation actions for European butterflies. Journal of Insect Conservation 23: 301-330 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10841-019-00127-z