Hi! I'm Kamil Konowalik and this is my personal website in English. If you would like to view version in Polish click here.

Me and one of the highest populations of L. rotundifolium found by Bogumił Pawłowski onthe slopes of Ciemniak in High Tatra Mts. (Western Carpathians)

About me

I'm a botanist working also in the fields of evolutionary biology and biogeography. I'm especially interested in investigating the causes that lead to the separation of populations and the establishment of new species. This separation is manifested at different levels: morphological, ecological, and genetic. This brought me to work on hybridization, polyploidy, systematics, phylogenetics, population genetics, cytogenetics, plant morphology, and species distribution modeling (SDM).
I graduated from the University of Wroclaw (MSc, 2009) and the University of Regensburg (PhD, 2014). Currently, I'm an assistant professor at the University of Environmental and Life Sciences (Wrocław, Poland) where I'm engaged in research and teaching.
I have a lot of experience in many laboratory methods including DNA/PCR-based techniques, cytometry, and cytogenetics. I'm also interested in GIS, environmental niche modeling (ENM), maps and scientific illustration.
Until 2022 I was working on the project Phylogeography and hybridization within Carpathian ox-eye daisies (Leucanthemum, Compositae) where I studied Carpathian endemic Leucanthemum rotundifolium and associated taxa using molecular markers, cytogenetics and connecting it with environmental variables. In my research, I focus mainly on the Asteraceae family, the biggest family of land plants with about 25000 species with an enormous variability.
Privately I live with my family in a small house near Oleśnica where I usually work in the garden and do endless renovations of our century-old house :)


CV

You can find my full CV here in pdf.

Projects

Until 2022 I was realizing the project Phylogeography and hybridization within Carpathian ox-eye daisies (Leucanthemum, Compositae) You can see its custom webpage here. The projects in which I participated are listed here:

  • Species delimitation using genetic data in the genus Chrysanthellum and closely related taxa from the tribe Coreopsideae (Asteraceae) - principal investigator, 2023, funding 50000 PLN (11600 EUR) from internal grant of Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences
  • Phylogeography and hybridization within Carpathian ox-eye daisies (Leucanthemum, Compositae) - principal investigator, 2017-2022, funding 561230 PLN (125000 EUR) from NCN (National Science Centre, Poland). Look at the project website here.
  • Phylogeny of three sections within genus Centaurea (Compositae) - principal investigator, 2019, funding 4318.43 PLN (946 EUR) from Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education (through WUELS)
  • Phylogeny and biogeography of genus Chrysanthellum Rich. (Coreopsideae, Asteraceae) - principal investigator, 2018-2019, funding 10232 PLN (2245 EUR) from Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education (through WUELS)
  • Analysis of variability of selected chloroplast markers in phylogeographic studies of Pleurospermum austriacum (Apiaceae) - principal investigator, 2017-2018, funding 9999.60 PLN (2200 EUR) from Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education (through WUELS)
  • Consequences of polyploidy: Phylogeny, phyloecology, and expression of duplicated genes in Leucanthemum Mill. (Compositae, Anthemideae) - grant executor (PhD position), 2009-2014, funding obtained by Prof. Christoph Oberprieler and Dr. Robert Vogt from DFG (German Research Foundation, Germany).

Research stays :

  • Research stay at the University of Veracruz (Mexico) funded by Erasmus-Mundus MAYA-NET (Mobility As keY factor for quAlity eNhancement of EU and LA univErsiTies”), 2016, 2850 EUR.
  • Cytogenetic characterisation of Artemisia absinthium (FISH) - 2008, short research stay at University of Paris-Sud (Orsay, France) during LLP-Erasmus project.
  • Cytogenetic characterisation of Artemisia absinthium - 2008-2009, research project funded by LLP-Erasmus, University of Barcelona (Spain).

Other funding:

  • Internal grant for Student Research Group of Plant Biologists "Mlecz" for project "Comparison of lowland and mountainous populations of synanthropic plants in Karkonosze National Park ", funding ca. 10000 PLN (2200 EUR)
  • Internal grant from Vice-Rector for Research and International Relations (WUELS) for funding of the purchase of research equipment. Flow cytometer, funding 100950 PLN (22131 EUR)
  • Travel award for Phylogenomics Symposium and Software School at Austin (USA), 2016, 1000 USD.
  • Travel award to attend the Evolution Meeting, 2016, 6380 PLN (1400 EUR) supported by the Leading National Research Centre (KNOW) programme of the Wrocław Center of Biotechnology for years 2014–2018.
  • Funding to purchase desktop computer, 2016, 3499 PLN (768 EUR) supported by the Leading National Research Centre (KNOW) programme of the Wrocław Center of Biotechnology for years 2014–2018.

Study species

This is the list of taxa which I'm working with (or plan to work). In fact I often work on other species, especially in the context of GIS and distribution modeling. But for the listed taxa I maintain a collection of DNA samples, extracted either from specimens collected in the field or from the herbarium.

  • Leucanthemum
  • Chrysanthellum
  • Bidens
  • Artemisia
  • Anthemideae
  • Fitchia & Oparanthus
  • Coreopsideae
  • Asteraceae
  • Jasione montana
  • Larix decidua / L. polonica / L. sibirica
  • Pleurospermum austriacum
  • also occasionally other plants and animals

You can help me in my research!

If you would like to help me in my studies or can provide me any material I will be very happy. Specifically if you can provide me seeds and dried material from the above mentioned taxa - especially Leucanthemum, Chrysanthemum s.l., or Chrysanthellum - I will be really grateful. Also for example if you are unsure about the ploidy of your species and you would like to determine it (it is an important characteristic of some morphologically similar species like Leucanthemum vulgare and L. ircutianum) - I can check it for you if you send me seeds or silica dried material. My address is at the bottom of this site.

Excursions

Since I started to work scientifically, one of my goals was to connect laboratory and fieldwork. Therefore, excursions are an important part of my research because studying plants inherently means that they will not come to me and I need to travel to collect them. I often travel specifically to collect samples, but even on holidays I usually collect some samples for further studies... So far I have been in many areas around the world, like: Russia, Spain, Ukraine, Turkey, Italy, Slovakia, Romania, Mexico, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, Germany, Czech Republic, Canada, USA...

Nowadays, I try to post my observations on iNaturalist as well:

iNaturalist
Thumb My observations on iNaturalist »

Teaching and mentoring

PhD supervisor:

  • Adrian Wysocki - 10.2021-onwards. PhD thesis topic: Molecular ecology of bryophyte umbrella species (additional supervisor/co-supervisor)

Visiting international students:

  • Elaheh Oreizi - 09.2018-01.2019. We worked together on phylogeny of three sections of Iranian Centaurea L. using chloroplast markers, ITS, and ETS.

Master students:

  • Anita Skorus, M.Sc., 2024/2025. Genetic diversity of endemic Chrysanthemum zawadzkii at a single locality in Europe.
  • Olga Łuczak, M.Sc., 2023/2024. Response of European beech (Fagus sylvatica) to climate warming – genetic variation in a temperature gradient.
  • Izabela Woch, M.Sc., 2016/2018. Induction of polyploidy and its effect on purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea (L.) Moench).

Bachelor students:

  • Olga Łuczak, B.Sc., 2021/22. Morphometric analyses in Leucanthemum Mill. occurring in the Carpathian Mts.
  • Aleksandra Orłowska, B.Sc., 2019/20. Karyotype analysis of selected species from the genus Leucanthemum Mill. occurring in the Carpathian Mts.
  • Agata Nosol, B.Sc., 2018/19. Comparison of algorithms used for species niche modeling in the example of round-leaved oxeye daisy (Leucanthemum rotundifolium, Asteraceae).
  • Dorota Szampowalska, B.Sc., 2017/18. Comparison of seed germination of Jasione montana L. var. montana and Jasione montana L. var. litoralis Fries in a various salinity conditions.
  • Adriana Chachuła, B.Sc., 2017/18. Comparison of ecological niches and habitat conditions of species of the genera Fitchia Hook.f. and Oparanthus Scherff (Coreopsideae, Compositae).
  • Olesia Pikula, B.Sc., 2017/18. Reconstruction of ecoclimatic niche of Bulbous Rush (Juncus bulbosus).
  • Natalia Lebica, B.Sc., 2016/17. A preliminary study on the distribution of species from the celandine genus (Ficaria Guett.) within the area of Lower Silesia.
  • support in preparation of theses during PhD at the Univeristy of Regensburg: Florian Wagner, Andreas Fackelman, Theodor Poettinger, Sabrina Altpeter, Katja Grill, and Michael Cordel.

Engineering students:

  • Klaudia Michalska, engineer, 2023/2024. Design of ecological corridors for the Pelophylax esculentus.

I have been involved in quite a lot of courses. Yearly I have lectures or practical exercises for around 100-200 students. The courses which I taught:

  • Biological Monitoring of the Environment (Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences) - lecture, excercises, fieldworks
  • Biological Principles of Agriculture (Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences) - lecture, excercises
  • Plant Systematics (Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences) - lecture, excercises, fieldworks
  • Applications of Computer Spatial Analyzes (GIS) in Biological Research (Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences) - excercises and fieldworks
  • Current Trends in Plant Phylogenetics (Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences) - seminar
  • Botany (Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences) - lecture and excercises
  • Genetics (Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences) - excercises
  • Medicinal and poisonous plants (Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences) - part of excercises in the lab
  • Plant Biodiversity and Plant Communities (Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences) - part of excercises
  • Molecular plant evolution (University of Regensburg) - excercises in the lab

Publications

For the most recent list of publications see my profile on Google Scholar or Research Gate. My publications include:

  • Wysocki, A., Wierzcholska, S., Proćków, J., Konowalik, K., 2025. Effects of forest management and habitat continuity on the genetic structure and ecological corridors of target epiphytic moss species: A landscape genetic study of Dicranum viride. Forest Ecosystems 100373. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fecs.2025.100373
  • Konowalik K., Łuczak, O., 2025. From Genes to Shapes: Exploring Local Adaptation in Carpathian Ox-Eye Daisies. Journal of Biogeography, e15158 https://doi.org/10.1111/jbi.15158
  • Konowalik K., Tomasello, S., Urbaniak, J., 2025. Genetic Diversity and Ecogeographical Niche Overlap Among Hybridising Ox-Eye Daisies (Leucanthemum, Asteraceae) in the Carpathian Mountains: The Impact of Anthropogenic Disturbances. Molecular Ecology 32(1), e17581 https://doi.org/10.1111/mec.17581
  • Wysocki, A., Olesik B., Proćków J., Konowalik K., Wierzcholska S., 2024. The role of phorophyte species and interspecific interactions in co-occurrence patterns of the primeval forest relict Dicranum viride. Dendrobiology 92, 32-44 https://doi.org/10.12657/denbio.092.002
  • Wysocki, A., Wierzcholska, S., Proćków, J., Konowalik, K., 2024. Host tree availability shapes potential distribution of a target epiphytic moss species more than direct climate effects. Scientific Reports 14, 18388. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-69041-y
  • Wysocki, A., Czortek, P., Konowalik, K., Proćków, J., Wierzcholska, S., 2023. Opposite effects of host tree species on the realised niche of Dicranum viride – A model species belonging to the group of endangered epiphytes. Forest Ecology and Management 545, 121303. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2023.121303
  • Konowalik, K., 2022. Phylogeography and colonization pattern of subendemic round-leaved oxeye daisy from the Dinarides to the Carpathians. Scientific Reports 12, 16443. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-19619-1
  • Kolanowska, M., Tsiftsis, S., Dudek, M., Konowalik, K., Baranow, P., 2022. Niche conservatism and evolution of climatic tolerance in the Neotropical orchid genera Sobralia and Brasolia (Orchidaceae). Scientific Reports 12, 13936. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-18218-4
  • Oreizi E., Negaresh K., Rahiminejad M.R., Konowalik K., 2022. Centaurea daneshvarii (Asteraceae, Cardueae), a new species from Kermanshah Province, W Iran. Annales Botanici Fennici 59 (1): 201–205. https://doi.org/10.5735/085.059.0131 ; epub here
  • Fu, Z., Liu, X., Zhen, A., Zhu, X., Konowalik, K., Ma, Y., Li, P., 2022. Chrysanthemum dabieshanense, a new name for Chrysanthemum vestitum var. latifolium (Asteraceae, Anthemideae). PhytoKeys 202, 45–52. https://doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.202.80554
  • Xia, M., Cai, M., Comes, H.P., Zheng, L., Ohi-Toma, T., Lee, J., Qi, Z., Konowalik, K., Li, P., Cameron, K.M., Fu, C., 2022. An overlooked dispersal route of Cardueae (Asteraceae) from the Mediterranean to East Asia revealed by phylogenomic and biogeographic analyses of Atractylodes. Annals of Botany 130(1), 53-64. https://doi.org/10.1093/aob/mcac059
  • Liu, L., Low, S.L., Sakaguchi, S., Feng, Y., Ge, B., Konowalik, K., Li, P., 2021. Development of nuclear and chloroplast polymorphic microsatellites for Crossostephium chinense (Asteraceae). Molecular Biology Reports 48, 6259–6267. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11033-021-06590-9
  • Liu Z.H., Low S.L., Cai M.Q., Ru Y.L., Konowalik K. & Li P., 2021. Complete plastome of Carlina acaulis and implications on systematics of the tribe Cardueae (Asteraceae). Annales Botanici Fennici 58 (4-6), 313–322. https://doi.org/10.5735/085.058.0416
  • Kolanowska M., Michalska E., Konowalik K., 2021. The impact of global warming on the niches and pollinator availability of sexually deceptive orchid with a single pollen vector. Science of The Total Environment 795, 148850. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.148850
  • Konowalik, K., Nosol, A., 2021. Evaluation metrics and validation of presence-only species distribution models based on distributional maps with varying coverage. Scientific Reports 11, 1482. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-80062-1
    if you are looking for the R code from this publication you can find it here: https://github.com/kkonowalik/ENM_evaluation
  • Tomasello, S., Konowalik, K., 2020. On the Leucanthemopsis alpina (L.) Heywood growing in the Illyrian region. PhytoKeys 161, 27–40. https://doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.161.53384
  • Konowalik, A., Najbar, A., Konowalik, K., Dylewski, Ł., Frydlewicz, M., Kisiel, P., Starzecka, A., Zaleśna, A., Kolenda, K., 2020. Amphibians in an urban environment: a case study from a central European city (Wrocław, Poland). Urban Ecosyst 23, 235–243. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11252-019-00912-3
  • Proćków, M., Konowalik, K., Proćków, J., 2019. Contrasting effects of climate change on the European and global potential distributions of two Mediterranean helicoid terrestrial gastropods. Reg Environ Change 19, 2637–2650. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10113-019-01573-w
  • Konowalik, K., Kolanowska, M., 2018. Climatic niche shift and possible future spread of the invasive South African Orchid Disa bracteata in Australia and adjacent areas. PeerJ 6, e6107. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.6107
  • Oberprieler, C., Konowalik, K., Fackelmann, A., Vogt, R., 2018. Polyploid speciation across a suture zone: phylogeography and species delimitation in S French Leucanthemum Mill. representatives (Compositae–Anthemideae). Plant Syst Evol 304, 1141–1155. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00606-018-1537-9
  • Vogt, R., Konowalik, K., Oberprieler, C., 2018. Karyological analysis reveals two new polyploid marguerite taxa (Leucanthemum, Compositae–Anthemideae) in S France and NW Italy. Willdenowia 48, 221–226. https://doi.org/10.3372/wi.48.48204
  • Konowalik, K., Proćków, M., Proćków, J., Aug. 2017. Climatic niche of Selinum alatum (Apiaceae, Selineae), a new invasive plant species in Central Europe and its alterations according to the climate change scenarios: Are the European mountains threatened by invasion? PLOS ONE 12 (8), e0182793+. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0182793
  • Oberprieler, C., Wagner, F., Tomasello, S., Konowalik, K., Jul. 2017. A permutation approach for inferring species networks from gene trees in polyploid complexes by minimising deep coalescences. Methods Ecol Evol 8 (7), 835-849. https://doi.org/10.1111/2041-210X.12694
  • Kolanowska, M., Grochocka, E., Konowalik, K., May 2017. Phylogenetic climatic niche conservatism and evolution of climatic suitability in Neotropical Angraecinae (Vandeae, Orchidaceae) and their closest African relatives. PeerJ 5:e3328. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.3328
  • Stutz, S., Hinz, H. L., Konowalik, K., Müller-Schärer, H., Oberprieler, C., Schaffner, U., Sep. 2016. Ploidy level in the genus Leucanthemum correlates with resistance to a specialist herbivore. Ecosphere 7 (9):e01460. https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.1460
  • Kolanowska, M., Mystkowska, K., Kras, M., Dudek, M., Konowalik, K., Aug. 2016. Evolution of the climatic tolerance and postglacial range changes of the most primitive orchids (Apostasioideae) within Sundaland, Wallacea and Sahul. PeerJ 4, e2384+. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.2384
  • Konowalik, K., Wagner, F., Tomasello, S., Vogt, R., Oberprieler, C., 2015. Detecting reticulate relationships among diploid Leucanthemum Mill. (Compositae, Anthemideae) taxa using multilocus species tree reconstruction methods and AFLP fingerprinting. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 92, 308-328. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2015.06.003
  • Kolanowska, M., Konowalik, K., 2014. Niche Conservatism and Future Changes in the Potential Area Coverage of Arundina graminifolia, an Invasive Orchid Species from Southeast Asia. Biotropica 46 (2), 157-165. https://doi.org/10.1111/btp.12089
  • Oberprieler, C., Greiner, R., Konowalik, K., Vogt, R., 2014. The reticulate evolutionary history of the polyploid NW iberian Leucanthemum pluriflorum clan (Compositae, Anthemideae) as inferred from nrDNA ETS sequence diversity and eco-climatological niche-modelling. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 70, 478-491. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2013.10.013
  • Oberprieler, C., Konowalik, K., Altpeter, S., Siegert, E., Lo Presti, R. M., Greiner, R., Vogt, R., 2012. Filling of eco-climatological niches in a polyploid complex ? a case study in the plant genus Leucanthemum Mill. (Compositae, Anthemideae) from the Iberian Peninsula. Flora - Morphology, Distribution, Functional Ecology of Plants 207 (12), 862-867. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.flora.2012.09.012
  • Konowalik, K., Kreitschitz, A., 2012. Morphological and anatomical characteristics of Artemisia absinthium var. absinthium and its polish endemic variety A. absinthium var. calcigena. Plant Systematics and Evolution 298 (7), 1325-1336. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00606-012-0639-z
  • Konowalik, K., Garcia, S., Pellicer, J., Kreitschitz, A., Vallés, J., 2010. Cytogenetic characterisation of Artemisia absinthium (Asteraceae, Anthemideae) and its polish endemic var. calcigena. Annales Botanici Fennici 47 (6), 477-488. https://doi.org/10.5735/085.047.0607

Others:

  • Kolenda, K., Kisiel, P., Konieczny, K., Kuśmierek, N., Starzecka, A., Konowalik, K., 2020. Nowe dane o występowaniu traszki górskiej Ichthyosaura alpestris w północno-wschodniej części Dolnego Śląska / New data on the occurrence of the Alpine newt Ichthyosaura alpestris in the north-eastern part of Lower Silesia. Chrońmy Przyrodę Ojczystą, vol. 75, no. 6, 2019, pp. 459-469. [in Polish with an English abstract] link to ResearchGate
  • Najbar, A., Konowalik, A., Frydlewicz, M., Kisiel, P., Kolenda, K., Konowalik, K., Starzecka, A., Zaleśna, A., 2019. Płazy miasta Wrocławia–zagrożenia i zalecenia ochronne. / Amphibians of the city of Wrocław - threats and recommendations for conservation. Chrońmy Przyrodę Ojczystą, vol. 75, no. 2, pp. 98-112. [in Polish with an English abstract] link to ResearchGate

Preprints:

Contact me

E-mail:

kamil.konowalik@upwr.edu.pl

Correspondence address:

Kamil Konowalik
Department of Botany and Plant Ecology
Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences
Pl. Grunwaldzki 24a
PL-50-363 Wroclaw, Poland
1st floor, room 113
tel. (+48) 71 320-1616




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