Dr Johanna Yourstone

Biography

I am an ecologist with a broad interest in how biodiversity responds to human-driven environmental change. My research focuses particularly on wild bees and the challenges they face in modern landscapes, such as the loss of flower-rich habitats and changes in the spatial and temporal distribution of floral resources.

A central theme in my work is understanding how bees with different functional traits respond to these challenges, and how competition between species influence responses. Methods I use include a combination of behavioural observations, field surveys of bees and plants, pollen analyses, and assessments of nesting success in real-world settings.

During my three-year postdoctoral position in Aberdeen (2024-2027), I will focus on the impacts of competition and pathogen spillover from managed honeybees to rare bumblebee species. This work will include field studies in the Hebrides, a region home to several of these vulnerable bumblebees. In Aberdeen, I am eager to expand my methodological toolkit by incorporating molecular approaches, which will allow me to explore the underlying mechanisms of bees’ responses to environmental stressors in greater detail.