Biology Education

Would you like to contribute to our understanding of the effects of human activities on species genetic diversity? Why not join our team to study the impact of forest management on an endangered saproxylic beetle?

Forestry is a source of renewable raw materials and bioenergy but also has a key role in the conservation of insects and other organisms attached to dead wood. However, the Swedish Forestry Agency’s forecasts showed that many biologically valuable forest types, including older pine forests, risk being displaced by more homogeneous forest landscapes dominated by younger, dense stands of spruce. Wood-living insects represent excellent indicators of biodiversity in forestry and nature conservation. In pine forests, the rare pine wood-living longhorn beetle Tragosoma depsarium has great potential as a signal species for valuable habitats and is a Swedish conservation priority species. It has specific habitat requirements, especially in sunlit older pine forests, developing on coarse, dead pine logs, and has an important role in the ecosystem by breaking down deadwood. However, little information is known on its true distribution and population abundance in relation to available deadwood substrates. The species likely has a highly fragmented population distribution in major parts of Sweden, due to fragmentation of its habitat though modern forestry. T. depsarium could thus represent an ideal model species to study the effects of habitat fragmentation on genetic diversity and gene flow, as we now have excellent tools for systematic monitoring and collection:

We seek motivated Masters students to join our project which intends to (i) describe the genetic diversity and population structure of T. depsarium in Sweden and (ii) determine if populations have suffered loss of genetic diversity due to forest management and isolation. During the summer 2021, the geographic distribution of the beetle in Sweden was assessed at a large scale through extensive pheromone trapping, and several populations were sampled along its distribution range. DNA was extracted for each individual and sent for RAD sequencing. The student will have the opportunity to analyse RADseq data from raw data to more advanced analyses, including population genetics. The study could be performed as a standalone bioinformatics study based on existing RADseq data, but also include hands-on experience with field sampling and DNA extraction techniques based on additional studies that will be performed in 2024. The results will be useful for implementing more efficient conservation management strategies for this beetle in Sweden.

This project is a collaboration between researchers at SLU and the University of Helsinki. The project also includes continued pheromone-based surveys and landscape studies of T. depsarium, which will be pursued in parallel conservation projects in 2024.

Duration and credits

Bioinformatics studies on sequenced materials could start immediately, as early as possible from April. If you would be interested in getting involved in active sampling and DNA extractions, the best sampling time is generally during July with preparations starting in late May or early June. Laboratory work with samples could start in the autumn semester in September. Credits: Masters corresponding to 30-45 credits.

Required qualifications and learning goals

You have a keen interest in evolutionary ecology, genetics and conservation biology. Through this project you have the opportunity to develop your skills and experience in practical entomology and field sampling, hands-on genetic techniques, bioinformatics, biological conservation, population genetics and other statistical analyses. You don’t need prior experience from bioinformatics. The work environment will be in English. The project has already started but you will have the opportunity to suggest studies and approaches of your own interest!

Contact Audrey Bras, Research Centre for Ecological Changes, University of Helsinki, Finland (audrey.bras@helsinki.fi) https://www.helsinki.fi/en/researchgroups/life-history-evolution/people

or Mattias Larsson (mattias.larsson@slu.se) for more information.

We are seeking a Master’s student for a 30, 45, or 60 credit thesis opportunity starting Spring / Summer 2024 to explore the relationship between ambient weather conditions, floral microclimates and resources, and pollinators. Field work will involve floral resource collection and pollinator identification and sampling.

Background:

Climate change is increasing the frequency and magnitude of heat waves, a cause of severe stress to insect pollinator communities. Pollinators can to some extent self-regulate their body temperatures but are also known to depend on their thermal environment. However, conservation efforts to mitigate the impact of heatwaves on biodiversity and related ecosystem services are still lacking.

Semi-natural grasslands are habitats which provide diverse resources for insect pollinator nesting and foraging. These grasslands can vary in characteristics such as topographic orientation, tree and shrub cover, and types of vegetation, all of which can create microclimates which buffer or amplify ambient temperatures. We hope to determine which landscape features, via their influence on microclimate, are related to pollinator distribution and behavior.

Project description:

In this project we will evaluate the potential of microclimates created by heterogeneity in semi-natural grassland vegetation and topography as buffers against high ambient temperature conditions and a means of environmental temperature regulation for pollinators. We will use unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to capture the microclimates, vegetation structure, and terrain of semi-natural grasslands. We will explore pollinator distribution, behavior, and activity in relation to these microclimates and determine the effect of microclimates on floral resource quality and plant surface temperatures.

You will join us in the field in identifying pollinators such as bees, butterflies, and hoverflies, as well as taking measurements and samples from flowering plants. You will learn to develop a research question of your own within the project framework and develop important scientific skills as part of your Master’s studies. 

Are you interested?

If you would like to know more about this position and working with insect pollinators please contact Arrian Karbassioon (arrian.karbassioon@cec.lu.se) and William Sidemo Holm (william.sidemo_holm@cec.lu.se) for more information. 

The Heat Dissipation Limit (HDL) hypothesis posits that animals are limited by their ability to dissipate heat when they are active. Even moderately warmer temperatures may restrain the possibility for animals to perform work. When animals reach a certain body temperature, they will stop or limit activity to cool down and to prevent overheating. This means that global climate change could have large implications for bird fitness, since strenuous activity is often required for raising offspring, foraging, and predator avoidance. You will test the Heat Dissipation Limit hypothesis experimentally in captive zebra finches at the ecology building at Lund University.

To do this, you will investigate how varying ambient temperatures affect maximum exercise-induced metabolic rate (MMR) of zebra finches in the lab using respirometry. The body temperature of zebra finches can be monitored continuously with an implanted temperature logger. Additional experiments or treatments can be added according to your interests.

This project is suitable for a masters project (30 – 60 credit) or the 15 credit course “Applied work in biology”

You will gain experience in:

• Handling birds
• Caring for captive birds
• Respirometry methods
• Biometric data loggers
• Developing and managing an experiment
• Hypothesis testing in ecophysiology
• Statistics

Start: Preferably Summer 2024 (May or June) but could also start in the autumn semester (August or September).

Contact:

• Rae Engert, PhD student elana.engert@biol.lu.se
• Jan-Åke Nilsson, professor jan-ake.nilsson@biol.lu.se

Pollinators in agricultural landscapes suffer from an increasingly intensive agriculture and loss of semi-natural habitat, which has resulted in lack of flower resources. To support pollinators, flower plantings have been suggested as a promising conservation action, and flower plantings have indeed been found to increase both abundances and diversity of several pollinator groups. However, the knowledge is still limited about how well different flower mixes establishes in different planting contexts (e.g. soil type, moisture, shade/sun exposed areas), how these contexts can affect flowering phenology and hence which pollinator species that are supported.

In Sweden, a new agricultural policy (implemented from EU´s Common Agricultural Policy 2023-2027) has been implemented that promotes flower plantings. It is a voluntary choice for farmers; however, it is an attractive choice since the planting of flower mixtures in set-aside land (in contrast to no planting) reduces the amount of land farmers need to take out of production. The flower planting project “Hela Skåne blommar” and “Hela Sverige blommar”, run by Hushållningssällskapet (https://hushallningssallskapet.se/forskning-utveckling/hela-sverige-blommar/), helps farmers with flower mixtures and in 2022 they already involved 225 farmers in Skåne and 800 in Sweden, and covered altogether 2 750 ha farmland.

Despite the large scale of the flower plantings, there has been no thorough evaluation of which factors that impact establishing rates or the visiting pollinator community. In this project, you will work together with researchers and stakeholders (Hushållningssällskapet) to evaluate how different seed mixtures establishes and their flowering phenology in different contexts, and which pollinators that visit the flower plantings in different replicated setups. The time and scale of the project and the specific research question can be modified depending on your interest and if the project is a BSc or MSc project. Fieldwork will involve plant and insect surveys and can be conducted during the flowering of the different seed mixtures (June – August) in favourable weather conditions, or later in autumn or next spring depending on the specific research question.

Are you interested? Please contact:

Ulrika Samnegård ulrika.samnegard@biol.lu.se or

Maj Rundlöf maj.rundlof@biol.lu.se

Small migratory birds travel thousands of kilometers between the breeding and wintering areas while crossing seas and deserts. In this project you will conduct research to answer how do they complete such amazing migrations. We are looking for a motivated student interested in animal migration that would like to investigate patterns about bird migration using multisensor data loggers. These loggers have opened many possibilities for studying bird migration, as they can tell us about when birds fly, the amount of time spent airborne, how high up they fly and where do they go, among other things. There are many intriguing questions that can be answered with this type of data, and it is up to you, the student (with input from the supervisors), to decide which question(s) to address. Get in touch with us and we will discuss the existing possibilities.

What we offer:

• A Master´s project or “Applied work in biology” (if only interested in the field season).
• Accommodation at Stensoffa between mid-May until mid-June.
• Data from loggers already collected last year to start working on your research questions.

This project will suit you if:

• You would like to do fieldwork with birds.
• Want to work with novel multisensor loggers that provide many possibilities for studying various aspects of bird migration.

What to expect:

• Exciting project where you will ask questions yourself about the whereabouts of migratory birds.
• Learn how to set up nets and ring birds.
• Fieldwork around Lund, recapturing and deploying multisensor data loggers in thrush nightingales (Luscinia Luscinia).
• Learning about statistics and project management while developing your own research ideas.

Start: Spring 2024 (May)

Contact:

Pablo Macías Torres, PhD student pablo.macias_torres@biol.lu.se

Anders Hedenström anders.hedenstrom@biol.lu.se

Sandiga gräsmarker utgör viktiga livsmiljöer för ett flertal hotade arter, så som vildbin, fjärilar och skalbaggar. En minskning av arter knutna till dessa livsmiljöer beror till stor del på en ändrad markanvändning, med följder som igenväxning av de öppna och sandiga miljöerna. Mellan åren 2020-2022 genomfördes statligt finansierade åtgärder för att restaurera sandiga gräsmarker i syfte att gynna ett antal hotade solitära vildbin. Men även andra arter gynnas av liknande åtgärder. I detta examensarbete föreslår vi en uppföljning av bevarandeåtgärder med fokus på effekter på skalbaggsfaunan. Här finns möjlighet att i ett verkligt fall av genomförda bevarandeåtgärder, med en tydligt uppställd experiment-kontrolldesign studera effekter på förekomst och abundans av ett urval av sällsynta och hotade skalbaggar. Projektet erbjuder även en möjlighet att delta i en större projektgrupp som parallellt kommer att arbeta med att följa upp effekter på solitära vildbin och deras resurser under våren och sommaren 2024. Det finns möjlighet att planera för gemensamt fältarbete med övriga deltagare och projektassistenter, samt utrymme för att formulera egna vetenskapliga frågeställningar kopplat till bevarandeåtgärder och populationseffekter.

Lämpligt som 15 eller 30 hp projekt

Kontaktuppgifter till handledare:

Andreas Nord, andreas.nord@biol.lu.se

Maria von Post, maria.von_post@biol.lu.se

Bombus sylvarum is a small bumblebee species which has a melanistic morph in southern Sweden. However, further north in Sweden it can be found as both a melanistic and light morph within the same population. This is in contrast to other parts of Europe such as the UK where it only exists as a light morph. Due to the morph’s discrete nature, we hypothesis that these are controlled by a single or a few loci, which we would like to identify. The student would work with whole genome sequences of individuals from the same population to infer candidate loci. The work can further be complemented with field work in lake Kvismaren were both morphs exist, either to estimate frequency of the two morphs or collect individuals for DNA lab work.

We are looking for a master student to join us in exploring the population genomics of bumblebees and hoverflies. However, we can also offer 15-credit projects involving field and/or DNA-lab work.

About our lab

We are interested in the evolution of sex chromosomes, as well as questions about local adaptation and conservation genomics. We can offer projects giving both experience in the DNA lab, as well as skills in analysing next generation sequencing data. For projects including lab work and population genetic questions we would prefer the student to have taken the course Molecular Ecology and Evolution, or equivalent course. We are also open to students taking an integrative approach, combining genetic methods with other analyses, such as niche modelling and morphometrics.

Interested?

If you are interested in this project in particular, similar projects on morph variation in Volucella bombylans, or projects involving population genomics and sex chromosomes in bumblebees and birds, please do not hesitate to contact us! We would love to set up a meeting to discuss any project in more detail and answer any questions you might have. Please contact both of us in an email:

Simon Jacobsen Ellerstrand: simon.jacobsen_ellerstrand@biol.lu.se

Bengt Hansson: bengt.hansson@biol.lu.se