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Project properties |
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| Title | How does landscape composition shape the community of natural enemies of a major coffee pest? (NEW) |
| Group | Entomology, Laboratory of |
| Project type | thesis |
| Credits | 36 |
| Supervisor(s) | Natalia Moreno Ramirez
Felix Bianchi Marcel Dicke |
| Examiner(s) | TBD |
| Contact info | natalia.morenoramirez@wur.nl
felix.bianchi@wur.nl marcel.dicke@wur.nl |
| Begin date | 2024/09/01 |
| End date | 2025/02/01 |
| Description | The worldwide sustainability of coffee production is threatened by pests, diseases, and global warming. In Colombia, the Coffee Berry Borer (CBB) is a major pest problem. This beetle reduces crop yield and quality by drilling the coffee berries and feeding on the beans during the beetle's immature stages. A promising yet understudied approach to CBB control is conservation biological control, defined as the regulation of pest populations by supporting local natural enemies. In this case, arthropods!
Through this MSc thesis/internship you will: Dive into the complexities of coffee farm ecosystems by exploring the relationship between landscape composition and the diversity and abundance of natural enemies of the CBB. Based in the Netherlands, with field data collected in Colombia, this project offers a practical opportunity to investigate ecological dynamics across agroecological spatial scales. *Objectives: -Investigate the influence of landscape features on natural enemy populations. -Analyze field data from Colombian coffee farms to identify ecological patterns. -Evaluate the effectiveness of different landscape compositions in supporting pest control. This project involves analyzing Geo and field data combined. You will use ArcGIS or Google Engine for modelling. Supervision will be conducted by a broad and interdisciplinary team, including Felix Bianchi (FSE), Marcel Dicke (Ento Lab), Maria R Manzano (UNAL - Palmira), and Desmond Lartey (GeoAI | Sense-Making Professional). *Requirements: -Basic proficiency in statistics -Familiarity with geoinformation tools -Understanding of insect ecology -Passion for interdisciplinary research and fieldwork |
| Used skills | Literature review, data analysis, presentation skills, and report writing. |
| Requirements | For doing a BSc-thesis at Entomology, there are no requirements for specific courses.
For doing a MSc-thesis or Research Practice at Entomology, the following requirements apply: ENT-30806 + a second ENT-course (preferably ENT-30306 or ENT-50806 or ENT-53806). As an alternative for the second ENT-course, PHP-30806 or BHE-30306 can be selected. For doing an Internship at Entomology, the following requirements apply: ENT-30806. Note: these requirements do not apply for MBI students; MBI students should check the requirements for doing an ENT MSc-thesis, Research Practice or Internship in the study programme of their specialisation. For a thesis at FSE, ask the FSE group for the requirements. |