Dipl.-Biol. Dr. Veronika E. Mayer

Assistant Professor (half-time)
4. floor, room 411
t: +43 (0)1 4277-540 81
m: veronika.mayer@univie.ac.at

© Veronika Mayer

Research interests


At the core of my research lies the complex and dynamic connectivity of plants linking them to their environment. I am particularly fascinated by mutualisms between plants and insects and their structural adaptation and reciprocal interaction. Currently, I am working on plants living with mutualistic ants (myrmecophytes) and investigating (a) the intriguing role of fungi as third partner in ant-plant associations, and (b) the sophisticated forms of communication between host plants and their inhabiting ants. The model systems I am focusing on are the Cecropia spp.-Azteca spp. ant-plant mutualism and Piper spp.-Pheidole bicornis system.

Besides ants and plants, the functional aspects of accessory fruit structures are still fascinating to me. Specifically, I address the structural background and radiation processes in several Dipsacaceae groups.

Projects


 Teaching

Current Courses

 Cooperations

  • Rumsais Blatrix, Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive, CNRS, Montpellier, France
  • Stefan Dötterl, Organismic Biology, Department of Ecology, Biodiversity and Evolution of Plants, University of Salzburg, Austria
  • Lena Fragner, Department of Ecogenomics and Systems Biology, University of Vienna, Austria
  • Sybren de Hoog, Westerdijk Fungal Biodiversity Institut, Utrecht, The Netherlands
  • Christina Kaiser, Department of Microbiology and Ecosystem Science, Division Terrestrial Ecosystem Research, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
  • Adrián Pinto Tomas, Centro de Investigación en Estructuras Microscópicas (CIEMIC), Universidad de Costa Rica, Costa Rica
  • Andreas Richter, Department of Microbiology and Ecosystem Science, Division Terrestrial Ecosystem Research, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
  • Hermann Voglmayr, Department of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, University of Vienna, Austria
  • Dagmar Woebken, Research network CMM, Department of Microbiology and Ecosystem Science, Division Microbial Ecology, University of Vienna, Austria

 Curriculum Vitae

Current position

  • 1997– Assistant professor (half-time)

Education and scientific career

  • 1999–2005 Associate Editor of the journal TAXON and Regnum Vegetabile (IAPT)
  • 1993–1996 Research assistant in projects on systematics and morphology of Dipsacaceae, and the function of their fruit structures at the University of Vienna (Austria)
  • 1988–1993 Dissertation at the University of Vienna (Austria)
  • 1989–1991 Fellow of the "Studienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes"
  • 1981–1987 Study of Biology at the LMU Munich and FU Berlin, Diploma from the FU Berlin (Germany)
  • 1986/87 DAAD Fellow at the UC Berkeley (USA)

Publications


Showing entries 41 - 60 out of 80

2009


2008


Fischer, R., & Mayer, V. (2008). A house in the tropics: full pension for ants in Piper plants / Una casa en el tropico:pensión completa para hormigas en plantas de Piper. In A. Weissenhofer (Ed.), Natural and cultural history of the Golfo Dulce Region, Costa Rica: Historia natural y cultural de la región del Golfo Dulce, Costa Rica (pp. 589-598). Oberösterreichische Landesmuseen. Stapfia Vol. 88

Thurner, M., & Mayer, V. (2008). Does nectar production reduce herbivore pressure on Passiflora species in tropical lowland rainforests in Costa Rica? / Puede la producción de néctar reducir la presión de herbivoría en especies de Passiflora (Passifloraceae) en un bosque tropical de Costa Rica? In A. Weissenhofer (Ed.), Natural and cultural history of the Golfo Dulce Region, Costa Rica: Historia natural y cultural de la región del Golfo Dulce, Costa Rica (pp. 599-606). Oberösterreichisches Landesmuseum. Stapfia Vol. 88

Weissenhofer, A., Huber, W., Mayer, V., Pamperl, S., Weber, A., & Aubrecht, G. (2008). Introduction. Stapfia, 88, 14-16.

Weissenhofer, A., Huber, W., Mayer, V., Pamperl, S., Weber, A., & Aubrecht, G. (Eds.) (2008). Natural and Cultural History of the Golfo Dulce Region, Costa Rica. Biologiezentrum. Stapfia

2006


2005


Mayer, V., Ölzant, S., & Fischer, R. (2005). Myrmecochorous Seed Dispersal in Temperate Regions. In P. M. Forget, J. E. Lambert, P. E. Hulme, & S. B. Vander Wall (Eds.), Seed fate: predation, dispersal and seedling establishment (pp. 175-195). CABI Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1079/9780851998060.0175

2003


Stuessy, T., Mayer, V., & Hörandl, E. (Eds.) (2003). Deep Morphology: toward a renaissance of morphology in plant systematics. Gantner. Regnum vegetabile Vol. 141

2002


Weber, A., Jang, C-G., Pfosser, M., Mayer, V., Kiehn, M., & Perret, M. (2002). Classification of Old World Gesneriaceae: solved and open problems. In Q. Cronk, & M. Mendum (Eds.), Gesneriaceae Workshop. Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, 25.-28.9.2002 Unknown publisher.

Fischer, R., Richter, A., Wanek, W., & Mayer, V. (2002). Las plantas alimentan a las hormigas y las hormigas a las plantas: Piper y Pheidole. In R. Churio, & J. Orlando (Eds.), Libro de Resúmenes Octavo Congreso Latinoamericano y Segundo Colombiano de Botánica: Cartagena de Indias 13-18 de octubre de 2002 Universidad Nacional de Colombia.

Showing entries 41 - 60 out of 80