Bachelor thesis topic: Assessing the effectiveness of acoustic pan traps
BackgroundEco-acoustics are a novel field with exciting opportunities. Currently, one can sample birds, bats,
loud insects, and amphibians with automated sound recorders. We would like to use these devices
to sample insect pollinators as well. We will test their effectiveness while assessing flower strips. We
are looking for a bachelor student who will set up the experiment.
Method and location
We have automated sound recorders (Audiomoth) and pan traps. We will adapt automated sound
recorders to record insect pollinators and directly observe the visits of pollinators to the recorders.
We will establish a reference collection of sounds, measure flower cover, insect pollinator
abundance with pan traps, and activity with sound recorders. Field sampling will be conducted in
different habitats to assess the method's effectiveness.
Requirements
An interest in acoustics and entomology is preferable.
Output
Co-authorship on the resulting paper is possible.
For further details please contact
Dr. Annika Hass ( ahass@gwdg.de ) or Dr. Kevin Darras ( kdarras@gwdg.de ),
Agroecology, Dept of Crop Sciences, University of Göttingen.
Master thesis vacancy: Effects of urbanization on pollinator diversity – field study in Bangalore (India)
In an increasingly urbanized world, maintaining agriculture within and around cities is receiving growinginterest. While urban expansion is predicted to affect important ecosystem services for smallholder
farmers such as pollination and biological pest control, relatively few studies have assessed these services
along rural-urban gradients.
In this study, pollinator abundance and diversity will be assessed in farming households spread along
the rural-urban gradient of the Indian megacity Bangalore. Pollinators will be sampled using pan traps and
transect-walks in 150 farming households. We aim to disentangle the effects of agroecological and
socioeconomic drivers on pollinator diversity and potential pollination services. The study is embedded
in a large Indian-German interdisciplinary project (www.uni-kassel.de/go/for-2432) investigating the
socio-ecological systems along the urban-rural interface and offers a unique opportunity to take part in a
collaborative project involving researchers with different academic backgrounds and origins.
Where: Bangalore, Karnataka, Southern India
When: September – December 2020
Your tasks: visiting twice 150 farming households spread along the urbanization gradient to sample the
pollinators / sorting, pinning and identifying (in India) the collected insects / analyzing the results (at Uni
Hohenheim)
Your profile: we are looking for a highly motivated student willing to carry out fieldwork in challenging
conditions – experience in working abroad is definitely an advantage. You should also be able to work in a
team, as this master project is embedded is a larger project involving several German and / or Indian
students and field assistants
What we offer: a unique working experience abroad, a very exciting and relevant research topic and the
opportunity to join a large interdisciplinary research unit. We cover costs for the flights, local travel and
accommodation (International Students Hostel on the GKVK campus of the University of Agricultural
Sciences, Bangalore). Co-authorship in a resulting scientific publication is possible. We strongly support
you in the fieldwork abroad, statistical analysis and scientific writing of your thesis.
If you are interested to join us, please contact:
Prof. Dr. Ingo Graß, Ecology of Tropical Agricultural Systems, Uni Hohenheim
Prof. Dr. Catrin Westphal & Gabriel Marcacci, Functional Agrobiodiversity, Uni Göttingen
ingo.grass@uni-hohenheim.de & gabriel.marcacci@uni-goettingen.de
Master thesis vacancy: Effects of urbanization on ground-dwelling arthropods and biocontrol – field study in Bangalore (India)
In an increasingly urbanized world, maintaining agriculture within and around cities is receiving growinginterest. While urban expansion is predicted to affect important ecosystem services for smallholder
farmers such as pollination and biological pest control, relatively few studies have assessed these services
along rural-urban gradients.
In this study, ground-dwelling arthropods (e.g. carabid and rove beetles, spiders - all well-known
biological pest control agents) will be assessed using rapid assessments of biodiversity and ecosystem
function in 150 farming households spread along the rural-urban gradient of the Indian megacity
Bangalore. Predation will be estimated by baiting ground-dwelling arthropods with their prey (predation
cards). We aim to disentangle the effects of agroecological and socioeconomic drivers on arthropod
diversity and biocontrol. The study is embedded in a large Indian-German interdisciplinary project
(www.uni-kassel.de/go/for-2432) investigating the socio-ecological systems along the urban-rural
interface and offers a unique opportunity to take part in a collaborative project involving researchers
with different academic backgrounds and origins.
Where: Bangalore, Karnataka, Southern India
When: September – December 2020
Your tasks: visiting twice 150 farming households spread along the urbanization gradient to sample
arthropods using pitfall traps / setting-up the predation cards experiment / sorting and identifying (with
local assistance) the collected insects (in India) / analyzing the results (at Uni Hohenheim)
Your profile: we are looking for a highly motivated student willing to carry out fieldwork in challenging
conditions – experience in working abroad is definitely an advantage. You should also be able to work in a
team, as this master project is embedded is a larger project involving several German and / or Indian
students and field assistants
What we offer: a unique working experience abroad, a very exciting and relevant research topic and the
opportunity to join a large interdisciplinary research unit. We cover costs for the flights, local travel and
accommodation (International Students Hostel on the GKVK campus of the University of Agricultural
Sciences, Bangalore). Co-authorship in a resulting scientific publication is possible. We strongly support
you in the fieldwork abroad, statistical analysis and scientific writing of your thesis.
If you are interested to join us, please contact:
Prof. Dr. Ingo Graß, Ecology of Tropical Agricultural Systems, Uni Hohenheim
Prof. Dr. Catrin Westphal & Gabriel Marcacci, Functional Agrobiodiversity, Uni Göttingen
ingo.grass@uni-hohenheim.de & gabriel.marcacci@uni-goettingen.de
Master thesis vacancy: Biological control across a rural-urban gradient – field study in Bangalore (India)
In an increasingly urbanized world, maintaining agriculture within and around cities is receiving growinginterest. While urban expansion is predicted to affect important ecosystem services for smallholder
farmers such as pollination and biological pest control, relatively few studies have assessed these services
along rural-urban gradients.
In this study, top-down control of insect pests by birds and insects will be assessed in farming
households spread along the rural-urban gradient of the Indian megacity Bangalore. Predation rate will be
quantified by conducting dummy caterpillars experiments allowing discrimination between different
predator groups (i.e. birds, mammals, ants, and other insects). This study is embedded in a large Indian-
German interdisciplinary project (www.uni-kassel.de/go/for-2432) investigating the socio-ecological
systems along the urban-rural interface and offering a unique opportunity to take part in a collaborative
project involving researchers with different academic backgrounds and origins.
Where: Bangalore, Karnataka, Southern India
When: September – December 2020
Your tasks: setting up the experiments (dummy caterpillars) / collecting data (quantifying and identifying
predation marks on the dummies, in India) / analyzing results (at Uni Hohenheim)
Your profile: we are looking for a highly motivated student willing to carry out fieldwork in challenging
conditions – experience in working abroad is definitely an advantage. You should also be able to work in a
team, either with other German/Indian students or local field assistants.
What we offer: a unique working experience abroad, a very exciting and relevant research topic and the
opportunity to join a large interdisciplinary research unit. We cover costs for the flights, local travel and
accommodation (International Students Hostel on the GKVK campus of the University of Agricultural
Sciences, Bangalore). Co-authorship in a resulting scientific publication is possible. We strongly support
you in the fieldwork abroad, statistical analysis and scientific writing of your thesis.
If you are interested to join us, please contact:
Prof. Dr. Ingo Graß, Ecology of Tropical Agricultural Systems, Uni Hohenheim
Prof. Dr. Catrin Westphal & Gabriel Marcacci, Functional Agrobiodiversity, Uni Göttingen
ingo.grass@uni-hohenheim.de & gabriel.marcacci@uni-goettingen.de