List of suggested degree projects
We offer a number of exam thesis projects that concern preservation/restoration of biodiversity in farmland. In addition to these projects, you are welcome to discuss your own ideas about exam thesis projects with us.
Occurrence, abundance and performance of starlings in landscapes differing in heterogeneity
Many farmland birds have had a declining population development during the last 30-40 years. One main theory behind the declines is loss of heterogeneity leading to spatial and temporal resource separation.
We are working on birds (e.g. house sparrows and starlings) associated to the farmland, investigating their performances related to different values of heterogeneity in the landscape.
We have some suggestions for possible bachelor and honors project (see pdf) but you are also more than welcome to contact us if you have ideas of your own on this topic.
Contact: Maria von Post maria_von.post-at-zooekol.lu.se;
Ola Olsson ola.olsson-at-zooekol.lu.se
Conservation efforts and biodiversity in the agricultural landscape
My research project is about the effect of certain conservation efforts on the grey partridge Perdix perdix (‘rapphöna’ in Swedish) in Skåne. This bird species has suffered serious declines since the mid 1900s and much research points at the agricultural intensification as the major reason. This intensification is associated with a loss of landscape heterogeneity, changes in cropping regimes and increased use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers.
To aid in conserving this red listed species we will use the Grey Partridge Restoration Prescription that has been developed by The Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust in Britain. This prescription consists of three ingredients, namely habitat improvement, predator control and supplementary feeding. In my project we will however only test the first of these i.e. habitat improvement.
The grey partridge habitat will be improved by ensuring there is enough of the partridge’s three key habitats (nesting cover, brood rearing cover and winter holding cover). This will be done by restoring or creating new strips of these three habitats (see attached fact sheets). Nesting cover = strips of perennial, tussock forming grasses. Brood rearing cover = strips of insect rich vegetation could be an unsprayed edge of a cereal field or special mixes of broad leaved herbs and cereals sown in strips). Winter holding cover = compact, low hedges and bushes providing shelter from the worst weather and from aerial predators.
My study will take place on four areas (400-600ha) in southern Skåne. On two of these the habitat part of the prescription will be implemented while the other two will function as controls (where everything carries on as normal) to compare with. The prescription says amongst other things that 5% of the arable land (crops and ley) should be turned into brood rearing cover, and this will constitute a marked difference in habitat between the two types of study areas. So, as an example, an area of approximately 580ha might have approximately 450ha of crops and ley, which means that this area should have 23ha of brood rearing cover in order to fulfil the requirements of the prescription.
This prescription has been tested at Royston in south-eastern England with great success. Grey partridges have increased from 2,9 breeding pairs per 100ha to 18,6 per 100ha over five years!
Now, the important thing with large scale conservation projects like these is that they should (in my eyes!) be beneficial not to only one species but to a whole range of species. This has also been shown to be the case at the English demonstration project. However, the aim of my project is to test the prescription in Sweden. Hence I would like to include studies on the effect of the prescription on other groups of organisms that the grey partridge. I will do a survey of breeding birds myself, but I would like to get information on the invertebrates. The choice is yours as to what group or particular species you work with, but a few suggestions are butterflies, bumblebees, solitary bees, carabid beetles, and spiders. And within these groups of organisms I would like to find out whether there is a difference between areas where conservation efforts are implemented and where they are not.
Feel free to come and discuss ideas with me!
Contact: Annelie Jönsson
annelie.jonsson-at-zooekol.lu.se
Identifying pollen content of bumblebee pollen baskets in relation landscape quality and structure
Bumblebees and solitary bees provide an essential ecosystem service by pollinating agricultural crops. Vast numbers of wild plants also depend on insect pollinators. However, pollination is poorly understood both ecologically and economically. The recent decline in population sizes of many bees has been associated with intensified farming methods and changes of agricultural landscapes in northern Europe and it is also possible that a coupled decline in at least some plants and pollinator groups is taking place. One interesting question is to what degree bumblebees change their pollen foraging depending on the flowers available and the structure of the landscape surrounding them. Another question concerns competition between bumble bee species for pollen.
In this project you will either only use pollen samples already collected (during summer 2008), or you may complement this material with new samples from 2009. Which approach you chose depends on if you will do a 10, 20 or 40 week project.
The project involves some labwork (acetolysis) to prepare pollen samples for identification, and microscopy to determine the species or family of pollen grains. Depending on how you formulate your research question you may also do some GIS work to describe the landscapes where pollen was collected. The pollen identification is done in collaboration with Anna Broström at Geology.
Contact: Anna Persson
anna.persson-at-zooekol.lu.se
Insect vs. wind pollination in oil-seed rape
Although animal pollination is suggested to be important in 70 percent of all crops in the world, this ecosystem service is poorly investigated in agricultural crops. One such example in Sweden is oil-seed rape (Brassica napus). This crop is predominantly wind pollinated, and older investigations indicate that insect pollination is of minor importance with a yield increase of only up to 5 percent. However, new investigations imply that this is an underestimation, and that pollination by primarily honeybees, but also hoverflies, can increase both the quantity and the quality of the rape yield. In the project the aim is to investigate the relative contributions of insect pollination by wild and domesticated pollinators and of wind pollination to the seed set. This will be done by manipulating the number of honeybees, surveys of the wild pollinator comminity and by experimental exclusion of insect in a number of rape fields in Sweden. The project has funding to employ a field assistant.
Supervisors: Maj Rundlöf and Riccardo Bommarco (SLU, Uppsla)
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(upploaded before 2009) pdf
Does landscape heterogeneity affect the decline of farmland birds?
In Sweden farmland bird populations have declined for decades, reflecting trends throughout northern Europe. It has been suggested that these declines result from a loss of ecological heterogeneity at multiple spatial and temporal scales as a universal consequence of agricultural intensification. If so, research should develop crosscutting policy frameworks and management solutions that restore that heterogeneity as the key to restore and sustain biodiversity in farmland. However, it is not clear at which spatial scale ecological heterogeneity is important. This project examines the effect of ecological heterogeneity at several spatial scales on bird biodiversity. In one subproject, we evaluate the effect of the amount of field-borders on bird biodiversity in landscape of different types (dominated by mixed farming or by cereal farming). In another sub-project we evaluate the effect of between-field heterogeneity (pastoral, cereal or mixed farms) on bird biodiversity when matching for other structures in the landscape. Study sites are selected using GIS-analyses of spatially explicit habitat data as a tool. Birds are monitored using transect counts. A third sub-project concerns foraging ecology of birds in contrasting landscapes. The projects will be supported by a field assistant.Supervisor: Henrik Smith.
Does habitat management for wildlife benefit passerine birds
Multifunctional use of farmland has been suggested to be one way to improve conditions for biodiversity. Some farmers improve their land for the benefit of wildlife, because they are interested in sports hunting. It has been suggested that this may improve conditions for breeding birds in general. However, neither has the general idea been evaluated in Sweden or the effect on biodiversity of the different measures that are used to improve conditions for wildlife, been evaluated. In this project, bird biodiversity and density on estates with and without explicit wildlife management is evaluated. The project will be supported by a field assistant. Supervisor: Henrik Smith.
Ecosystem functioning and agricultural intensification
Agricultural intensification has been suggested to negatively affect the ecosystems ability to provide essential ecosystem services, i.e. the benefits people obtain from ecosystems. Increased landscape heterogeneity and conversion to organic farming might be potential tools to reduce the negative effects of intensification and contribute to maintained ecosystem functioning. In this project, there will be possibilities to study at least two ecosystem service providing the service (e.g. bees, hoverflies, predatory insects) or the product of the service (e.g. seed-set in plants, number of pests), or a combination of both. By identifying factors that affect ecosystem services you can suggest measures that will sustain future ecosystem functioning. Supervisor Maj Rundlöf.
Alfa and beta diversity on organic and conventional farms
Ecological heterogeneity has been identified as a key factor for restoring and sustaining biodiversity in agricultural landscapes. Organic faming, which is differentiated from conventional farming by the exclusion of agrochemicals, have been suggested to increase heterogeneity. The aim of this project is to study heterogeneity on matched organic and conventional farms. By measuring local diversity (α-diversity, within community diversity) and the variation in local diversity (β-diversity, between community diversity) and relate this measures to farming practice you can draw conclusions on the community heterogeneity between organic and conventional farms. Farm heterogeneity might be an important mechanism for the often beneficial effect of organic farming on biodiversity. Supervisor Maj Rundlöf.
GIS as a tool to study effects of land-use intensity on farmland birds
Many farmland birds are declining strongly in distribution and abundance, to a large degree because of the intensified land-use in agricultural landscapes. By combining a regional bird survey in southern Sweden with spatially explicit land-use information in Arc GIS, you can study the effect of land-use intensity (organically or conventionally managed) on the distribution of bird territories. The project includes selection of an appropriate bird species, digitising of bird territories and spatial analyses to combine territory and landuse data. Supervisor: Maj Rundlöf
The need of wild insects for crop pollination
Many economically important crops are assumed to depend on insects for pollination, but the knowledge for many crop species is surprisingly poor. One such example is brown beans, which at least regionally is an important crop. In other cases, it is known that the crop depend on insects for pollination, but the relative importance of pollinator species is unknown. In collaboration with Torslunda försöksstation (experimental farm) on Öland, you will study pollinators and pollination on a few selected crop species. From these data it is also possible to extrapolate the economic value of the pollination performed by wild insects. Supervisor Erik Öckinger
Is butterfly species richness related to land use history?
There is increasing evidence that the local distribution of at least some plant species is strongly related to the land use history. However, it is not known to what extent this has cascading effects on insects. In this project, you will survey butterfly species richness in an area on Öland (Jordtorp) with well-known land use history. Patterns in butterfly species richness and the distribution of individual butterfly species can then be related to historical land use data and to existing data on plant species richness. Supervisor Erik Öckinger
Species richness in urban environments
Which factors affect biodiversity in urban environments? How is species richness of different taxonomic groups in urban areas correlated? How should urban green areas be designed and managed in order to maximize biodiversity? Here, you can survey your favourite group of species and compare to existing data on species richness of butterflies in the city of Malmö. Supervisor Erik Öckinger
Pollen collection and preferences in bumblebees
Bumblebees are decreasing in agricultural areas across most of the world. Some species are more adversely affected by modern agricultural practices than others. There may be several reasons for this, e.g. the degree of forage (nectar and pollen plant) specialisation. In this project you may work with one or more bumblebee species; collect wild bees and/or use reared colonies. You will work in an experimental system of localities of contrasting heterogeneity. You will identify pollen collected by bees via reference material from flowers. An experimental system of localities of contrasting heterogeneity, already used in other project may also be used here. Supervisor Anna Persson
Importance of private gardens for wild bee foraging
In a simple, intensely farmed landscape flowers are scarce and some periods may be almost completely void of nectar and pollen resources. Mass flowering crops, e.g. oilseed rape, flower during a very restricted period. Private gardens may offer bees the necessary pollen and nectar resources over the whole season. You may for example do inventories of bees, bumblebees and flower resources and identify pollen from garden flowers. An experimental system of localities of contrasting heterogeneity, already used in other project may also be used here. Supervisor Anna Persson
Foraging behaviour of solitary bees
In solitary bees the female gathers pollen to put into cells where she lays an egg. The cell is then ceiled off and another one is constructed outside of the first. The distance travelled to forage is thought to differ between species. The time it takes to find enough pollen for one cell may be important e.g. to the number and quality of offspring produced and consequently survival of the bee population. Via use of artificial nesting places, direct observation and video cameras you may investigate the effects of flower resources and foraging time on reproduction in bees. It may also be possible to compare species. An experimental system of localities of contrasting heterogeneity, already used in other project may also be used here. Supervisor Anna Persson
Migrating birds in farmland
Modern agricultural techniques have been shown to have negative effects on many different organism groups. Among birds, many species that are connected to farmland in one way or the other have declined dramatically during the last decades. Numerous studies have been done on bird species that either breed or over-winter on arable land. Some migrating species, however, do also spend an important part of their life cycles in arable landscapes. Since both time- and energy constrains are high also during migration, we’d expect these species to be affected as well. But studies on birds using farmland during migration are rare. During my PhD-project, I try to find out more about which bird species use arable areas during migration, and whether modern agriculture is beneficial to those species or not. In a general approach, I monitored birds on different farms in respect to landscape type, farming practice (organic vs non-organic) and different crops. But there are still many questions to answer! So, if you are interested to study birds during their migration season, and to see how today’s farmland practices affect them, there are many opportunities for a variety of projects!
I also do more detailed studies on the Golden Plover (Pluvialis apricaria), a wader species that occurs in high numbers each autumn (and spring) in Southern Sweden, using the most intensively arable areas as a stop-over site. In this study, radio-transmitters are used in combination with catching, time-budget studies, respirometer studies and intense observations during day and night to learn more about the bird’s behaviour and ecology in Scania. Even within this project, there are plenty of possibilities for honour projects. Does any of this sound interesting to you, please contact: Juliana Dänhardt, 046-222 37 95. We can then discuss possible projects
according to your own interests!
Climate change and the expansion of rare species
With a warming climate many species are expected to expand northwards, provided there is suitable habitat available. However, to predict the potential of a species to expand, knowledge about its habitat requirements, habitat distribution and dispersal ability are needed. I have started a study aiming at understanding the effect of macro- and micro-climate and on the distribution and population dynamics of the rare butterfly species Pyrgus armoricanus. In this system, several different projects on for example the importance of micro-climate for habitat selection or metapopulation dynamics are possible. Contact me for discussions if you are interested in this topic. Supervisor Erik Öckinger
Population dynamics and conservation of solitary bees
Contact: Markus Franzén or Sven G. Nilsson
List of previous degree projects
Lagerroth, S. 2008. Habitat selection among bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus) in the Cape Byron marine park, NSW, Australia.
Scherman, K. 2008. Female-female aggression induces increased circulating testosterone levels, but does not increase egg yolk testosterone levels in European starlings.
Frödin, L. 2007. Bumblebee pollen basket content in contrasting agricultural landscapes.
Madjigan, J. 2006. Will a replacement of the native bumblebee Bombus dahlbomii by the invasive Bombus ruderatus lower the pollination success of the native herb Alostremeria aurea, in Northern Patagonia, Argentina.
Andersson, G. 2005. Effects of landscape composistion on foraging performance in the bumblebee Bombus terrestris.
Eriksson, A. 2005. Effects of restoration of semi-natural grasslands on plants and butterflies.
Edlund, M. 2005. Will biodiversity of vascular plants increase on two different scales in organic farming?
Nilsson, H. 2005. farming practice and landscape effect on bumblebee diversity and abundance.
Ryegård, A. 2004. Population changes of breeding starlings Sturnus vulgaris) affected by agricultural land use.
Gödertz, S. 2004. Dispersal of butterflies in human-altered landscapes – a astudy of two common grassland species in the agricultural landscape of Scania, southern Sweden.
Lundborg, S. 2003. Consequences of agricultural
intensification on foraging success and diet selection of breeding starlings (Sturnus vulgaris).
Rundlöf, M. 2002. Meadows and pastures - grassland management effects on butterflies.
Tobler, M. 2002. Determinants of status and their implications for floater behaviour in European Starlings and Great Tits.
Andersson, K. 2000. Sexual conflicts and trade-offs during incubation: manipulations of food abundance and breeding opportunities in European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris).
Granbom, M. 2000. Is starling reproductive success food limited.
Holmqvist, N. 2000. Does aquatic prey abundance determine territory occupancy and breeding success in the Grey Wagtail (Montacilla cinerea)?
Last modified 23 Mar 2009