![Fredric Windsor BSc, MSc, PhD, FHEA, FRES, MRSB](https://profiles-cardiff.imgix.net/attachments/1263?w=200&h=200&auto=format&crop=faces&fit=crop&q=90")
Dr Fredric Windsor
(he/him)
BSc, MSc, PhD, FHEA, FRES, MRSB
Lecturer in Ecology
School of Biosciences
- Available for postgraduate supervision
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
2024
- 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., article number: icae070. (10.1093/icb/icae070)
- Cuff, J. P., Evans, D. M., Vaughan, I. P., Wilder, S. M., Tercel, M. P. T. G. and Windsor, F. M. 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. 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)
2023
- Aspin, T. W. H., Khamis, K., Matthews, T. J., Williams, G. M. D., Windsor, F. M., Woodward, G. and Ledger, M. E. 2023. Extra terrestrials: Drought creates niche space for rare invertebrates in a large-scale and long-term field experiment. Biology Letters 19(11), article number: 20230381. (10.1098/rsbl.2023.0381)
- Windsor, F. M. 2023. Expanding network ecology in freshwater ecosystems. Journal of Animal Ecology 92(9), pp. 1575-1588. (10.1111/1365-2656.13947)
- Cuff, J. P., Windsor, F., Tercel, M. P., Bell, J. R., Symondson, W. O. C. and Vaughan, I. P. 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), article number: e06737. (10.1111/ecog.06737)
- Milner, A. M., Loza Vega, E. M., Matthews, T. J., Conn, S. C. and Windsor, F. M. 2023. Long term changes in macroinvertebrate communities across high latitude streams. Global Change Biology 29(9), pp. 2466-2477. (10.1111/gcb.16648)
- Crossman, J., Bradley, C., Windsor, F. M. and Milner, A. 2023. Water source dynamics influence macroinvertebrate communities across groundwater-fed streams in a glacierized catchment. Hydrobiologia (10.1007/s10750-023-05182-x)
- Higino, G. T., Banville, F., Dansereau, G., Forero Muñoz, N. R., Windsor, F. and Poisot, T. 2023. Mismatch between IUCN range maps and species interactions data illustrated using the Serengeti food web. PeerJ – the Journal of Life & Environmental Sciences 11, article number: e14620. (10.7717/peerj.14620)
- Windsor, F. M., van den Hoogen, J., Crowther, T. W. and Evans, D. M. 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
- 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)
- 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, article number: 107912. (10.1016/j.agee.2022.107912)
- Cuff, J. P., Windsor, F. M., Tercel, M. P. T. G., Kitson, J. J. N. and Evans, D. M. 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)
2021
- Windsor, F. M., Tavella, J., Rother, D. C., Raimundo, R. L. G., Devoto, M., Guimaraes Jr, P. R. and Evans, D. M. 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)
- Cuff, J. P., Windsor, F. M., Gilmartin, E. C., Boddy, L. and Jones, H. T. 2021. Influence of European beech (Fagus sylvatica) rot hole habitat characteristics on invertebrate community structure and diversity. Journal of Insect Science 21(5), article number: 7. (10.1093/jisesa/ieab071)
- Windsor, F. M., Docherty, C. L., Brekenfeld, N., Tojo, K., Krause, S. and Milner, A. M. 2021. Hydrological, physicochemical and metabolic signatures in groundwater and snowmelt streams in the Japanese Alps. Journal of Hydrology 600, article number: 126560. (10.1016/j.jhydrol.2021.126560)
- Pinheiro, J. P. S., Windsor, F. M., Wilson, R. W. and Tyler, C. R. 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)
2020
- D'Souza, J., Windsor, F. M., Santillo, D. and Ormerod, S. J. 2020. Food web transfer of plastics to an apex riverine predator. Global Change Biology 26(7), pp. 3846-3857. (10.1111/gcb.15139)
- Milner, A. M., Docherty, C., Windsor, F. M. and Tojo, K. 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., Windsor, F. M., Munday, M. and Durance, I. 2020. Natural or synthetic – how global trends in textile usage threaten freshwater environments. Science of the Total Environment 718, article number: 134689. (10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.134689)
- Windsor, F. M., Pereira, G. M., Morrissey, C. A., Tyler, C. R. and Ormerod, S. J. 2020. Environment and food web structure interact to alter the trophic magnification of persistent chemicals across river ecosystems. Science of the Total Environment 717, article number: 137271. (10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.137271)
- Jams, I. B., Windsor, F. M., Poudevigne-Durance, T., Ormerod, S. J. and Durance, I. 2020. Estimating the size distribution of plastics ingested by animals. Nature Communications 11, article number: 1594. (10.1038/s41467-020-15406-6)
2019
- Windsor, F. M., Pereira, M. G., Tyler, C. R. and Ormerod, S. J. 2019. River organisms as indicators of the distribution and sources of persistent organic pollutants in contrasting catchments. Environmental Pollution 255(P1), pp. -., article number: 113144. (10.1016/j.envpol.2019.113144)
- Windsor, F. M., Pereira, M. G., Tyler, C. R. and Ormerod, S. J. 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., Pereira, M. G., Tyler, C. R. and Ormerod, S. J. 2019. Persistent contaminants as potential constraints on the recovery of urban river food webs from gross pollution. Water Research 163, article number: 114858. (10.1016/j.watres.2019.114858)
- Windsor, F. M., Durance, I., Horton, A. A., Thompson, R. C., Tyler, C. R. and Ormerod, S. J. 2019. A catchment-scale perspective of plastic pollution. Global Change Biology 25(4), pp. 1207-1221. (10.1111/gcb.14572)
- Windsor, F. 2019. The transfer and ecological effects of xenobiotic pollution on freshwater ecosystems. PhD Thesis, Cardiff University.
- Windsor, F. M., Tilley, R. M., Tyler, C. R. and Ormerod, S. J. 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
- 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., article number: icae070. (10.1093/icb/icae070)
- Cuff, J. P., Evans, D. M., Vaughan, I. P., Wilder, S. M., Tercel, M. P. T. G. and Windsor, F. M. 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. 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)
- Aspin, T. W. H., Khamis, K., Matthews, T. J., Williams, G. M. D., Windsor, F. M., Woodward, G. and Ledger, M. E. 2023. Extra terrestrials: Drought creates niche space for rare invertebrates in a large-scale and long-term field experiment. Biology Letters 19(11), article number: 20230381. (10.1098/rsbl.2023.0381)
- Windsor, F. M. 2023. Expanding network ecology in freshwater ecosystems. Journal of Animal Ecology 92(9), pp. 1575-1588. (10.1111/1365-2656.13947)
- Cuff, J. P., Windsor, F., Tercel, M. P., Bell, J. R., Symondson, W. O. C. and Vaughan, I. P. 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), article number: e06737. (10.1111/ecog.06737)
- Milner, A. M., Loza Vega, E. M., Matthews, T. J., Conn, S. C. and Windsor, F. M. 2023. Long term changes in macroinvertebrate communities across high latitude streams. Global Change Biology 29(9), pp. 2466-2477. (10.1111/gcb.16648)
- Crossman, J., Bradley, C., Windsor, F. M. and Milner, A. 2023. Water source dynamics influence macroinvertebrate communities across groundwater-fed streams in a glacierized catchment. Hydrobiologia (10.1007/s10750-023-05182-x)
- Higino, G. T., Banville, F., Dansereau, G., Forero Muñoz, N. R., Windsor, F. and Poisot, T. 2023. Mismatch between IUCN range maps and species interactions data illustrated using the Serengeti food web. PeerJ – the Journal of Life & Environmental Sciences 11, article number: e14620. (10.7717/peerj.14620)
- Windsor, F. M., van den Hoogen, J., Crowther, T. W. and Evans, D. M. 2023. Using ecological networks to answer questions in global biogeography and ecology. Journal of Biogeography 50(1), pp. 57-69. (10.1111/jbi.14447)
- 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)
- 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, article number: 107912. (10.1016/j.agee.2022.107912)
- Cuff, J. P., Windsor, F. M., Tercel, M. P. T. G., Kitson, J. J. N. and Evans, D. M. 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)
- Windsor, F. M., Tavella, J., Rother, D. C., Raimundo, R. L. G., Devoto, M., Guimaraes Jr, P. R. and Evans, D. M. 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)
- Cuff, J. P., Windsor, F. M., Gilmartin, E. C., Boddy, L. and Jones, H. T. 2021. Influence of European beech (Fagus sylvatica) rot hole habitat characteristics on invertebrate community structure and diversity. Journal of Insect Science 21(5), article number: 7. (10.1093/jisesa/ieab071)
- Windsor, F. M., Docherty, C. L., Brekenfeld, N., Tojo, K., Krause, S. and Milner, A. M. 2021. Hydrological, physicochemical and metabolic signatures in groundwater and snowmelt streams in the Japanese Alps. Journal of Hydrology 600, article number: 126560. (10.1016/j.jhydrol.2021.126560)
- Pinheiro, J. P. S., Windsor, F. M., Wilson, R. W. and Tyler, C. R. 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)
- D'Souza, J., Windsor, F. M., Santillo, D. and Ormerod, S. J. 2020. Food web transfer of plastics to an apex riverine predator. Global Change Biology 26(7), pp. 3846-3857. (10.1111/gcb.15139)
- Milner, A. M., Docherty, C., Windsor, F. M. and Tojo, K. 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., Windsor, F. M., Munday, M. and Durance, I. 2020. Natural or synthetic – how global trends in textile usage threaten freshwater environments. Science of the Total Environment 718, article number: 134689. (10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.134689)
- Windsor, F. M., Pereira, G. M., Morrissey, C. A., Tyler, C. R. and Ormerod, S. J. 2020. Environment and food web structure interact to alter the trophic magnification of persistent chemicals across river ecosystems. Science of the Total Environment 717, article number: 137271. (10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.137271)
- Jams, I. B., Windsor, F. M., Poudevigne-Durance, T., Ormerod, S. J. and Durance, I. 2020. Estimating the size distribution of plastics ingested by animals. Nature Communications 11, article number: 1594. (10.1038/s41467-020-15406-6)
- Windsor, F. M., Pereira, M. G., Tyler, C. R. and Ormerod, S. J. 2019. River organisms as indicators of the distribution and sources of persistent organic pollutants in contrasting catchments. Environmental Pollution 255(P1), pp. -., article number: 113144. (10.1016/j.envpol.2019.113144)
- Windsor, F. M., Pereira, M. G., Tyler, C. R. and Ormerod, S. J. 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., Pereira, M. G., Tyler, C. R. and Ormerod, S. J. 2019. Persistent contaminants as potential constraints on the recovery of urban river food webs from gross pollution. Water Research 163, article number: 114858. (10.1016/j.watres.2019.114858)
- Windsor, F. M., Durance, I., Horton, A. A., Thompson, R. C., Tyler, C. R. and Ormerod, S. J. 2019. A catchment-scale perspective of plastic pollution. Global Change Biology 25(4), pp. 1207-1221. (10.1111/gcb.14572)
- Windsor, F. M., Tilley, R. M., Tyler, C. R. and Ormerod, S. J. 2019. Microplastic ingestion by riverine macroinvertebrates. Science of the Total Environment 646, pp. 68-74. (10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.07.271)
- 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)
- 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)
Thesis
- Windsor, F. 2019. The transfer and ecological effects of xenobiotic pollution on freshwater ecosystems. PhD Thesis, Cardiff University.
Research
Summary
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)
Grants
My work has been supported by the following funders:
- NERC
- The Royal Society
- British Ecological Society
Teaching
I am currently teaching on the following modules:
- BI2135 - Ecology Part A
- BI4002 - Advanced Research Methods
- BI9999 - Professional Training Year
- BIT050 - Field Skills for Ecology and Conservation
- BIT056 - Science Communication
- BIT107 - Big Data Science
Biography
I have been lucky enough to work at some great instutions and with some great people!
My pathway to date is as follows:
- Geography BSc (2011-2014, University of Birmingham)
- River Environments and their Management MSc (2014-2015, University of Birmingham)
- PhD (2015-2019, Cardiff University)
- Postdoctoral Research Associate (2019-2022, Newcastle University)
- Lecturer in Ecology (2022-present, Cardiff University)
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
Contact Details
WindsorFM@cardiff.ac.uk
+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