We are seeking a Master’s student for a 30, 45, or 60 credit thesis opportunity starting Summer 2026 to explore habitat-sharing among wild pollinators in a flower-rich Swedish landscape and what this means for landscape management.
Background:
Plant-pollinator networks are typically limited to within-habitat interactions and rarely consider habitat-sharing among pollinators, or how networks are affected by plant-pollinator relationships in the surrounding landscape. The likelihood of a pollinator foraging in different habitats can be influenced by the available forage, species-specific traits, competition, or environmental conditions. By understanding how habitat use is mediated we can shape landscape conservation efforts around the ability of pollinators to move about their surroundings.
Project description:
As part of VALOR, a Horizon EU project, we will undertake transects of plants and pollinators in a Swedish landscape comprised of at least three habitats: semi-natural grassland, pollinator-dependent crops, and field margins.
The student will contribute by conducting transects and sampling at least two focal pollinator species and swabbing them for body pollen. They will then analyze the body pollen using machine learning techniques available at Lund University, comparing body pollen composition with plant surveys conducted in the field, and determining how this comparison changes with pollinator traits and environmental variables.
Work on this project will help develop field sampling and laboratory skills as well as equipping any student with experience in shaping research questions, data analysis, and scientific writing in conservation and ecology.
Are you interested? To enquire about this position, please contact Arrian Karbassioon (arrian.karbassioon@mgeo.lu.se) and Richard Walters (richard.walters@mgeo.lu.se) for more information.