Malin Tälle

Currently, my main research focus is exploring the relationships between different measures of biodiversity, as well as evaluating the effects of conservation actions used in forests. In earlier projects, I have studied how to preserve species that depend on natural disturbances such as forest fires, and how the placement of protected areas within landscapes affects biodiversity. My work also examines how management methods such as grazing and mowing affect biodiversity in semi-natural grasslands, for instance in my dissertation titled Conservation of semi-natural grasslands: effects of different management methods on biodiversity.

Most of my current and previous research focuses on synthesising results and conclusions from previous studies, to understand which conservation actions are effective and why. This approach helps identify the measures that are most likely to succeed in different contexts and allows me to translate scientific knowledge into practical guidance for both conservation practitioners and policy-makers. 

Currently, I am working in a project titled "To what extent do measures of biodiversity correlate? A systematic synthesis to improve the assessment of biodiversity". Biodiversity is declining rapidly, but it remains unclear how well commonly used biodiversity metrics, such as species richness and diversity, correlate with one another, or whether different species groups respond in similar ways to threats and conservation actions. Addressing these questions can provide valuable insights into which metrics to use for measuring biodiversity trends, how reliable indicator species are for assessing biodiversity trends, and which species groups can serve as effective indicators for others. 

I am course leader on the course Forest Conservation Science, and teach on the course Tillämpad Naturvårdsbiologi. 

I am happy to supervise BSc and MSc thesis projects related to my research interests. Please contact me to discuss potential topics.

I have a BSc, MSc and a PhD in Ecology from Linköping University, Sweden. 

My full publication list can be found on Google Scholar.

Milberg, P., Bergman, K.-O., Fjellander, G., Tälle, M., Westerberg, L. 2024. Bumblebee abundance in species-rich grasslands in southern Sweden decreases with increasing amount of arable land at a landscape level. Insects, 15, 982. 

Tälle, M., Ranius, T., Öckinger, E. The usefulness of surrogates in biodiversity conservation: A synthesis. Biological Conservation, 288, 110384.

Milberg, P., Tälle, M. 2023. Maintaining an open landscape: Comparison of management methods for semi-natural grasslands: A Swedish multi-site study. Global Ecology and Conservation, 48, e02721.

Tälle, M., Öckinger, E., Löfroth, T., Pettersson, L.B., Smith, H.G., Stjernman, M., Ranius, T. 2023. Land sharing complements land sparing in the conservation of disturbance-dependent species. Ambio, 52, 571-584.

Milberg, P., Bergman, K.-O., Glimskär, A., Nilsson, S. and Tälle, M. 2020. Site factors are more important than management for indicator species in semi-natural grasslands in southern Sweden. Plant Ecology, 221, 577-594

Tälle, M., Wiréhn, L., Ellström, D., Hjerpe, M., Huge-Brodin, M., Jensen, P., Lindström, T., Neset, T.-S., Wennergren, U., and Metson, G. 2019. Synergies and trade-offs for sustainable food production in Sweden: an integrated approach. Sustainability, 22, 601.

Tälle, M., Deák, B., Poschlod, P., Valkó, O., Westerberg, L., and Milberg, P. 2018. Similar effects of different mowing frequencies on the conservation value of semi-natural grasslands in Europe. Biodiversity and Conservation, 27, 2451-2475.

Milberg, P.,  Fogelfors, H., Westerberg, L. and Tälle, M. 2018. Annual burning of semi-natural grasslands for conservation favours tall-grown species with high nectar production. Nordic Journal of Botany, 36, e01709.

Tälle, M. 2018. Conservation of semi-natural grasslands: effects of different management methods on biodiversity. PhD thesis. Linköping University Electronic Press, Linköping, Sweden.

Milberg, P., Tälle, M., Fogelfors, H. and Westerberg, L. 2017. The biodiversity cost of reducing management intensity in species-rich grasslands: Mowing annually vs. every third year. Basic and Applied Ecology, 22, 61-74.

Tälle, M., Deák, B., Poschlod, P., Valkó, O., Westerberg, L., and Milberg, P. 2016. Grazing vs. mowing: a meta-analysis of biodiversity benefits for grassland management. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment, 222, 200-212.

Tälle, M., Fogelfors, H., Westerberg, L., and Milberg, P. 2015. The conservation benefit of mowing vs grazing for management of species-rich grasslands: a multi-site, multi-year field experiment. Nordic Journal of Botany, 33, 761-768.

Tälle, M., Berman, K.-O., Paltto, H., Philgren, A., Svensson, R., Westerberg, L., Wissman, J, and Milberg, P. 2014. Mowing for biodiversity: grass trimmer and knife mower perform equally well. Biodiversity and Conservation, 23, 3073-3089.