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Biodiversity and Conservation Biology

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The research unit Biodiversity and Conservation Biology studies the diversity of life in its various forms, from genetic diversity to the diversity of species and ecosystems as well as their interactions. In collaboration with partners such as federal, cantonal and local authorities, we elaborate scientific knowledge for management strategies for the conservation of biodiversity and the preservation of natural resources in Switzerland and internationally.

Research groups

Biodiversity and Conservation Biology

FURTHER INFORMATION

Projects

ALANex

ALANeX is an inter- and transdisciplinary project that integrates benefits of LED technology and practitioner's experiences to develop future lighting transformation pathways and guide-lines for LED outdoor lighting systems based on sound scientific evidence. To do so, we bring together light engine

Resiliente Fliessgewässer

Im Projekt "Resiliente Fliessgewässer: Refugien - Vernetzung - Trittsteine " (2022-2026) steht die Untersuchung zur Förderung von resilienten Habitaten und Lebensgemeinschaften durch die Schaffung und Erhaltung von Refugien, Trittsteinen und Vernetzung unter Sicherstellung des Hochwasserschutzes im

Exper-net: Experimental Network Ecology and Restoration

We are conducting a series of experiments, from plant-hummingbird network manipulations to germination trials, to inform landscape restoration.

AMORE II: Artenmonitoring von Käfern und Pilzen in Fichten und Tannen-Fichten Naturwaldreservaten

In diesem Projekt wird ein Arteninventar von xylobionten Käfern und Pilzen in Fichten- bzw. Tannen-Fichten-Naturwaldreservaten im Vergleich zu bewirtschafteten Beständen durchgeführt und Steuergrössen der Diversität identifiziert. Dieses Projekt erlaubt Aussagen zur Wirkung der Unterschutzstellung d

Blue-Green Cyanobacteria: Diversity, Toxins and alpine Tourism

We will assess the cyanobacterial Tintenstrich species richness and community composition as an important part of biodiversity colonizing semiaquatic rock surfaces, characterize their cyanotoxin and secondary metabolite profiles and evaluate the risk of cyanotoxin pollution of alpinwater resources

Global change effects on food webs

Food-web structure is likely affected by global change with consequences for biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. In this project we study changes in food webs and nutrient fluxes in response to global change drivers in aquatic, terrestrial and interconnected habitats.

Night Light

Die Versuche leisten einen Beitrag zum Verständnis des Effektes von Lichtverschmutzung auf die Natur. Der wissenschaftliche Versuch über die Auswirkungen verschiedener Lampeneigenschaften (Lichtfarbe, Gehäusedesign, Intensität) soll helfen, Nachtlicht nachhaltiger zu gestalten.

Feedbacks between Biodiversity and Climate

Despite being an essential element of the biodiversity and climate change crisis, the feedback between biodiversity and climate remains an understudied subject in biodiversity and climate science. The project FeedBaCks will focus on this important interaction between the two disciplines.

Insect biomass developments in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems

We investigate the development of the frequency and species richness of aquatic and terrestrial insect communities in Switzerland.

Revision der Roten Liste der gefährdeten Grosspilze der Schweiz

2007 wurde die erste Rote Liste der Grosspilze der Schweiz publiziert. Im Rahmen dieses Projekts erfolgt im Auftrag des BAFU eine Neubeurteilung der Gefährdungsgrade der Schweizer Grosspilze.

Evidence-based amphibian conservation

In this project, we analyze how local and landscape-scale characteristics influence the blue-green infrastructure used by amphibians and how well newly constructed sites contribute to it.

Integration of biodiversity conservation and forest management

The publication "How to balance biodiversity conservation and forest management - a tour across Europe" written by more than 70 scientific and professional experts from 50 Institutions and 20 different countries explores how to best integrate biodiversity conservation in forest management

Städtische Luftqualität mit Topfpflanzen messen

Einwohnerinnen und Einwohner der Stadt Zürich erhalten die Gelegenheit, Daten für die Umweltforschung zu erheben. Dies im Rahmen des internationalen Citizen Science Projekts strawbAIRies der Universität Antwerpen, an dem neben Zürich die Städte Lissabon, Paris, Poznan, Tartu und Antwerpen teilnehmen

FutureWeb

FutureWeb will integrate predictive biogeography, geography, biostatistics and trophic web ecology to derive an ensemble of scenarios of the impact of global change on multi-trophic vertebrate biodiversity, ecosystem functioning and the provision of ecosystem services in Europe.

Waldlabor Zürich

Das Waldlabor Zürich ist ein erlebnisorientierter Bildungs- und Forschungsort, es ist das erste Waldlabor der Schweiz. Im Zentrum steht der vom Menschen beeinflusste Wald, der "Kulturwald" mit verschiedenen Formen der Waldpflege und -bewirtschaftung, der Leistungen der Waldeigentümer und der Bedeutu

Forschungsprojekt Tamariske: Genetische Untersuchungen von Populationen (2014-2018)

Das Forschungsprojekt untersucht die genetische Vernetzung entlang der Isel und ihrer Zubringer mithilfe von neutralen, genetischen Markern. Die Rolle von Zubringerflüssen für den Genaustausch wird untersucht.

Hanfpalme: Auswirkungen der Invasion im Wald

Die chinesische Hanfpalme, auch als Tessiner Palme bekannt, ist eine invasive Art der Schwarzen Liste, die sich in den Wäldern südlich der Alpen stark ausbreitet. Sie bildet lokal geschlossene Formationen, in denen die Ökosystemleistungen des Waldes beeinträchtigt werden könnten. Ziel des Projekts ist es, ein Bild der Situationsentwicklung zu vermitteln.

Insect biomass development

We investigate the development of insect abundance trends in Switzerland during the last 30 years.

Fledermaus-Flugkorridore

Wie erreichen Fledermäuse aus ihren Quartieren ihre Jagdlebensräume? Wir modellieren die Korridore im GIS!

Grundlagen Lebensraumkarte Schweiz

Im Projekt werden bereits vorhandene und in Entstehung befindliche Geodatensätze für ihr Potential zur Erstellung einer Lebensraumkarte (nach Delarze, Gonseth, Eggenberg & Vust 2015) für die Schweiz evaluiert. Ein erste Prototyp wird erstellt.

MoGLI – modelling woody species in NFI

The main goal of MoGLI is to project the potential distribution of the most common Swiss woody species across the entire forested area of Switzerland.

Red list of epiphytic and terricolous lichens

The Red list of threatened epiphytic and terricolous lichens in Switzerland from 2002 is being updated between 2017 and 2021. At present, representative data about the distribution and frequency of species is being gathered during extensive field work.

Saproxylic beetles in forest reserves

Deadwood is an essential habitat for many organisms. We investigate the saproxylic (deadwood-inhabiting) beetles and fungi in beech forest reserves and comparable managed forests.

FuncNet

We study effects of land-use in grasslands and forests on functional plant-insect networks and consequences for ecosystem processes

BioVeins - Connectivity of Urban Green Infrastructure: The Living Veins of a Healthy City

As part of the European ERA Net BiodivERsA program, the project BioVEINS aims at investigating the effects of the local an landscape features of urban green spaces on seven taxonomic groups in seven European cities.

Conserving the flora on erratic blocks

Erratic blocks form small siliceous habitats in the calcareous Swiss lowlands and Jura mountains, harbour special bryophytes and ferns and are endangered by bouldering and shading. The project creates the scientific basis for their conservation.

Tool kit conservation genetics

Partners from the private and academic sector joined to set up a ready-to-use tool kit, which allows authorities and consultancies to apply conservation genetic methods in a standardized way in their everyday work.

Metalink

Soil contamination with heavy metals is a widespread problem affecting natural, cultivated, urban and industrial sites throughout Europe. The main objective in this Swiss/Polish collaboration project is to characterize the links between environmental, genotypic, and phenotypic features in the metal-tolerant plant model Arabidopsis halleri.

CHECNET : coupling human and ecological networks

Human transportation networks are a threat to ecological networks. The CHECNET project develops methods to study the interactions of the two network types, thus informing about the implementation of ecological infrastructure in Switzerland.

GenTree

GenTree aims at providing the European forestry sector with better knowledge, methods and tools for optimizing the management and sustainable use of forest genetic resources in Europe in the context of climate change and continuously evolving demands for forest products and services.

ClimSens - Climate Sensitivity of plants and animals in Switzerland

This project assesses the sensitivity of (mostly) plant and animal species to expected climatic changes.

STACCATO

STACCATO is a BiodivERsA project carried out in collaboration with 10 European Institutions and investigates direct effects of climate and land-use change on biodiversity, as well as indirect effects on ecosystem services.

PiCadapt - Adaptive genetic variation of Swiss stone pine in response to environmental gradients across the Alpine timberline ecotone

PiCadapt aims to study gene-encoded nucleotide variation in the bird-dispersed P. cembra, a keystone tree species of the Alpine timberline ecotone, in response to environmental gradients.

GeneScale

GeneScale describes genomic variation in the Alpine rock-cress (Arabis alpina) and seeks indications of local adaptation to small-scale environmental conditions.

Population ecology of the mountain hare

We study the distribution, abundance and dynamics of a mountain hare population in a strictly protected Alpine ecosystem with annual field surveys and non-invasive genetic methods.

Structural Diversity and Biodiversity

Is structural heterogeneity an important prerequisite for a rich biodiversity in forest ecosystems? This is the focal question of this study.

QuercAdapt

We investigate the relationship between genetic variation and environmental factors, notably soil characteristics, in three native oak species. Thereby we can investigate the adaptedness of the different species and provenances in the context of silvicultural practice under climate change.

Biodiversität und Raumentwicklung

Das Projekt «Biodiversität und Raumentwicklung» untersucht Zusammenhänge zwischen Biodiversität und Raumentwicklung auf Landschaftsebene. Die Resultate sind kartographisch dargestellt und können zur Visualisierung von Szenarien der Landschaftsentwicklung eingesetzt werden.

Revision of the Red List of fern and vascular plants

The accessory study of the revision of the red list of fern and vascular plants aims to evaluate the practicability of using statistical methods as a tool for revisions and quality control of red lists.

Monitoring the Effectiveness of Habitat Conservation in Switzerland

The project "Monitoring the Effectiveness of Habitat Conservation in Switzerland" aims to determine whether habitats of national importance (dry meadows and pastures, alluvial areas, bogs and fens, amphibian breeding sites) are changing according to their conservation targets and maintaining the same surface area and quality.

Climate change and forest birds

In this study, we assess the direct and indirect effects of climate change on the realised ecological niches of habitat specialists of mountain forests by assessing key structural and vegetational habitat components along a climatic gradient.

AVE

The main aim of this SNF-supported SINERGIA project is to characterize adaptive genetic diversity associated with environmental heterogeneity in natural populations of related plant species and to experimentally test the adaptive value of candidate loci under ecologically relevant environmental conditions

BioDiVine

Vineyards are among the oldest anthropogenic environments of high cultural and natural value that shape the landscape of large areas in Central and Southern Europe. In several mountain regions of the Alps, vineyards are a valid alternative to the landscape homogenization due to post-cultural land abandonment and agriculture intensification.

Gene flow in Swiss stone pine

Stone pines depend on nutcrackers for seed dispersal to favorable microsites, while nutcrackers almost exclusively forage on the pines, caching their seeds for winter food reserves. Genetic parentage analysis on juvenile stone pines germinated from cached nuts, will elucidate how dispersal by nutcrackers affects the spatial genetic structure of future pine populations.

Evoltree

A large network of research institutions collaborates within an EC-funded Network of Excellence to study the impacts of climate change on forest ecosystems from an evolutionary perspective.

IntraBioDiv

Within an EC-funded project, scientists from WSL study possible correlations between intraspecific diversity and species richness or habitat variation. They want to find and explain possible relationships among different levels of plant biodiversity, to elaborate a modelling approach.

Population model for the capercaillie in the Swiss Alps

We are studying the metapopulation biology of Alpine capercaillie using a) traditional field methods, and b) landscape ecological, and c) population genetic approaches.

Quality wood production

The WSL initiated together with other institutions a research program aiming at high quality chestnut timber by minimizing the costs and improving the functional features and the stability of the coppice stands.

Windthrow fauna

After the devestating windstorms in 1990 (Vivian) and 1999 (Lothar) investigations were started to monitor the development and succession of the insect fauna on cleared and uncleared windthrow areas, relative to control treatments in the intact forest. Until now, insects have been sampled during 7 (Vivian) and 4 (Lothar) years.

Flussgebietsmanagement

Wir erarbeiten ökologische und wasserbauliche Grundlagen zur Revitalisierung von Fliessgewässern und unterstützen so deren Planung und Umsetzung.

WATER

A network of four research institutions collaborates within an EC-funded Network of Excellence to determine and understand the influence of genetic diversity of trees and site water regime on neutral and functional diversities of the associated mycorrhizal community.

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Staff

Biodiversity and Conservation Biology

Prof. Dr. Rolf Holderegger

head of research unit, member of directors board

Ecosystem Dynamics

Dr. Ariel Bergamini	teamleader
Angéline Bedolla	technical expert II
Irene Bisang	visiting scientist
Dr. Steffen Boch	scientific staff member
Dr. Klaus Ecker	scientific staff member
Dr. Ulrich Graf	scientific staff member
Helen Küchler	technical staff member
Dr. Meinrad Küchler	temporary employee
Dr. Helen Moor	visiting scientist
Tobias Moser	technical staff member
Markus Peintinger	visiting scientist
Dr. Kristel Van Zuijlen	Postdoc

Conservation Biology

Dr. Kurt Bollmann	teamleader, senior scientist
Dr. Fabio Bontadina	visiting scientist
Joan Casanelles Abella	Postdoc
Dr. Andreas Dietzel	visiting scientist
Dr. Peter Duelli	visiting scientist
Levi Fuchs	master student
Julia Fürst	visiting scientist
Dr. Friederike Gebert	Postdoc
Dr. Thomas Hertach	visiting scientist
Dr. Marco Moretti	senior scientist
Dr. Martin Obrist	scientific staff member
Kilian Perrelet	PhD student guest
Katja Rauchenstein	visiting scientist
Maik Rehnus	temporary employee
Julia Schmid	master student
Hektor Benedict Schnorf	temporary employee
Simonetta Selva	master student

Biodiversity

Prof. Dr. Christoph Scheidegger	teamleader, senior scientist
Bruno Auf der Maur	scientific assistant
Dr. Stefan Blaser	technical staff member
Jonas Brännhage	scientific assistant
Dr. Michael Dietrich	scientific staff member
Dr. Sabine Franziska Fink	scientific staff member
Vanessa Fricker	trainee
Markus Gabathuler	scientific assistant
Ninetta Elena Graf	scientific assistant
Dr. Andrin Gross	scientific staff member
Chantal Hischier	trainee
Dr. Christine Keller	scientific staff member
Nuru Kitara	visiting scientist
Juliana Oliveira	PhD student
Dr. Francesca Pittino	Postdoc
Ludovic Sageot	trainee
Dr. Markus Schlegel	scientific staff member
PD Dr. Beatrice Senn	visiting scientist
Silvia Stofer	scientific staff member
Nicolo Tartini	temporary employee
Artemis Diana Treindl	scientific staff member
Petr Vlcek	scientific assistant
Gesa von Hirschheydt	PhD student
Malin Wenger	bachelor student
Veronika Zengerer	lab technician

Ecological Genetics

Dr. Martina Peter	teamleader
Dr. Felix Gugerli Künzle	senior scientist, deputy teamleader
Dr. Alicja Agnieszka Babst-Kostecka	visiting scientist
Sabine Brodbeck	technical staff member
Dr. Corine Buser-Schöbel
Sevil Cosgun	PhD student guest
Dr. Benjamin Dauphin	scientific staff member
René Graf	technical staff member
Dr. Deborah Marie Leigh	scientific staff member
Dr. Lars Opgenoorth	visiting scientist
Stephanie Pfister	lab technician
Dr. Christian Rellstab	scientific staff member
Olivia Rusconi	PhD student guest
Jennifer Stucki	apprentice

Spatial Evolutionary Ecology

Prof. Dr. Catherine Graham	teamleader, senior scientist
Michelle Achermann-Sidler	administrative staff member
Stéphane Aubert	master student
Dr. Matthias Dehling	scientific staff member
Dr. Francois Duchenne	Postdoc
Dr. Shyamolina Ghosh	Postdoc
Alessandro Gregori	guest
Esteban Guevara	PhD student
Dr. Dirk Karger	scientific staff member
Roman Manuel Marti	guest
Dr. Ian Ramsey McFadden	Postdoc
Felipe Osmari Cerezer	PhD student guest
Dr. Marco Túlio Pacheco Coelho	Postdoc
Dr. Luca Pegoraro	Postdoc
Prof. Dr. David Roberts	visiting scientist
Tatiana Santander	visiting scientist
Dr. Rafael Wüest Karpati	technical staff member

Evolutionary genetics

Dr. Katalin Csillery	teamleader
Mert Celik	PhD student
Yohann Chauvier	Postdoc
Dr. Petra D`Odorico	scientific staff member
Mirjam Kurz	visiting scientist
Dr. Nicole Ponta	Projektkoordinatorin
Haonan Yang	scientific assistant

Ecological fluid dynamics

Dr. Markus Holzner	teamleader, senior scientist
Stefano Brizzolara	PhD student
Alessandro Gambino	master student
Dr. Marius Mihai Neamtu-Halic	Postdoc
Dr. Alon Nissan	visiting scientist
Francesco Parrella	PhD student guest
Giorgia Tagliavini	PhD student
Till Zeugin	PhD student

Publications

Malanson, G.P.; Pansing, E.R.; Testolin, R.; Abdulhak, S.; Bergamini, A.; Ćušterevska, R.; Marcenò, C.; Kuzmanović, N.; Milanović, Đ.; Ruprecht, E.; Šibík, J.; Vassilev, K.; Willner, W.; Jiménez‐Alfaro, B., 2022: Explanation of beta diversity in European alpine grasslands changes with scale. Ecosphere, 13, 5: e4066 (11 pp.). doi: 10.1002/ecs2.4066

Lyu, L.; Leugger, F.; Hagen, O.; Fopp, F.; Boschman, L.M.; Strijk, J.S.; Albouy, C.; Karger, D.N.; Brun, P.; Wang, Z.; Zimmermann, N.E.; Pellissier, L., 2022: An integrated high‐resolution mapping shows congruent biodiversity patterns of Fagales and Pinales. New Phytologist, doi: 10.1111/nph.18158

Müller, S.; Gossner, M.M.; Penone, C.; Jung, K.; Renner, S.C.; Farina, A.; Anhäuser, L.; Ayasse, M.; Boch, S.; Haensel, F.; Heitzmann, J.; Kleinn, C.; Magdon, P.; Perović, D.J.; Pieretti, N.; Shaw, T.; Steckel, J.; Tschapka, M.; Vogt, J.; ... Scherer- Lorenzen, M., 2022: Land-use intensity and landscape structure drive the acoustic composition of grasslands. Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment, 328: 107845 (13 pp.). doi: 10.1016/j.agee.2021.107845

Nowak, L.; Schleuning, M.; Bender, I.M.A.; Böhning-Gaese, K.; Dehling, D.M.; Fritz, S.A.; Kissling, W.D.; Mueller, T.; Neuschulz, E.L.; Pigot, A.L.; Sorensen, M.C.; Donoso, I., 2022: Avian seed dispersal may be insufficient for plants to track future temperature change on tropical mountains. Global Ecology and Biogeography, 31, 5: 848-860. doi: 10.1111/geb.13456

Bose, A.K.; Rigling, A.; Gessler, A.; Hagedorn, F.; Brunner, I.; Feichtinger, L.; Bigler, C.; Egli, S.; Etzold, S.; Gossner, M.M.; Guidi, C.; Lévesque, M.; Meusburger, K.; Peter, M.; Saurer, M.; Scherrer, D.; Schleppi, P.; Schönbeck, L.; Vogel, M.E.; ... Schaub, M., 2022: Lessons learned from a long‐term irrigation experiment in a dry Scots pine forest: impacts on traits and functioning. Ecological Monographs, 92, 2: e1507 (18 pp.). doi: 10.1002/ecm.1507

Duelli, P.; Henry, C.S., 2022: The Apertochrysa prasina group (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae), with a key to the European species. Zootaxa, 5134, 1: 61-91. doi: 10.11646/zootaxa.5134.1.3

Geiger, M.; Kistler, C.; Mattmann, P.; Jenni, L.; Hegglin, D.; Bontadina, F., 2022: Colorful collar-covers and bells reduce wildlife predation by domestic cats in a Continental European setting. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, 10: 850442 (12 pp.). doi: 10.3389/fevo.2022.850442

Moretti, M.; Moor, H.; Obrist, M.K., 2022: Lebensraumvernetzung im Anthropozän: von der Theorie in die Praxis. Pro Natura Lokal, 2: 3-6.

Boch, S.; Ginzler, C.; Holderegger, R.; Schmidt, B.R.; Bergamini, A., 2022: Aires centrales, piliers de l’infrastructure écologique: situation et évolution. Hotspot, 45: 8-9.

Krug, C.; Bacher, S.; Boch, S.; Brooks, T.; Spehn, E., 2022: Possibilités de préserver et promouvoir la biodiversité. In: Guisan, A.; Huggel, C.; Seneviratne, S.I.; Steinberger, J. (eds), 2022: Inverser la tendance: climat et biodiversité Rencontre entre le Parlement et les scientifiques. Berne, Académie suisse des sciences naturelles (SCNAT). 14-15.

Krug, C.; Bacher, S.; Boch, S.; Brooks, T.; Spehn, E., 2022: Opzioni per preservare e promuovere la biodiversità. In: Guisan, A.; Huggel, C.; Seneviratne, S.I.; Steinberger, J. (eds), 2022: Inversione di tendenza clima e biodiversità. Il Parlamento incontra la scienza. Berna, Accademia svizzera delle scienze naturali (SCNAT). 14-15.

Krug, C.; Bacher, S.; Boch, S.; Brooks, T.; Spehn, E., 2022: Möglichkeiten, um die Biodiversität zu erhalten und zu fördern. In: Guisan, A.; Hugge, C.; Seneviratne, S.I.; Steinberger, J. (eds), 2022: Trendwende Klima und Biodiversität. Parlament trifft Wissenschaft. Bern, Akademie der Naturwissenschaften Schweiz (SCNAT). 14-15.

Boch, S.; Ginzler, C.; Holderegger, R.; Schmidt, B.R.; Bergamini, A., 2022: Kerngebiete der Ökologischen Infrastruktur: Zustand und Entwicklung. Hotspot, 45: 8-9.

Dähler, N.B.; Bergamini, A.; Jutzi, M.; Holderegger, R., 2022: Wie effektiv sind Schutzgebiete? Eine empirische Studie aus der Schweiz. Natur und Landschaft, 97, 5: 225-230. doi: 10.19217/NuL2022-05-01

Rehnus, M.; Bollmann, K., 2022: Veränderte Setzbedingungen für das Reh durch den Klimawandel. Vorarlberger Jagd, 8-9.

Rauchenstein, K.; Ecker, K.; Bader, E.; Ginzler, C.; Düggelin, C.; Bontadina, F.; Obrist, M.K., 2022: LiDAR metrics predict suitable forest foraging areas of endangered Mouse-eared bats (Myotis myotis). Forest Ecology and Management, 515: 120210 (10 pp.). doi: 10.1016/j.foreco.2022.120210

Auf der Maur, B.; Gross, A.; Queloz, V.; Prospero, S., 2022: Mal dell'inchiostro del castagno. Phytophthora × cambivora (Petri) Buisman (Famiglia: Peronosporaceae). Phytophthora cinnamomi Rands (Famiglia: Peronosporaceae). Schede informative sui Neomiceti. 5 p.

Auf der Maur, B.; Queloz, V.; Prospero, S.; Gross, A., 2022: Kernoviae-Buchensterben. Phytophthora kernoviae Brasier & S.A. Kirk (Familie: Peronosporaceae). Factsheet Neomyceten. 5 p.

Casanelles‐Abella, J.; Keller, A.; Müller, S.; Aleixo, C.; Alós‐Orti, M.; Chiron, F.; Laanisto, L.; Myczko, Ł.; Pinho, P.; Samson, R.; Tryjanowski, P.; Van Mensel, A.; Villarroya‐Villalba, L.; Pellissier, L.; Moretti, M., 2022: Wild bee larval food composition in five European cities. Ecology, doi: 10.1002/ecy.3740

Leugger, F.; Broquet, T.; Karger, D.N.; Rioux, D.; Buzan, E.; Corlatti, L.; Crestanello, B.; Curt‐Grand‐Gaudin, N.; Hauffe, H.C.; Rolečková, B.; Šprem, N.; Tissot, N.; Tissot, S.; Valterová, R.; Yannic, G.; Pellissier, L., 2022: Dispersal and habitat dynamics shape the genetic structure of the Northern chamois in the Alps. Journal of Biogeography, doi: 10.1111/jbi.14363

20 from 2203 publications

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Teaching

Blockkurs: Biologie der Moose und Farne

Moose: Basiswissen zu Morphologie, Ökologie, Biogeographie und Gefährdung; Kennenlernen häufiger Arten; Anleitung zur selbständigen Bestimmungsarbeit; Exkursion.
Farne: Vermittlung grundlegender Kenntnisse zu Generationszyklus, Evolution und Ökologie; Kennenlernen der schweizerischen Farnflora; Exkursionen.

Organizer: ETH Zürich

Person in charge: Rolf Holderegger , Ariel Bergamini

Excursion: Lichenology

Organizer: Unversity of Bern

Person in charge: Christoph Scheidegger

Fieldcourse: Diversity of Vertebrates (Mammalia)

The course combines lectures, practical work in the laboratory and field work. It teaches the theory of systematics, of species definitions and the basic characteristics of vertebrate taxa. A study week in the canton Valais (approximate costs for students ca. CHF 350) and further excursions help students developing a broad knowledge of indigenous species. It also offers insights into challenges and limits of practical field work.
As the structure of the course differs from year to year, it is possible that the field week in Valais ends ends on Sunday of week 22. However, it is compulsory to attend all lectures, excursions and the whole study week in Valais.

Organizer: University of Zurich

Person in charge: Kurt Bollmann

Integrierte Exkursionen

Exkursionen bilden einen idealen Rahmen, um theoretische Konzepte des Studiengangs mit der realen Welt zu verbinden. An drei Exkursionstagen erfolgt eine intensive Auseinandersetzung mit umweltnaturwissenschaftlichen und -politischen Fragestellungen. Die Studierenden lernen dabei die Besonderheiten und Herausforderungen einer Gegend kennen und vertiefen im Austausch mit Fachexperten Ihr Wissen.

Person in charge: Rolf Holderegger , Matthias Bürgi

Lecture and Practical: Mycology and Lichenology

Organizer: University of Bern

Person in charge: Christoph Scheidegger

Lecture: Conservation Genetics

The module deals with basic knowledge in conservation genetics and its practical applications. It introduces the genetic and evolutionary theories of conservation genetics, such as inbreeding in small populations or fragmentation/connectivity, and shows how they impact on practical conservation management.

Organizer: ETH Zurich

Person in charge: Rolf Holderegger , Felix Gugerli Künzle

Lecture: Genomics of Environmental Adaptation

This five-day winter school aims at teaching advanced Master students, PhD students and post-doctoral researchers on aspects of the genomics of environmental adaptation. It provides both theoretical background and hands-on exercises on major topics of contemporary environmental genomics such as signatures of selection, outlier analysis or environmental association analysis.

Organizer: ETH Zürich

Person in charge: Rolf Holderegger , Felix Gugerli Künzle , Christian Rellstab

Lecture: Tree Genetics - Concepts and Applications

Trees are important elements and drivers of ecosystem processes in forests and landscapes. Tree species diversity and intraspecific genetic diversity are relevant factors for continuous adaptation, required for a sustainable maintenance of forest products and services. Sustainable forest and landscape management under climate change has to take forest genetic resources into consideration.

Organizer: ETH Zurich

Person in charge: Felix Gugerli Künzle , Peter Brang , Christoph Sperisen , Simone Prospero , Martina Peter

Praktikum: Wald und Landschaft

In diesem Praktikum lernen die Studiernden wichtige Feld- und Labormethoden der Wald- und Landschaftsforschung und -bewirtschaftung kennen und wenden sie im Rahmen von kleinen Projekten selbständig an.

Organizer: ETH Zürich

Person in charge: Felix Gugerli Künzle

Research Practical: Lichenology and Mycology

Organizer: University of Bern

Person in charge: Christoph Scheidegger

Seminar: Naturschutz

In diesem Seminar treffen sich Studierende mit Fachleuten aus der Naturschutzpraxis und bearbeiten aktuelle Themen. Der Input erfolgt einerseits durch Referate der Fachleute, andererseits erfolgt eine vertiefte Auseinandersetzung mit den Konzepten und Problemen der Praxis durch die Studierenden.

Organizer: ETH Zürich

Person in charge: Rolf Holderegger , Ariel Bergamini , Felix Gugerli Künzle , Simone Prospero

Vorlesung: Binnengewässer - Konzepte und Methoden für ein nachaltiges Management

In diesem Kurs werden Binnengewässer-Ökosysteme, ihre grundlegenden ökologischen Eigenschaften, sowie ihre anthropogenen Beeinflussungen und Veränderungen behandelt. Anhand von Fallbeispielen werden Konzepte und Methoden zum nachhaltigen Management diskutiert. Die Fallbeispiele stammen meistens aus der Schweiz und nehmen Bezug zum Gewässerschutzgesetz und der Strategie Biodiversität Schweiz.

Organizer: ETH Zürich

Person in charge: Christoph Scheidegger , Sabine Franziska Fink

Vorlesung: Ökologie der Wirbeltiere

Der Kurs behandelt die Ökologie und Naturschutzbiologie der Vögel und Säugetiere. Wichtige Konzepte aus Physiologie, Verhaltensökologie, Populationsbiologie, Biogeographie und Community Ecology werden diskutiert, mit Bezügen zu Schutz und Nutzung. Neben dem globalen Blickwinkel wird ein Schwergewicht auf die mitteleuropäische Fauna und ihre Dynamik gelegt.

Organizer: ETH Zürich

Person in charge: Josef Senn , Kurt Bollmann

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Master thesis

Open master thesis

Differences in the distribution of genetic variants among neighbouring populations of mountain hares (Lepus timidus) in the Alps

The mountain hare (Lepus timidus) is a genuine Arctic species in its Alpine range, where it lives as glacial relict populations with high site fidelity at high elevations. Thus, it is considered to be particularly vulnerable to climate change by habitat loss and increasing habitat fragmentation. Non-invasive genetic samples (feces) have been sampled at various locations within and around the Swiss National Park (SNP) to study potential relationships and connectivity among populations. In this Master's thesis, the aim is to derive the degree of connectivity among these populations. Furthermore, a time series from a genetic monitoring in the SNP (2014-2022) may be re-visited to follow up on the population trends in this intensively studied site.

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Environmental drivers of distribution and admixture of sympatric white oak species (Quercus spp.) at local scale

The three most abundant oak species in Switzerland (Quercus robur, Q. petraea, Q. pubescens) often co-exist and are known to hybridize. However, little is known about the factors driving the spatial distribution and admixture at local scale.
Here, we will use species-diagnostic SNP markers, high resolution topographic data and in-situ soil measurements to identify possible factors driving the spatial distribution and admixture of the two oak species in a large hybridizing population above Lac Neuchâtel.

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Services and products

Monitoring the Effectiveness of Habitat Conservation in Switzerland

BATLOGGER

The BATLOGGER is a recording system for ultrasound bat echolocation calls. It helps considerably in observing bats and identify species. It is being sold by an external partner, see www.batlogger.com

Person in charge: Martin Obrist

BatScope

BatScope allows to consistently import recordings from BATLOGGERs (and other devices), the structured storage of these data in projects and recording events, visual control of the recordings (spectrograms), and the automated recognition of the calling bat species.

Person in charge: Martin Obrist

BatEcho

BatEcho demonstrates the echolocation calls of bat species native to Switzerland and links to additional information on biology, distribution and red list status of the bat species.

Person in charge: Martin Obrist

SwissFungi

In the national data and information centre SwissFungi, we compile collection data and environmental data on the species of fungus that exist in Switzerland, and thereby document spatial and temporal changes in their populations. SwissFungi provides the basis for implementing conservation measures for fungus.

swissfungi.wsl.ch

Person in charge: Andrin Gross

SwissLichens

In the national data and information centre SwissLichens, we compile data on lichen habitats and their ecology, and in doing so document spatial and temporal changes in their populations in Switzerland. SwissLichens provides the basis for implementing conservation measures for lichens. Link: SwissLichens

Person in charge: Silvia Stofer , Christoph Scheidegger

Flora indicativa

Die «Flora indicativa» umfasst ökologische und biologische Eigenschaften von rund 5500 Gefässpflanzen-, 600 Moos- und 200 Flechtenarten der Flora der Schweiz und der Alpen. Das Buch wird ergänzt um die Software Flora indicativa, welche die Darstellung und Verwendung der Daten ermöglicht.

Person in charge: Michael Nobis