BSc Thesis: The additive effect of supplementary feeding stations on local animal communities

The additive effect of supplementary feeding stations on local animal communities

While a common strategy to support ungulate populations, supplementary feeding can have controversial ecological consequences. For example, there are reports of feeding stations attracting non-targeted species, such as birds, rodents and mesopredators with possibly detrimental effects on local biodiversity, such as localized cascades through trophic levels. The aim of the project is to investigates the indirect effects of feeding sites on the local animal communities.

We seek 1 highly motivated BSc thesis student to investigate the additive effect of supplementary feeding stations on local animal communities, by exploring the changes in species communities at sites established as artificial feeding sites for wild boar. The feeding sites were monitored by camera traps before and after the introduction of artificial feed. The student would be responsible for classifying photographs. There is some flexibility in the questions investigated, and the student can develop the questions they are most interested in.

Earliest expected start date: 2022-05-01

If you are interested, please contact Dr Manisha Bhardwaj: manisha.bhardwaj@wildlife.uni-freiburg.de with your CV and a statement of intent.