Project properties

Title Thesis or internship: Optimising quality of Marsh Gentian to facilitate reintroduction of endangered Alcon Blue Butterfly
Group Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation Group
Project type thesis
Credits 36-39
Supervisor(s) Prof. dr. Michiel Wallis de Vries (Butterfly foundation, PEN), Dr. Juul Limpens (PEN), Philippine.Vergeer@wur.nl (PEN)
Examiner(s) Prof. dr. Michiel Wallis de Vries (PEN), Dr. Juul Limpens (PEN)
Contact info Michiel.WallisdeVries@WUR.nl, Juul.Limpens@WUR.nl
Begin date 2021/03/01
End date 2023/10/03
Description The Alcon blue butterfly has almost gone extinct in the Netherlands. There is urgent need to strengthen existing populations and perhaps reintroduce the butterfly to suitable new locations. One of the keys to success is to optimise habitat quality. For the Alcon Blue butterfly this entails that 1) that the vegetation structure facilitates the butterfly finding the gentians, 2) the habitat must have enough Marsh Gentians that produce the right flower-stages during its short oviposition period, 3) that the seeds weight per flower is enough to feed the caterpillars, 4) that the right species of host ant is present in high enough densities in order for the caterpillars to spend their winter safe in the ant nest. You can image that this is not so easy...

We are currently exploring to what extent flower phenology of Gentians depends on environmental factors or is genetically determined. For example Gentians occurring in more buffered grassy habitats seem to flower earlier and shorter than Gentians occurring in acidic heathlands. Whether this is a local adaptation to soil or management and/or a result of genetic adaptation. We have selected 10 populations in the province of Gelderland around Wageningen that range from acidic heathland habitats to well buffered species rich grasslands.

We could use your help to:
* Describe the flower phenology of the marsh gentians in the field
* Characterise environmental conditions and surrounding vegetation in the field
* from 2021 onwards: help with our greenhouse experiment in which we will grow marsh gentians from seeds collected from the 10 locations to follow their performance and flower phenology in a controlled environment
* ...your own ideas?

Corona: project is possible in corona times
Combination: Project can be combined with an internship at Dutch Butterfly Conservation (De Vlinderstichting)
Co-operation: Project can be carried out in a group of 2 students



Used skills general research skills
Requirements Affinity with doing field work, drivers licence