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Various projects are possible in amphibian conservation biology. They range from pure data analysis to experiments and field studies and cover a variety of topics from analysing declines to understanding and measuring the effects of conservation action.
Contact
Dr. Benedikt R. Schmidt For more information, please see: http://www.popecol.org/join-us/
Last update: 15.05.2023
Background / aim
Mowing related mortalities are among the most important causes of deaths of neonate roe deer in many parts of Europe. However, the impact of these fatalities on deer population dynamics is not well known. Different counter measures to prevent neonates to fall victims to mowing machines exist, the efficiency of these different methods, however, has rarely been scientifically assessed and quantified. This work is part of a longer-term project that started in 2020 with the focus on the effects of agricultural practices on roe deer ecology in Switzerland. It is the aim of the thesis to experimentally quantify the efficiency of different prevention measures in the field and assess the effect of handling and displacement on fawn behavior and activity. The interested student will collaborate with local game wardens and hunter associations during the fawn season in spring. Field work includes capturing, tagging (GPS, activity and sensors) and monitoring of roe deer fawns. In addition, camera traps will be installed to monitor fawn behavior in the hours post-handling. Data analyses include movement models, state-space modelling and time-series analysis.
Requirements
Project start
Ideally the project will start beginning of 2024. The field season will last from end of April until end of June 2024.
Contact
For application or additional information, please contact Dr. Benedikt Gehr IEU / Wildtier Schweiz or Prof. Dr. Lukas Keller, Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies
Last update: 30.05.2023
Background / aim
In Switzerland, about 200 species of Diptera (flies) and Coleoptera (beetles) use dung pats as food or habitat, and many of them are active at night. As dung-dwellers, these organisms provide the important ecosystem service of dung decomposition. At the same time, light pollution is rapidly increasing around the globe, with so far largely unknown consequences for biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. We therefore offer an MSc project that focuses on the question of how dung communities are affected by artificial light at night and its consequences for dung decomposition.
Project work
The project will be part of a larger project on the effect of artificial light at night on plant-pollinator interactions. Thus, sites for the experiment will already be established (in the Swiss lowlands). Also, there will be a group of people working on the same sites, which facilitates fieldwork and fosters the scientific exchange. Furthermore, we will rent a flat close to the field sites, so that time for travelling can be minimized.
The aim is to publish the results of the MSc-project in a peer-reviewed scientific journal.
Requirements
You should have a strong interest in global change ecology, be interested in doing field work and working in a team. You should have basic knowledge in statistics (R) and ideally own a driver’s license (not mandatory).
Project start
The field work should start at latest in April/May 2024.
Contact
For application or additional information, please contact:
PD Dr. Eva Knop or Dr. Frank Pennekamp, University of Zurich
Last update: 17.05.2023
Biological diversity is of pivotal importance for ecosystems. Most studies on the importance of diversity for ecosystem functioning have targeted aboveground communities. However, a large part of biodiversity is literally hidden below ground. The consequences of soil biodiversity losses for ecosystem functioning are still poorly understood. This is particularly true in agro-ecosystems, where soil biodiversity declines upon land use intensification are commonly reported. We have previously shown that belowground diversity is key for maintaining multiple ecosystem functions (i.e. multifunctionality) in model ecosystems, and that particular functional groups of soil biota affect ecosystem sustainability by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, immobilizing nutrients and influencing nutrient losses. Here, we build upon those studies and test, for the first time, whether agro-ecosystem diversification can promote soil biodiversity and the delivery of beneficial ecosystem services across Europe. Our central hypothesis is that increased plant diversity will promote belowground biodiversity and related ecosystem services. Digging deeper aims to enhance our understanding of belowground biodiversity and management for ecosystem functioning and service delivery in European agroecosystems through four key objectives:
To address these objectives, we have established a pan-European network (from Sweden to Spain) of 250 agricultural fields that vary in aboveground diversity. This network includes sites from low to high above ground diversity, as well as field experiments where the diversity of agro-ecosystems is manipulated in time or space (e.g. through crop rotation, cover crops, or intercropping). We assess below-ground diversity using high throughput sequencing and we will measure a number of ecosystem functions (plant yield, nutrient cycling, soil aggregation and soil C sequestration, soil N2O sink) acting as surrogates of essential services in agroecosystems. Subsequently, we will use advanced statistical tools to assess the impact of above- and belowground diversity and management on both multifunctionality and individual ecosystem services. This is a multidisciplinary European project and several specific Master projects (with specific themes) are present within the above mentioned framework.
Contact:
Prof. Dr. Marcel van der Heijden at IEU, University of Zurich or at Agroscope, Reckenholzstrasse 191, 8046 Zurich, Switzerland
Last update: 23.05.2023
Background / aim
Mowing related mortalities are among the most important causes of deaths of neonate roe deer in many parts of Europe. However, the impact of these fatalities on deer population dynamics is not well known. Different counter measures to prevent neonates to fall victims to mowing machines exist, the efficiency of these different methods, however, has rarely been scientifically assessed and quantified. This work is part of a longer-term project that started in 2020 with the focus on the effects of agricultural practices on roe deer ecology in Switzerland. It is the aim of the thesis to experimentally quantify the efficiency of different prevention measures in the field and theoretically assess the impact of mowing related fatalities on population growth using demographic models (multi-event cause-specific mortality models). For the experimental part the interested student will collaborate with local game wardens and hunter associations during the fawn season in spring. Field work includes GPS-tagging and monitoring of roe deer fawns. In addition camera traps will be installed to monitor fawn behavior in the hours post-rescue. For the modelling part a long-term dataset of a mark-recovery project of the Federal Office of the environment is available.
Additional information (in German) is available here (PDF, 132 KB).
Requirements
Project start
Ideally the project will start beginning of 2024. The field season will last from end of April until beginning of July 2024.
Contact
For application or additional information, please contact Benedikt Gehr.
Dr. Benedikt Gehr Wildtier Schweiz, Dr. Benedikt Gehr or Prof. Dr. Lukas Keller, Departement of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich
Last update: 30.05.2023
Hintergrund
Mit der mechanischen Modernisierung und Intensivierung der Landwirtschaft wurde die Effizienz von Ernte- und Mähmaschinen stetig erhöht mit, zum Teil verheerenden Folgen für unterschiedliche Tiergruppen (bsp. Insekten, Vögel, Säugetiere), welche in der Kulturlandschaft zu Hause sind [1]. Unter den Säugetieren sind der Feldhase und das Reh die am stärksten betroffenen Arten. Jeden Frühling werden in der Schweiz tausende von Rehkitzen vermäht (Jagdstatistik BAFU). Somit ist der Mähtod eine der Haupttodesursachen von neugeborenen Rehen und hat das Potential deren zu beeinflussen [1]. Des Weiteren stellt die Vestümmelung von Tieren auch aus tierschützerischen Gründen ein Problem dar, dass es zu minimieren gilt [2]. Hunderte von freiwilligen Helfern schweizweit versuchen aus diesem Grund während der Mähsaison Rehkitze vor dem Mähtod zu retten. Dafür werden traditionsgemäss unterschiedlichste Methoden angewendet, welche sich regional unterscheiden können und deren Nutzen jedoch selten wissenschaftlich untersucht wurde [2]. Eine wissenschaftliche Gegenüberstellung der benutzten Massnahmen kann daher helfen, die effizienteste Strategie auszuarbeiten. Zudem kann eine genauere Quantifizierung der Mortalitätsursachen von neugeborenen Rehkitzen dazu beitragen, den Einfluss von Mähmaschinen-bedingten Ausfällen auf die Populationsdynamik von Rehen besser zu verstehen.
Die ausgeschriebenen Masterarbeit ist Teil eines grösseren Projektes, welches seit 2020 läuft und den Einfluss der Landwirtschaft auf die Biologie von Rehen in der Schweiz untersucht. Das Projekt soll einerseits mittels eines experimentellen Ansatzes die Effizienz verschiedener Kitzrettungsmassnahmen quantitativ evaluieren, andererseits soll anhand demographischer Modelle der Einfluss der Mähmortalität auf das Populationswachstum von Rehen untersucht werden [3]. Der erste Teil dieser Arbeit beinhaltet die Durchführung eines Feldexperimentes in den Kantonen Schwyz und Thurgau, in Zusammenarbeit mit Wildhütern und lokalen Jägervereinen. Für den zweiten Teil steht ein Datensatz des Rehkitzmarkierungsprojektes des Bundes zur Verfügung, in welchem seit 1971 schweizweit rund 20‘000 Rehkitze markiert wurden.
Anforderungen
Interessierte StudentInnen sollten sowohl eine hohe Motivation für eine 3-monatige Feldarbeit (mit langen und unregelmässigen Arbeitszeiten) mit sich bringen als auch Freude an der statistischen Auswertung grosser Datensätze (death recovery models, state-space modelling [3]). Ein hoher Grad an Selbständigkeit und einen Führerschein sind Grundvoraussetzung, gute Kenntnisse des Schweizer-Deutschen ein Vorteil beim Arbeiten im Feld. Im Vorfeld der Arbeit soll ein detailliertes Proposal ausgearbeitet werden, in welchem der experimentelle Ansatz genau geplant werden soll (mit Fokus auf Durchführbarkeit). Die benötigte Stichprobengrösse für das Feldexperiment wird anhand einer Poweranalyse ermittelt. Für die Feldarbeit werden neugeborene Kitze mit GPS-Sendern ausgestattet und überwacht. Zusätzlich kommen Kamerafallen zum Einsatz, um das Verhalten nach einer Rettungsaktion mittels Videos festzuhalten.
Projekt Start
Die Feldsaison dauert von April bis Juli 2024.
Literatur
Kontakt
Interessierte melden sich bei Benedikt Gehr.
Dr. Benedikt Gehr, Institut für Evolutionsbiologie und Umweltwissenschaften, Universität Zürich, Schweiz
Last update: 30.05.2023
Background
Biting midges (Culicoides) are very small, blood-sucking insects (‘no-see-ums’) and of huge veterinary importance, mainly as vectors of disease agents. In addition, these insects cause nuisance and insect bite hypersensitivity. Currently, there are no effective methods to control biting midges: screening is impractical because of their small size; the application of insecticides or contact repellents to animals has limited efficacy because they need to be re-applied frequently. In addition, current traps for monitoring are not efficient for mass trapping, and little is known about the mechanisms with regard to host seeking of Culicoides.
We recently obtained promising results in pilot studies on the effects of spatial repellents on Culicoides. Spatial repellents have the advantage over contact repellents that they do not have to be applied to the skin or clothes because they can diffuse through an area and protect from a distance. In addition, we recently managed to video track Culicoides in a behavioural setup. Being the first to do this we can unravel the different aspects of host seeking in detail. The combination of attractants and repellents should lead to push-pull systems.
What will you learn
Project start
This project can start any time.
Contact
For application or additional information, please contact Alec Luca Hochstrasser or Prof. Dr. Niels Verhulst, Institute of Parasitology, University of Zurich.
Last update: 17.05.2023
We are looking for an enthusiastic MSc student who will be studying ecosystem functioning, using amphipods and leaf litter as study model. The project could be performed in field-based experiment or in laboratory setting using mesocosms. The project is part of a larger research program (based at Eawag, Dübendorf).
Background
Amphipods are a diverse and ecologically highly relevant group of freshwater invertebrates. In a large study program (Amphipod.CH), we have already recorded about 40 different species of amphipods in Switzerland over the last few years. The leaf litter decomposition by amphipods is essential for the functioning of freshwater ecosystems in many regions. While some aspects such as density- dependence or diversity effects on the functioning were already studied, there are still many aspects that need a deeper understanding to support conservation efforts.
Aim
In this MSc project, you would build on previous experiments using amphipods as study organism. Performing a field-based experiment would involve extensive preparation and fieldwork. Running an experiment in the lab would require setting up many replicate mesocosms and high frequency monitoring. Both approaches require extensive laboratory processing of leaf litter and weighing amphipods. You will analyse the resulting data using appropriate statistical approaches.
Requirements
Starting date
The MSc project can start any time.
Contact/Supervision
Prof. Dr. Florian Altermatt
Dr. Roman Alther
IEU, University of Zurich & Eawag, Dep. Aquatic Ecology, Dübendorf
More info: www.altermattlab.ch
We are looking forward to meeting you!
Last update: 17.05.2023
We are looking for an enthusiastic MSc student who will be working on macroinvertebrate communities of tributaries to Lake Constance. The project involves extensive fieldwork, morphological identification of specimens in the laboratory and statistical analyses of diversity patterns. The project is part of a larger and long-term research program (based at Eawag, Dübendorf).
Background
Amphipods are a diverse and ecologically highly relevant group of freshwater invertebrates. In a large study program (Amphipod.CH), we have already recorded about 40 different species of amphipods in Switzerland over the last few years. At Lake Constance we have recorded amphipod communities in a dozen streams since 2012. While most of the data were targeted to answer specific research questions, the data now also allow looking at temporal patterns of amphipod communities and inferring conclusions about their persistence and ecological stability.
Aim
In this MSc project, you would build on existing macroinvertebrate data from tributaries to Lake Constance. These should be complemented with recent samples taken by you. You would perform the fieldwork and the consecutive lab work to identify all macroinvertebrates, and the amphipods specifically. You will thereby build a long-term dataset, allowing to perform diversity analyses across time and space, getting insights into driving forces of amphipod community composition.
Requirements
Starting date
The MSc project can start any time.
Contact/Supervision
Prof. Dr. Florian Altermatt, University of Zurich and Eawag Dübendorf
Dr. Roman Alther, Eawag Dübendorf
IEU, University of Zurich & Eawag, Dep. Aquatic Ecology, Dübendorf
More info: www.altermattlab.ch
We are looking forward to meeting you!
Last update: 17.05.2023
Modern conventional agriculture relies heavily on high fertilizer inputs and pesticides to reach high yields. However, easily available phosphate fertilizer sources will be depleted in about 50-100 years and there are concerns that we will face a phosphate crisis endangering agricultural production. Moreover, the production of nitrogen fertilizer is energetically expensive and high levels of nitrate in the ground- and drinking water can pose a significant health risk and have a negative impact on downstream ecosystems. There is, therefore, an increased interest and pressure from society and governments to develop more sustainable agricultural practices and search for alternatives for fertilizer and pesticide use.
There is increased interest to use soil microbes that naturally associate with plants for enhancing plant growth and fitness. One group of microbes with huge potential are the arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi. AM fungi form symbiotic associations with two-thirds of all land plants and have been repeatedly shown to positively influence plant nutrition and health, as well as enhancing pest resistance. Up to 80% of plant P and up to 25% of plant N can be provided by these plant root symbionts. AM fungi form associations with major crops including wheat, maize, and soybean, as well as with a number of cash crops (crops with high revenues) including tomato, cucumber, apples, and grapes. In this project, you will test the impact of various mycorrhizal fungi and plant growth promoting microbes (e.g. Trichoderma and nitrogen fixing bacteria) on plant yield and plant nutrition under greenhouse and field conditions. The results of this work will help to develop sustainable production systems with reduced fertilizer input.
Contact:
Prof. Dr. Marcel van der Heijden at IEU, University of Zurich or at Agroscope, Reckenholzstrasse 191, 8046 Zurich, Switzerland
Last update: 23.05.2023
We are looking for an enthusiastic MSc student who will be working on the development and testing of metapopulation models in river networks. The project involves extensive computational tasks and is part of a larger research program (based in the Altermatt lab at Eawag/UZH).
Background
River ecosystems promote the persistence of species by favoring spatial dynamics among branches, in which synchrony plays a major role. Yet, our understanding of how network topology influences population synchrony in these ecosystems remains limited. This project builds on a model of virtual constructs reproducing the topology of river networks (so-called Optimal Channel Networks - OCNs), and aims to identify the drivers of species persistence in river networks.
Aim
Development of a mechanistic model for a riverine population in an OCN, and assessment of synchrony/persistence dynamics as a function of habitat and species dispersal characteristics. This is a fully simulation-based study.
Requirements
Starting date
The MSc project can start any time.
Contact/Supervision
Prof. Dr. Florian Altermatt, University of Zurich and Eawag Dübendorf
Dr. Luca Carraro, Eawag Dübendorf and day-to-day supervisor
References
We are looking forward to meeting you!
Last update: 17.05.2023
Pesticides display a corner stone of modern agriculture and are applied in large quantities to agroecosystems across the world. Depending on their application, only a minor fraction of pesticides applied reaches its targets, leading to a vast amount of potential persistent and toxic residues in the environment that might harm non-targeted organisms and affect human health. While the impact of pesticides on human health is increasingly being addressed, their persistence and impact on soil health remains poorly explored. So far, it is not clear, how the exposure to pesticides residues act as potential stressor for soil ecosystem functioning.
Background / aim
In this project, you will conduct greenhouse experiments and perform laboratory work, in the fields of ecology, microbiology and analytical chemistry. Plants will be grown in different soils and pesticides will be applied, in order to assess the impact of pesticides on the abundance as well as the activity of soil microbes (including beneficial soil microbes such as mycorrhizal fungi and nitrogen fixing bacteria). In addition, the effects of pesticides on specific soil ecosystem functions (e.g. carbon and nitrogen cycling) will be investigated. The result of this work will help to gain a better understanding about the behaviour and bioavailability of modern pesticides in soils, and provide insight about whether they pose a threat to soil organisms, beneficial soil life, soil functioning and thus are of long-term concern for healthy and productive agroecosystems. The student will obtain experience in ecology, microbiology, statistical analysis and scientific writing. The results have relevance for policy and legislation.
Project start
Starting date is flexible.
Duration
6-12 months.
Contact
For application or additional information, please contact Prof. Dr. Marcel van der Heijden, Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich and Agroscope, Reckenholzstrasse 191, 8046 Zurich.
Last update: 23.05.2023
Master's projects in Animal Behavior
Master's projects in Evolutionary Biology
