I am interested in (but not limited to) forest insect communities, and their roles in important ecosystem functions such as pollination and parasitism. I seek to assess the biodiversity focused management practices that can be incorporated into sustainable forest use, particularly by emulating natural processes and forest structures. My main research has focused on the influence of forest structure on habitat specialists, namely forest bees and wasps, but also beetle feeding guilds, and more recently, parasitic taxa. I am an Entomologist specializing in the order Hymenoptera (bees, ants and wasps), though I have been involved in projects looking at various taxa to gain a more comprehensive overview.
Feb-May 2023 Introduction to Ornithology
Oct 2021-Feb 2022/Oct 2022-Feb 2023 Introduction to Hymenoptera
Oct 2021-Feb 2022 Identification of Cavity-nesting Bees and Wasps
July 2020/2022/2023 Provided lectures on Forest Entomology
Rappa, N.J., Staab, M., Ruppert, L.S., Frey, J., Mello, M.A.R., Klein, A.M., (Accepted). Forest structure and heterogeneity increase diversity and alter composition of host-parasitoid networks. Re-submitted after revision to Ecol. Entomol. (12.01.2024)
Ruppert, L.S., Staab, M., Klingenfuß, S., Rappa, N.J., Frey, J., Segelbacher, G., 2023. Leaf litter arthropods show little response to structural retention in a Central European forest. Biodivers. Conserv. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-023-02677-w
Burrascano, S., Chianucci, F., Trentanovi, G., Kepfer-Rojas, S., Sitzia, T., Tinya, F., Doerfler, I., Paillet, Y., Nagel, T.A., Mitic, B., Morillas, L., Munzi, S., Van der Sluis, T., Alterio, E., Balducci, L., Andrade, R.B., Bouget, C., Giordani, P., Lachat, T., Matosevic, D., Napoleone, F., Nascimbene, J., Paniccia, C., Roth, N., Aszalós, R., Brazaitis, G., Cutini, A., D’Andrea, E., De Smedt, P., Heilmann-Clausen, J., Janssen, P., Kozák, D., Mårell, A., Mikoláš, M., Nordén, B., Matula, R., Schall, P., Svoboda, M., Ujhazyova, M., Vandekerkhove, K., Wohlwend, M., Xystrakis, F., Aleffi, M., Ammer, C., Archaux, F., Asbeck, T., Avtzis, D., Ayasse, M., Bagella, S., Balestrieri, R., Barbati, A., Basile, M., Bergamini, A., Bertini, G., Biscaccianti, A.B., Boch, S., Bölöni, J., Bombi, P., Boscardin, Y., Brunialti, G., Bruun, H.H., Buscot, F., Byriel, D.B., Campagnaro, T., Campanaro, A., Chauvat, M., Ciach, M., Čiliak, M., Cistrone, L., Pereira, J.M.C., Daniel, R., De Cinti, B., De Filippo, G., Dekoninck, W., Di Salvatore, U., Dumas, Y., Elek, Z., Ferretti, F., Fotakis, D., Frank, T., Frey, J., Giancola, C., Gomoryová, E., Gosselin, M., Gosselin, F., Gossner, M.M., Götmark, F., Haeler, E., Hansen, A.K., Hertzog, L., Hofmeister, J., Hošek, J., Johanssen, V.K., Justensen, M.J., Korboulewsky, N., Kovács, B., Lakatos, F., Landivar, C.M., Lens, L., Lingua, E., Lombardi, F., Máliš, F., Marchino, L., Marozas, V., Matteucci, G., Mattioli, W., Møller, P.F., Müller, J., Németh, C., Ónodi, G., Parisi, F., Perot, T., Perret, S., Persiani, A.M., Portaccio, A., Posillico, M., Preikša, Ž., Rahbek, C., Rappa, N.J., Ravera, S., Romano, A., Samu, F., Scheidegger, C., Schmidt, I.K., Schwegmann, S., Sicuriello, F., Spinu, A.P., Spyroglou, G., Stillhard, J., Topalidou, E., Tøttrup, A.P., Ujházy, K., Veres, K., Verheyen, K., Weisser, W.W., Zapponi, L., Ódor, P., 2023. Where are we now with European forest multi-taxon biodiversity and where can we head to? Biol. Conserv. 284, e110176. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2023.110176
Chaves, J.E., Acuña, M.C.A., Rodríguez‑Souilla, J., Cellini, J.M., Rappa, N.J., Lencinas, M.V., Peri, P.L., Martínez Pastur, G., 2023. Carbon pool dynamics after variable retention harvesting in Nothofagus pumilio forests of Tierra del Fuego. Ecol. Process. 12:e5. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13717-023-00418-z
Rappa, N.J., Staab, M., Ruppert, L.S., Frey, J., Bauhus, J., Klein, A.M., 2023. Structural elements enhanced by retention forestry promote forest and non-forest specialist bees and wasps. For. Ecol. Manag. 529:e120709. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2022.120709
Rappa, N.J., Staab, M., Frey, J., Winiger, N., Klein, A.M. 2022. Multiple forest structural elements are needed to promote beetle biomass, diversity and abundance. For. Ecosyst. 9:e100056. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fecs.2022.100056