![Fredric Windsor BSc, MSc, PhD, FHEA, FRES, MRSB](https://profiles-cardiff.imgix.net/attachments/7441?w=200&h=200&auto=format&crop=faces&fit=crop&q=90")
Dr Fredric Windsor
(he/him)
BSc, MSc, PhD, FHEA, FRES, MRSB
- Available for postgraduate supervision
Teams and roles for Fredric Windsor
Lecturer in Ecology
School of Biosciences
Overview
I am a network ecologist interested in how ecosystems respond to natural and anthropogenic changes. My work primarily focuses on inter-specific interactions, from pollination through to predation. I aim to combine these interactions into complex networks that represent the structure and function of real-world systems - this is often very difficult!
The reason for undertaking this research is to provide predictions for a variety of different applications, including biocontrol, restoration and conservation. Moving towards predictive ecology, which hinges on a detailed understanding of direct and indirect interactions within ecosystems, is the ultimate goal of my research.
Publication
2025
- de Lima, V. M. M. et al. 2025. Unveiling new data on fish parasite diversity in reservoirs of the Brazilian semi-arid. Journal of Helminthology 99 e56. (10.1017/S0022149X25000288)
- Reynolds, M. et al. 2025. Parasites alter interaction patterns in fish social networks. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 292 (2047) 20250793. (10.1098/rspb.2025.0793)
- Rother, D. C. et al., 2025. Spatial networks reveal how forest cover decreases the spread of agricultural pests. Perspectives in Ecology and Conservation 23 (2), pp.93-103. (10.1016/j.pecon.2025.03.006)
- Tavella, J. et al., 2025. Herbicide application indirectly affects non-crop plant-pollinator networks in agroecosystems. Journal of Applied Ecology 62 (9), pp.2237-2248. (10.1111/1365-2664.70113)
2024
- Clitherow, L. R. et al., 2024. Chapter three - Variation in the diet of juvenile salmonids across a gradient of stream development in Glacier Bay, Alaska. In: Dumbrell, A. J. and AMilner, A. M. eds. Advances in Ecological Research. Vol. 71, Elsevier. , pp.85-112. (10.1016/bs.aecr.2024.10.005)
- Cuff, J. P. et al., 2024. Networking nutrients: how nutrition determines the structure of ecological networks. Journal of Animal Ecology 93 (8), pp.974-988. (10.1111/1365-2656.14124)
- Cuff, J. P. , Labonte, D. and Windsor, F. 2024. Understanding trophic interactions in a warming world by bridging foraging ecology and biomechanics with network science. Integrative & Comparative Biology 64 (2), pp.306-321. icae070. (10.1093/icb/icae070)
- Cuff, J. P. et al. 2024. Sources of prey availability data alter interpretation of outputs from prey choice null networks.. Ecological Entomology 49 (3), pp.418-432. (10.1111/een.13315)
- Hooper, A. S. et al. 2024. Algae-bacteria community analysis for drinking water taste and odour risk management. Water 17 (1) 79. (10.3390/w17010079)
- Milner, A. M. et al., 2024. Chapter Six - Looking forward; A synthesis of stream research undertaken in Glacier Bay. In: Dumbrell, A. J. and Milner, A. M. eds. Stream Research in Glacier Bay, Alaska From 1977-2024: Part 2. Advances in Ecological Research Vol. 71.Elsevier. , pp.171-194. (10.1016/bs.aecr.2024.10.004)
- Windsor, F. M. et al. 2024. Chapter five - Invertebrate functional trait variation along successional gradients in stream ecosystems. In: Dumbrell, A. J. and Milner, A. M. eds. Advances in Ecological Research. Vol. 71, Elsevier. , pp.139-173. (10.1016/bs.aecr.2024.10.001)
2023
- Aspin, T. W. H. et al., 2023. Extra terrestrials: Drought creates niche space for rare invertebrates in a large-scale and long-term field experiment. Biology Letters 19 (11) 20230381. (10.1098/rsbl.2023.0381)
- Crossman, J. et al., 2023. Water source dynamics influence macroinvertebrate communities across groundwater-fed streams in a glacierized catchment. Hydrobiologia (10.1007/s10750-023-05182-x)
- Cuff, J. P. et al. 2023. Temporal variation in spider trophic interactions is explained by the influence of weather on prey communities, web building and prey choice. Ecography 2023 (7) e06737. (10.1111/ecog.06737)
- Higino, G. T. et al., 2023. Mismatch between IUCN range maps and species interactions data illustrated using the Serengeti food web. PeerJ – the Journal of Life & Environmental Sciences 11 e14620. (10.7717/peerj.14620)
- Milner, A. M. et al., 2023. Long term changes in macroinvertebrate communities across high latitude streams. Global Change Biology 29 (9), pp.2466-2477. (10.1111/gcb.16648)
- Windsor, F. M. 2023. Expanding network ecology in freshwater ecosystems. Journal of Animal Ecology 92 (9), pp.1575-1588. (10.1111/1365-2656.13947)
- Windsor, F. M. et al. 2023. Using ecological networks to answer questions in global biogeography and ecology. Journal of Biogeography 50 (1), pp.57-69. (10.1111/jbi.14447)
2022
- Cuff, J. P. et al., 2022. Overcoming the pitfalls of merging dietary metabarcoding into ecological networks. Methods in Ecology and Evolution 13 (3), pp.545-559. (10.1111/2041-210X.13796)
- Tavella, J. et al., 2022. Using motifs in ecological networks to identify the role of plants in crop margins for multiple agriculture functions. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment 331 107912. (10.1016/j.agee.2022.107912)
- Windsor, F. M. et al. 2022. Network science: Applications for sustainable agroecosystems and food security. Perspectives in Ecology and Conservation 20 (2), pp.79-90. (10.1016/j.pecon.2022.03.001)
2021
- Cuff, J. P. et al. 2021. Influence of European beech (Fagus sylvatica) rot hole habitat characteristics on invertebrate community structure and diversity. Journal of Insect Science 21 (5) 7. (10.1093/jisesa/ieab071)
- Pinheiro, J. P. S. et al., 2021. Global variation in freshwater physico-chemistry and its influence on chemical toxicity in aquatic wildlife. Biological Reviews 96 (4), pp.1528-1546. (10.1111/brv.12711)
- Windsor, F. M. et al. 2021. Hydrological, physicochemical and metabolic signatures in groundwater and snowmelt streams in the Japanese Alps. Journal of Hydrology 600 126560. (10.1016/j.jhydrol.2021.126560)
- Windsor, F. M. et al. 2021. Identifying plant mixes for multiple ecosystem service provision in agricultural systems using ecological networks. Journal of Applied Ecology 58 (12), pp.2770-2782. (10.1111/1365-2664.14007)
2020
- D'Souza, J. et al. 2020. Food web transfer of plastics to an apex riverine predator. Global Change Biology 26 (7), pp.3846-3857. (10.1111/gcb.15139)
- Jams, I. B. et al. 2020. Estimating the size distribution of plastics ingested by animals. Nature Communications 11 1594. (10.1038/s41467-020-15406-6)
- Milner, A. M. et al., 2020. Macroinvertebrate communities in streams with contrasting water sources in the Japanese Alps. Ecology and Evolution 10 (14), pp.7812-7825. (10.1002/ece3.6507)
- Stone, C. et al., 2020. Natural or synthetic – how global trends in textile usage threaten freshwater environments. Science of the Total Environment 718 134689. (10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.134689)
- Windsor, F. M. et al. 2020. Environment and food web structure interact to alter the trophic magnification of persistent chemicals across river ecosystems. Science of the Total Environment 717 137271. (10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.137271)
2019
- Windsor, F. 2019. The transfer and ecological effects of xenobiotic pollution on freshwater ecosystems. PhD Thesis , Cardiff University.
- Windsor, F. M. et al. 2019. A catchment-scale perspective of plastic pollution. Global Change Biology 25 (4), pp.1207-1221. (10.1111/gcb.14572)
- Windsor, F. M. et al. 2019. Biological traits and the transfer of persistent organic pollutants through river food webs. Environmental Science and Technology 53 (22), pp.13246-13256. (10.1021/acs.est.9b05891)
- Windsor, F. M. et al. 2019. Persistent contaminants as potential constraints on the recovery of urban river food webs from gross pollution. Water Research 163 114858. (10.1016/j.watres.2019.114858)
- Windsor, F. M. et al. 2019. River organisms as indicators of the distribution and sources of persistent organic pollutants in contrasting catchments. Environmental Pollution 255 (P1), pp.-. 113144. (10.1016/j.envpol.2019.113144)
- Windsor, F. M. et al. 2019. Microplastic ingestion by riverine macroinvertebrates. Science of the Total Environment 646 , pp.68-74. (10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.07.271)
2018
- Gordon, T. A. C. et al., 2018. Fishes in a changing world: learning from the past to promote sustainability of fish populations. Journal of Fish Biology 92 (3), pp.804-827. (10.1111/jfb.13546)
- Windsor, F. M. , Ormerod, S. J. and Tyler, C. R. 2018. Endocrine disruption in aquatic systems: up-scaling research to address ecological consequences. Biological Reviews 93 (1), pp.626-641. (10.1111/brv.12360)
2016
- Windsor, F. M. , Grocott, M. T. and Milner, A. M. 2016. An inter-catchment assessment of macroinvertebrate communities across groundwater-fed streams within Denali National Park, interior Alaska. Hydrobiologia 785 (1), pp.373-384. (10.1007/s10750-016-2944-y)
Articles
- Aspin, T. W. H. et al., 2023. Extra terrestrials: Drought creates niche space for rare invertebrates in a large-scale and long-term field experiment. Biology Letters 19 (11) 20230381. (10.1098/rsbl.2023.0381)
- Crossman, J. et al., 2023. Water source dynamics influence macroinvertebrate communities across groundwater-fed streams in a glacierized catchment. Hydrobiologia (10.1007/s10750-023-05182-x)
- Cuff, J. P. et al., 2024. Networking nutrients: how nutrition determines the structure of ecological networks. Journal of Animal Ecology 93 (8), pp.974-988. (10.1111/1365-2656.14124)
- Cuff, J. P. , Labonte, D. and Windsor, F. 2024. Understanding trophic interactions in a warming world by bridging foraging ecology and biomechanics with network science. Integrative & Comparative Biology 64 (2), pp.306-321. icae070. (10.1093/icb/icae070)
- Cuff, J. P. et al. 2024. Sources of prey availability data alter interpretation of outputs from prey choice null networks.. Ecological Entomology 49 (3), pp.418-432. (10.1111/een.13315)
- Cuff, J. P. et al. 2023. Temporal variation in spider trophic interactions is explained by the influence of weather on prey communities, web building and prey choice. Ecography 2023 (7) e06737. (10.1111/ecog.06737)
- Cuff, J. P. et al. 2021. Influence of European beech (Fagus sylvatica) rot hole habitat characteristics on invertebrate community structure and diversity. Journal of Insect Science 21 (5) 7. (10.1093/jisesa/ieab071)
- Cuff, J. P. et al., 2022. Overcoming the pitfalls of merging dietary metabarcoding into ecological networks. Methods in Ecology and Evolution 13 (3), pp.545-559. (10.1111/2041-210X.13796)
- de Lima, V. M. M. et al. 2025. Unveiling new data on fish parasite diversity in reservoirs of the Brazilian semi-arid. Journal of Helminthology 99 e56. (10.1017/S0022149X25000288)
- D'Souza, J. et al. 2020. Food web transfer of plastics to an apex riverine predator. Global Change Biology 26 (7), pp.3846-3857. (10.1111/gcb.15139)
- Gordon, T. A. C. et al., 2018. Fishes in a changing world: learning from the past to promote sustainability of fish populations. Journal of Fish Biology 92 (3), pp.804-827. (10.1111/jfb.13546)
- Higino, G. T. et al., 2023. Mismatch between IUCN range maps and species interactions data illustrated using the Serengeti food web. PeerJ – the Journal of Life & Environmental Sciences 11 e14620. (10.7717/peerj.14620)
- Hooper, A. S. et al. 2024. Algae-bacteria community analysis for drinking water taste and odour risk management. Water 17 (1) 79. (10.3390/w17010079)
- Jams, I. B. et al. 2020. Estimating the size distribution of plastics ingested by animals. Nature Communications 11 1594. (10.1038/s41467-020-15406-6)
- Milner, A. M. et al., 2020. Macroinvertebrate communities in streams with contrasting water sources in the Japanese Alps. Ecology and Evolution 10 (14), pp.7812-7825. (10.1002/ece3.6507)
- Milner, A. M. et al., 2023. Long term changes in macroinvertebrate communities across high latitude streams. Global Change Biology 29 (9), pp.2466-2477. (10.1111/gcb.16648)
- Pinheiro, J. P. S. et al., 2021. Global variation in freshwater physico-chemistry and its influence on chemical toxicity in aquatic wildlife. Biological Reviews 96 (4), pp.1528-1546. (10.1111/brv.12711)
- Reynolds, M. et al. 2025. Parasites alter interaction patterns in fish social networks. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 292 (2047) 20250793. (10.1098/rspb.2025.0793)
- Rother, D. C. et al., 2025. Spatial networks reveal how forest cover decreases the spread of agricultural pests. Perspectives in Ecology and Conservation 23 (2), pp.93-103. (10.1016/j.pecon.2025.03.006)
- Stone, C. et al., 2020. Natural or synthetic – how global trends in textile usage threaten freshwater environments. Science of the Total Environment 718 134689. (10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.134689)
- Tavella, J. et al., 2025. Herbicide application indirectly affects non-crop plant-pollinator networks in agroecosystems. Journal of Applied Ecology 62 (9), pp.2237-2248. (10.1111/1365-2664.70113)
- Tavella, J. et al., 2022. Using motifs in ecological networks to identify the role of plants in crop margins for multiple agriculture functions. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment 331 107912. (10.1016/j.agee.2022.107912)
- Windsor, F. M. 2023. Expanding network ecology in freshwater ecosystems. Journal of Animal Ecology 92 (9), pp.1575-1588. (10.1111/1365-2656.13947)
- Windsor, F. M. et al. 2022. Network science: Applications for sustainable agroecosystems and food security. Perspectives in Ecology and Conservation 20 (2), pp.79-90. (10.1016/j.pecon.2022.03.001)
- Windsor, F. M. et al. 2021. Hydrological, physicochemical and metabolic signatures in groundwater and snowmelt streams in the Japanese Alps. Journal of Hydrology 600 126560. (10.1016/j.jhydrol.2021.126560)
- Windsor, F. M. et al. 2019. A catchment-scale perspective of plastic pollution. Global Change Biology 25 (4), pp.1207-1221. (10.1111/gcb.14572)
- Windsor, F. M. , Grocott, M. T. and Milner, A. M. 2016. An inter-catchment assessment of macroinvertebrate communities across groundwater-fed streams within Denali National Park, interior Alaska. Hydrobiologia 785 (1), pp.373-384. (10.1007/s10750-016-2944-y)
- Windsor, F. M. , Ormerod, S. J. and Tyler, C. R. 2018. Endocrine disruption in aquatic systems: up-scaling research to address ecological consequences. Biological Reviews 93 (1), pp.626-641. (10.1111/brv.12360)
- Windsor, F. M. et al. 2020. Environment and food web structure interact to alter the trophic magnification of persistent chemicals across river ecosystems. Science of the Total Environment 717 137271. (10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.137271)
- Windsor, F. M. et al. 2019. Biological traits and the transfer of persistent organic pollutants through river food webs. Environmental Science and Technology 53 (22), pp.13246-13256. (10.1021/acs.est.9b05891)
- Windsor, F. M. et al. 2019. Persistent contaminants as potential constraints on the recovery of urban river food webs from gross pollution. Water Research 163 114858. (10.1016/j.watres.2019.114858)
- Windsor, F. M. et al. 2019. River organisms as indicators of the distribution and sources of persistent organic pollutants in contrasting catchments. Environmental Pollution 255 (P1), pp.-. 113144. (10.1016/j.envpol.2019.113144)
- Windsor, F. M. et al. 2021. Identifying plant mixes for multiple ecosystem service provision in agricultural systems using ecological networks. Journal of Applied Ecology 58 (12), pp.2770-2782. (10.1111/1365-2664.14007)
- Windsor, F. M. et al. 2019. Microplastic ingestion by riverine macroinvertebrates. Science of the Total Environment 646 , pp.68-74. (10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.07.271)
- Windsor, F. M. et al. 2023. Using ecological networks to answer questions in global biogeography and ecology. Journal of Biogeography 50 (1), pp.57-69. (10.1111/jbi.14447)
Book sections
- Clitherow, L. R. et al., 2024. Chapter three - Variation in the diet of juvenile salmonids across a gradient of stream development in Glacier Bay, Alaska. In: Dumbrell, A. J. and AMilner, A. M. eds. Advances in Ecological Research. Vol. 71, Elsevier. , pp.85-112. (10.1016/bs.aecr.2024.10.005)
- Milner, A. M. et al., 2024. Chapter Six - Looking forward; A synthesis of stream research undertaken in Glacier Bay. In: Dumbrell, A. J. and Milner, A. M. eds. Stream Research in Glacier Bay, Alaska From 1977-2024: Part 2. Advances in Ecological Research Vol. 71.Elsevier. , pp.171-194. (10.1016/bs.aecr.2024.10.004)
- Windsor, F. M. et al. 2024. Chapter five - Invertebrate functional trait variation along successional gradients in stream ecosystems. In: Dumbrell, A. J. and Milner, A. M. eds. Advances in Ecological Research. Vol. 71, Elsevier. , pp.139-173. (10.1016/bs.aecr.2024.10.001)
Thesis
- Windsor, F. 2019. The transfer and ecological effects of xenobiotic pollution on freshwater ecosystems. PhD Thesis , Cardiff University.
Research
I am a network ecologist interested in how ecosystems respond to natural and anthropogenic changes. My work primarily focuses on inter-specific interactions, from pollination through to predation. I aim to combine these interactions into complex networks that represent the structure and function of real-world systems - this is often very difficult!
The reason for undertaking this research is to provide predictions for a variety of different applications, including biocontrol, restoration and conservation. Moving towards predictive ecology, which hinges on a detailed understanding of direct and indirect interactions within ecosystems, is the ultimate goal of my research.
I have been lucky enough to work in some amazing places, and I am always interested in expanding into new study systems that might exhibit unique characteristics (e.g., alpine stream systems) or that have particularly complex and interconnected challenges. So far I have worked, or I am currently working, in:
- Denali National Park and Glacier Bay National Park (Alaska, USA)
- Taff, Usk and Wye River Catchments (Wales, UK)
- Llyn Brianne Experimental Observatory (Wales, UK)
- The Pampas (Buenos Aires Province, Argentina)
- Japanese Alps (Kamikochi, Japan)
Please get in contact if you have any ideas or would like to chat about opportunities! Also, see our Lab group's website for more information freshnetlab.org.
Grants
My work has been supported by the following funders:
- NERC
- The Royal Society
- British Ecological Society
Teaching
I really enjoy teaching, especially practical and research-based activities. I contribute to a variety of different modules within the School of Biosciences, including:
- BI1003 - Organisms and Environment
- BI2136 - Ecology Part B (Co-leading the Urban Ecology Fieldcourse)
- BI3008 - Advanced Research Techniques (3 week long Freshwater Practical)
- BI4002 - Advanced Research Methods
- BI9999 - Professional Training Year
- BIT050 - Field Skills for Ecology and Conservation
- BIT056 - Science Communication
Throughout these modules I integrate wider university activities, for example, research and biomonitoring across the Living Labs and the Ecosystem Resilience and Biodiversity Action Plan.
Biography
I have been lucky enough to work at some great instutions and with some great people!
My pathway (in reverse chronological order) is as follows:
- Lecturer in Ecology (2022-present, Cardiff University)
- Postdoctoral Research Associate (2019-2022, Newcastle University)
- PhD (2015-2019, Cardiff University)
- River Environments and their Management MSc (2014-2015, University of Birmingham)
- Geography BSc (2011-2014, University of Birmingham)
Honours and awards
- Fellow of the Royal Society of Entomology
Professional memberships
- British Ecological Society
- European Federation of Freshwater Science
- Freshwater Biological Association
Committees and reviewing
- British Ecological Society Grants Committe (Ordinary member)
- Biodiversity Targets Advisory Panel to Welsh Government (Chair)
- Journal of Animal Ecology (Associate Editor)
- Population Ecology (Handling Editor)
Supervisions
I am interested in supervising students or collaborating more generally on the following areas of research:
- Freshwater ecology
- Ecological networks
- Ecosystem modelling
- Chemical pollution
Current supervision
Guy Herrmann
Manuella Feitosa Leal
Joseph D'Souza
Contact Details
[email protected]
+44 29225 14554
Sir Martin Evans Building, Room C/6.09, Museum Avenue, Cardiff, CF10 3AX
+44 29225 14554
Sir Martin Evans Building, Room C/6.09, Museum Avenue, Cardiff, CF10 3AX
Research themes
Specialisms
- Network ecology
- Freshwater ecology
- Ecosystem ecology
