Biography
I studied biology at the University of Nijmegen, where I specialised in Geobotany (Vegetation science), Animal ecology, Taxonomy (mites) and Genetics. In 1983 I finished my PhD on the syntaxonomy and synecology of the Lolio-Potentillion anserinae in the northern part of the Atlantic domain. In 1984 I was appointed at Wageningen University as a vegetation scientist. In 1997 I became professor in Ecological Construction and Management of Infrastructure. Throughout my career, my fascination for the indicator value of plant communities and its usefulness for nature conservation increased.
Research
Research topics are focusing on vegetation ecology, vegetation dynamics, vegetation management, nature development, ecology of road sides, vegetation mapping and description of plant communities (syntaxonomy).
After working on flora and vegetation of road side verges and river dikes, at present our main interest is the relation between invertebrates, in particular ground beetles, vegetation composition and management.
A wide variety of habitats is or has been studied, like river forelands, salt marshes and coastal dunes, both in the Netherlands and abroad (Ireland, Poland, Greece ). Nature development is studied by remapping using GIS and by analysis of permanent quadrates. Syntaxonomic work is focusing on Greek plant communities.
Thesis subjects
Thesis subjects comprise studies into the succession of salt-marsh and dune slack vegetation, evaluation of sod cutting, the (landscape)ecology of the Junco-Schoenetum, vegetation and hydrology, vegetation and grazing in a river foreland, relation between ground beetles, environment and vegetation, gradient analysis, the vegetation of dry sandy soil in Poland of Greek lakes and an archaeological site. For more detailed information click thesis projects on the left
Teaching
- NCP-22303 ('Ecology of Communities, Ecosystems, Landscapes'- excursions)
- NCP-30306 ('Field course Vegetation Science and Systems Ecology')
- Caput
Publications (a selection) click here to view the entire list
Sykora, K.V. (2007) Field Guide Dutch Plant Communities. Species composition and ecology. 146 pp. (pdf)
Sykora, K.V. (2007) Goeree voor 1970; het land waar het leven goed was. Zuidhollands Landschap 3: 12-13
Verdonschot, R.C.M., Noordijk, J., Sykora, K.V. & Schaffers, A.P. (2007) Het voorkomen van loopkevers (Coleoptera: Carabidae) langs een vegatiegradiënt in de Millingerwaard. Entomologische Berichten 67 (3): 82-91
Van der Hoek, D. & Sykora, K.V. (2006) Fen meadow succession in relation to spatial and temporal differences in hydrology and soil conditions. Applied Vegetation Science 9:185-194.
Ketner-Oostra, R. ,M.J. van der Peijl & K.V. Sýkora, (2006) Restoration of lichen diversity in grass-dominated vegetation of coastal dunes after wildfire. J. Veg. Sci. 17: 147-156 (JVegEcol17147.pdf)
Dimopoulos, P., E. Bergmeier, M. Chytrý, J. Rodwell, J. Schaminée & K. Sýkora (eds), 2005. European Oak Woodlands: Past, Present and Future. Proc. 13th Workshop International Associoiation of Vegetation Science, European Working Group, Botanika Chronika 18(1): 316 pp.
Werf, W. van der, G. Woldewahid, A. van Huis, M. Butrous & K. Sykora, 2005. Plant communities can predict the distribution of solitarious desert locust Schistocerca gregaria. J. Appl. Ecol. 42: 989-997.
Panayotis Dimopoulos, Karlè Sýkora, Cindy Gilissen, Dannielle Wiecherink & Theodoros Georgiadis, 2005, Vegetation ecology of Kalodiki fen (NW Greece). Biologia (Bratislava) 60 (1): 69-82
Ketner-Oostra, R.& Sýkora, K.V., 2004. Decline of lichen-diversity in calcium-poor coastal dune vegetation since the 1970s, related to grass and moss encroachment, Phytocoenologia 34(4): 521-549
Sykora, Karle V., Van den Bogert, Jeroen C.J.M. & Berendse, Frank, 2004. Changes in soil and vegetation during dune slack succession. J. of Vegetation Science 15, 209-218.
Sýkora, K.V., D. Babalonas & E.S. Papastergiadou, 2003. Strandline and sand dune vegetation of coasts of Greece and of some other Aegean countries, Phytocoenologia 33 (2): 409-446.
Sýkora, K.V., J.M. Kalwij & P.-J. Keizer, 2002, A phytosociological and floristic evaluation of 15-year ecological management of roadside verges in the Netherlands. Preslia 74: 421-436.
Schaffers, A.P. & K.V.Sýkora. 2002. Synecology of species-rich plant communities on roadside verges in the Netherlands. Phytocoenologia 32 (1), 29-83.
Raemakers, I.P., A. P. Schaffers, K.V. Sýkora & Th. Heijerman. 2001. The importance of plant communities in road verges as habitats for insects. Proc. Exper. Appl. Entomol., NEV Amsterdam, 12: 101-106.
Dimopoulos, P., E. .Bergmeier, K. Sykora & E. Papastergiadou, 2000, Evaluation system of the relative importance of vegetation syntaxa for nature conservation in Greece. Biologia 55/1: 57 – 67.
Ketner-Oostra, R. & Sykora, K. 2000, Vegetation succession and lichen diversity on dry coastal calcium-poor dunes and the impact of management experiments. J. of Coastal Conservation 6.2 : 191-206.
Bonte, A.J. de, A.J. Boosten, A. van der Hagen & K.V. Sýkora, 1999. Vegetation development influenced by grazing in the coastal dunes near The Hague, The Netherlands. J. of Coastal Conservation 5: 59-68
Dimopoulos, P., K.V. Sykora, L. Mucina & T. Georgiadis, 1997. The high-ranked syntaxa of the rock and scree vegetation of mainland Greece and Crete. Folia Geobotanica et Phytotaxonomica 32: 313-334.
Pictures
