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Project properties |
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| Title | MSc thesis: Impacts of wild boar soil disturbance on biodiversity and succession |
| Group | Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation Group |
| Project type | thesis |
| Credits | 36 |
| Supervisor(s) | Bob van Leeuwen, Quiniver Tuinder (RU) |
| Examiner(s) | Bob van Leeuwen |
| Contact info | bob.vanleeuwen@wur.nl
q.tuinder@science.ru.nl |
| Begin date | 2026/02/01 |
| End date | 2026/07/01 |
| Description | Wild boar (sus scrofa) can be seen as ecosystem engineers. In the winter they excavate vast areas to access below-ground food sources. We are interested in patch dynamics, disturbance hypotheses, and effects on biodiversity. In a prior study in an abandoned calcareous grassland in Germany, we found that patches recently disturbed by wild boar were positively correlated with plant and grasshopper biodiversity. These patches contained fewer grasses (that dominated the surroundings) and benefited characteristic calcareous grassland vegetation. These are strong signs that wild boar may reset the early grassland succession in abandoned calcareous grasslands, and might play an important role in its biodiversity.
We would like to compare these results to other habitats, with different abiotic conditions and management, where wild boar also occur. This thesis will be a field study where you compare the vegetation or grasshopper community (and/or other taxonomic groups) in rooted patches to the surrounding areas. Fieldwork takes place in late spring (for vegetation) or summer (for grasshoppers). For our recent studies see: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2351989425001362?via%3Dihub (the vegetation article) https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10841-025-00715-2 (the grasshopper article) |
| Used skills | Statistics, study design, fieldwork, species identification |
| Requirements | MA course(s) in statistics. Fieldwork experience. Experience in identifying plant species will be useful. |