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- Titel
Promotion of 15-min counts: new methodology for butterfly monitoring
- Thema
- Verspreiding & Monitoring
- Doel
- A new methodology to monitor butterflies has been developed and can be applied at any time all over Europe. This methodology is more flexible than traditional transect walks and provides more opportunities of collecting butterfly data in diverse places and situations. There is an app for collecting data with 15-min counts, called ButterflyCount. This methodology is spreading but it needs a proper promotion with leaflets, dissemination pannels and videos explaining the simplicity and benefits of counting butterflies. We search for a student with some knowledge on design and nature.
- Niveau
- hbo
- Aard van het werk
- Creativity and dissemination
- Duur
- 2-4 months (internship)
- Begeleider
- MSc Cristina Sevilleja, dr. Irma Wynhoff
- Titel
Support BMS coordinators on producing BMS results
- Thema
- Verspreiding & Monitoring
- Doel
- Butterfly Monitoring Scheme (BMS) is the system used for monitoring butterflies systematically and in a long-term.. All these schemes share their data with the European BMS. In 2020 with a eBMS project, 10 new BMS were created based on volunteers, where producing the scheme results is essential for its consolidation and support by institutions. In eBMS, we continue supporting coordinators and we would like to do it in providing tools for generating useful results of their scheme, for that we want to give R scripts for producing butterfly monitoring results (transect summaries, graphs and maps) tot he coordinators. HTML is a good tool to share R scripts with explanations to generate these results by themselves. We need a student with knowledge on R for providing these resources to BMS coordinators. Other languages apart of English and Dutch are appreciated.
- Niveau
- hbo/wo
- Aard van het werk
- Data processing, writing R-scripts
- Duur
- 2-3 months (internship)
- Begeleider
- Cristina Sevilleja, MSc
- Titel
Effect of host ant presence and host plant phenology on oviposition behavior of Maculinea alcon butterflies in The Netherlands
- Thema
- Ecologie van soorten
- Doel
- We conducted a field experiment on oviposition behavior and caterpillar performance in a population of Maculinea alcon in Portugal (Wynhoff et al. 2014, Arnaldo et al. 2014). To investigate possible effects of climate change on the flexibility of populations at contrasting edges of their range this experiment has to be repeated in the Netherlands. Two students will have the opportunity to do their major or internship.
- Niveau
- wo
- Aard van het werk
- Fieldwork is possible from June till October. The work consists of field work, lab work and analysis.
- Duur
- 5-8 maanden (major/afstudeervak)
- Begeleider
- dr. Irma Wynhoff, dr. ir. Bas Oteman, dr. Frank van Langevelde (WUR)
- Titel
LIFE+ Blues in the Marshes and Maculinea nausithous Posterholt: Field experiment on adapted management regime to attract Myrmica ants for Maculinea butterflies
- Thema
- Ecologie van soorten
- Doel
- For Maculinea teleius and M. nausithous, habitat close to existing populations has been restored. The host plant Sanguisorba officinalis was brought to the area by fresh hay (clippings) and seeds. To attract Myrmica host ants, vegetation sods were translocated. This resulted in successful colonization of the target ant species, however, due to lack of sufficient source vegetation, we have to use other methods to achieve the same goal. We started a field experiment in which the necessary habitat structure diversity was created by specific mowing management of the new habitat. This offers an opportunity for one or several (groups of) students to do their major or internship. We are mainly interested in the effect on ants but depending on the experience of the candidate(s) more aspects of biodiversity can be part of the study.
- Niveau
- hbo/wo
- Aard van het werk
- Fieldwork is possible from March till October, depending on research questions. The work consists of field work in Posterholt (Province of Limburg) and N2000 Vlijmens ven, Moerputten, Bossche Broek (Province of Northern Brabant).
- Duur
- 5-8 month (major/minor/internship)
- Begeleider
- dr. Irma Wynhoff, dr. Frank van Langevelde (WUR)
- Titel
LIFE+ Blues in the Marshes: Dispersal of Maculinea teleius and M. nausithous
- Thema
- Ecologie van soorten
- Doel
- Maculinea teleius and M. nausithous have limited dispersal capacities. Releasing butterflies at various distances to their home meadows and following helps us to get better insight into their orientation behaviour and their movements. In addition the effect of landscape elements on the flight behaviour can be tested. This study is part of the LIFE+-project 'Blues in the marshes'. Due to the nature of the experiment it can only be done by two persons working together.
- Niveau
- hbo/wo
- Aard van het werk
- Fieldwork in Moerputten from mid-June to mid-August and data-analysis
- Duur
- 5-8 months (internship/thesis)
- Begeleider
- dr. Irma Wynhoff and dr. Frank van Langevelde (WUR)
- Titel
LIFE+ Blues in the Marshes: Field experiment on establishment of sod cut plots in restoration areas to benefit habitat of Maculinea butterflies
- Thema
- Ecologie van soorten
- Doel
- Optimal habitat conditions for germination, establishment, growth and flowering of the plant species Sanguisorba officinalis include a certain amount of nutrients in soil and water. In the past, nutrients were brought into nature reserves by natural flooding which is prevented nowadays. As a result, the soil gets poor in nutrients and acidifies, resulting in problems for the plants. In a nature reserve a field experiment has been conducted adding a phosphate solution or organic manure to Molinion meadows to improve the situation. To better understand the processes we would like to have an additional experiment conducted in which the effect of nutrient concentrations is tested on seeds of Sanguisorba officinalis.
- Niveau
- wo
- Aard van het werk
- Greenhouse experiment at RUN Nijmegen, lab work and analysis.
- Duur
- 5-8 maanden (major/afstudeervak)
- Begeleider
- dr. Irma Wynhoff, dr. Eva Remke (Bware, RU Nijmegen)
- Titel
LIFE+ Blues in the Marshes: Ovipositiegedrag bij het pimpernelblauwtje (Oviposition behaviour of Maculinea teleius)
- Thema
- Ecologie van soorten
- Doel
- De vrouwtjes van het pimpernelblauwtje leggen hun eitjes bij voorkeur af in de buurt van waardmierennesten, waarin de rupsen later tien maanden lang zullen verblijven. Zij vertonen veel activiteit gedurende de dag, maar desondanks is hun verbreiding beperkt. Een analyse van het gedrag op individuele basis zou hierin opheldering kunnen brengen. Females of Maculinea teleius show a lot of activity during the day but hardly disperse. An analysis of their individual oviposition behaviour could show why. This study is part of the LIFE + project 'Blues in the Marshes'.
- Niveau
- hbo/wo
- Aard van het werk
- Veldwerk van midden juni tot midden augustus in de Moerputten en data-analyse
- Duur
- 5-8 maanden (stage/afstudeervak)
- Begeleider
- dr. Irma Wynhoff en dr. Frank van Langevelde (WUR)
- Titel
LIFE+ Blues in the Marshes: The impact of vegetation characteristics on Myrmica ant populations
- Thema
- Ecologie van soorten
- Doel
- The aim of this study is to investigate whether, next to management, vegetation composition and structure influence ant occurrences and abundances. Most important are Myrmica ants as host ants for endangered Maculinea butterfly populations. Two approaches are possible: a.) studying ant communities of road verges and nature reserves using the monitoring data since 1996, b.) studying colonization of newly restored nature in comparison to nature reserves within a LIFE+ project in the Province of Brabant and a restoration project in the Province of Limburg on conservation of Maculinea butterflies.
- Niveau
- hbo/wo
- Aard van het werk
- Fieldwork from June till September with a peak in July-August. Field work will be done in the nature reserves and road verges around Den Bosch in Brabant. On the monitoring plots, vegetation relevees and vegetation structure measurements have to be made. The collected data will be analyzed including ant and management data.
- Duur
- 5-8 month (major/monir/internship)
- Begeleider
- dr. Irma Wynhoff en dr. Frank van Langevelde (WUR)
- Titel
LIFE+ Blues in the Marshes: Modelling Natura2000 for Maculinea teleius in The Netherlands
- Thema
- Natuurbeheer
- Doel
- Maculinea teleius is one of the rarest and best protected butterfly species in The Netherlands. Within a Natura 2000 area actions are taken to increase the habitat of the species and enlarge the population size. However, restoration measures will be taken at different distances from the existing populations and with various chances of success. The aim of this study is to investigate whether the plans will improve the situation for the butterfly species based on available knowledge about its ecology. If needed new field data can be collected.
- Niveau
- hbo/wo
- Aard van het werk
- Modelling. Fieldwork if needed: from mid-June till mid-August. Field work will be in the Moerputten nature reserve in Brabant.
- Duur
- 5-8 maanden (major/afstudeervak)
- Begeleider
- dr. Irma Wynhoff en dr. Frank van Langevelde (WUR)
- Titel
Support Butterfly Monitoring Scheme coordinators on producing BMS results
- Thema
- Data & ICT
- Doel
- Butterfly Monitoring Scheme (BMS) is the system used for monitoring butterflies systematically and in a long-term.. All these schemes share their data with the European BMS. In 2020 with a eBMS project, 10 new BMS were created based on volunteers, where producing the scheme results is essential for its consolidation and support by institutions. In eBMS, we continue supporting coordinators and we would like to do it in providing tools for generating useful results of their scheme, for that we want to give R scripts for producing butterfly monitoring results (transect summaries, graphs and maps) tot he coordinators. HTML is a good tool to share R scripts with explanations to generate these results by themselves. We need a student with knowledge on R for providing these resources to BMS coordinators. Other languages apart of English and Dutch are appreciated.
- Niveau
- hbo/wo
- Aard van het werk
- Data processing, writing R-scripts.
- Duur
- 2-3 months (internship)
- Begeleider
- Cristina Sevilleja, MSc