Beneficial insects provide ecosystem services such as pollination and agricultural pest control, with a proven economic value. The loss and fragmentation of natural habitats caused by agricultural intensification and urbanization have been correlated with a widespread insect decline which affects beneficial insects too. Flowering plants in urban gardens have the potential to counteract this negative trend. The provision of foraging resources and nesting sites is essential for sustaining the abundance and diversity of beneficial insects. Although a single garden may be too small to be ecologically relevant, together, urban gardens can be relevant as food source and in providing refuge for insects in urban areas, as it has been demonstrated for wild bees.
This research project has been commissioned by one of Switzerland's largest retail and wholesale company. The company aims at introducing on the market new flowering plant mixtures for its clients (mainly private gardeners), labeling the products as "insect-friendly". This research aims to test the insect-friendliness of different flowering plant mixtures, including mixtures with edible flowers, on wildlife pollinators. The goal of the MSc thesis project is to assess whether these different flower mixtures differ in their attractiveness to pollinators.
You will work on FiBL site, recording pollinator visitation on the different flower mixtures. You will learn how to monitor pollinator visitation with software developed to study insect behavior and will also learn how to monitor plant development.
Dani Lucas-Barbosa & Regine Kern-Fässler
April/May 2027
This is a non-paid opportunity, FiBL also offers discounts for students in our great organic mensa! Rooms with shared facilities can be rented at reasonable prices if available for the period.
