Looking for a Topic for a Bachelor / Master’s thesis? Here is a list with opportunities currently available:
Early detection and management of bark beetle infestations in the canton of Grisons, Switzerland (Summer 2023, Master thesis)
Following the dry and warm years of the last decades large parts of European forest landscapes have been severely affected by outbreaks of the European spruce bark beetle (Ips typographus L.). Norway spruce is under increasing pressure from this insect, and the protection against natural hazards as well as the provision of other ecosystem services are increasingly threatened in several forest ecosystems in the Alps. Early detection of vulnerable and already infested trees is key to planning and implementing successful control measures.
A project has been initiated to improve the early detection of bark beetle attacks and to systematically process and analyse the occurrence and spread of beetle damage in the canton of Grisons, Switzerland.
Within this project we offer the opportunity to conduct master theses.
Potential topics:
- Effect of forest structure, past management, and drought on bark beetle attacks.
- Radial growth patterns of infested Norway spruce trees preceding bark beetle infestation.
- Forest tree regeneration dynamics following bark beetle attacks and different management interventions.
Potential methods: field observations, dendrochronology, ecophysiology, spatial analysis (GIS), statistical analysis.
Interested students are ideally familiar with the ecological processes in mountain forests and have an interest in practice-oriented work. They should also be familiar with field work, planning, collection and (statistical) evaluation of vegetation data as well as the collection and evaluation of topographic data.
Language: English or German.
Period: late Spring/Summer 2023 (with fieldwork ideally in June-August); office work and preparation can start earlier.
For questions and further information please contact Alessandra Bottero (alessandra.bottero@wsl.ch).
Thinning and impact of drought in mountain forests: what are the trade-offs with forest ecosystem services? (Summer 2023, Master thesis)
The recent drought-triggered tree mortality events observed around the globe put emphasis on the need for forest management options that mitigate drought effects. Thinning is often recommended to minimize drought impacts on forests. However, thinning options need to be developed while considering not only drought mitigation, or wood production, but also biodiversity and other ecosystem services such as protection from avalanches and rockfall, which are often not considered by studies on this topic.
To better inform forest practitioners, the TradeES project has been initiated to examine trade-offs among drought impact on forest growth, ecological functions and ecosystem services in thinned and unthinned Norway spruce-dominated stands in Switzerland.
Within this project we offer the opportunity to conduct one master thesis.
Topic: Effect of past management on forest stand stability (structural predisposition to storm and bark beetle disturbance) and regeneration.
Potential methods: field observations, spatial analysis, statistical analysis.
Interested students are ideally familiar with the ecological processes in mountain forests and have an interest in practice-oriented work. They should also be familiar with field work, planning, collection and (statistical) evaluation of vegetation data as well as the collection and evaluation of topographic data.
Language: German (and English).
Period: late Spring/Summer 2023 (with fieldwork ideally in June-August); office work and preparation can start earlier.
For questions and further information please contact Alessandra Bottero (alessandra.bottero@wsl.ch).