Thesis opportunities: “Field investigations on pesticide pollution”

Interested in monitoring pesticide pollution and its effects in the field? Join our Working Group “Landscape Ecology” for a research project, internship, Bachelor or Master thesis.

Students in the field (photo by M. Link)

The European Union requires all member states to reconcile biodiversity protection and pesticide use, which has lead to National Action Plans. Within the National Action Plan for Germany, one of the most comprehensive event-driven pesticide monitorings associated with surveys of ecosystem conditions is currently conducted, examining multiple organism groups and ecosystem functions. The project is lead by the Umweltbundesamt and the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research in Leipzig (UFZ).

Our Working Group “Landscape Ecology” is responsible for the monitoring of sites in South-West Germany, providing many opportunities for students to join this unique monitoring program. There are opportunities to work on the following topics:

  • Ecosystem functions (e.g., leaf decomposition, cecotabs, GPP) along pollution gradient
  • Population genetics, community and landscape dynamics of invertebrates and microbes
  • Pesticide exposure (passive sampling, event-driven sampling)

Join us for your project UWI, Research Project Course (RPC), Applied Module at External Organisations (AMEO), Bachelor or Master thesis. We may also employ research assistants (WHK).

If you are interested, get in touch with Moritz Link (link@uni-landau.de) to start your work in March 2019 or later.