The students are from the Master’s Programme and the Biology Programme at Linköping University. If you are interested in learning more, please don’t hesitate to contact them via email.
My name is Moltas Nilsson and I am studying the master’s programme in ecology and sustainable development. My master’s project concerns the habitat preferences and metapopulation dynamics of the Woodland Brown (Lopinga achine), a butterfly threatened by the destruction and fragmentation of semi-open deciduous forests
I am Umesha Mendis from Sri Lanka, currently pursuing a Master’s in Ecology and Sustainable Development at Linköping University. I hold a Bachelor of Science degree specialized in Environmental Science from the University of Colombo, where I developed a strong foundation in ecology, conservation, and environmental management.
As part of my master’s program, I am conducting my thesis under the supervision of Dr. Nicklas Jansson, focusing on the role of old hollow apple and pear trees in supporting oak-living beetle communities. The aim of this study is to investigate this and compare it with the species composition of hollow oaks, and from the results provide better knowledge for landscape planning. More specifically, the study seeks to answer the question: What role do apple and pear trees play for saproxylic beetle species by studying the long-lived wood beetle fauna in hollow oaks, apple, and pear trees?
During my master’s program, I also completed an internship as an Ecology and Conservation Intern at the Tinnerö Oak Landscape Nature Reserve managed by Linköping Municipality. There, I gained hands-on experience in field surveys, ecological monitoring, and conservation management, further enhancing my practical skills and understanding of applied ecology.
Through my work, I aim to contribute valuable knowledge to support biodiversity conservation, sustainable management of traditional cultural landscapes, and the protection of threatened species and their habitats.
My name is Ambre Genard, I come from France and I am a 22-year-old master’s student in Ethology and Animal Biology at Linköping University. Currently in my first year, I am preparing for my thesis project, which will begin in May. My project will examine how the large blue butterfly (Phengaris arion) and its Myrmica host ants are distributed across environmental gradients. I will also investigate its egg-laying preferences of the large blue and if it utilizes newly created habitat. For this thesis, I will be collaborating with two fellow master’s students, Hedda Brunbäck Larsen and Ronja Kooiman. We will support each other in data collection for our respective research projects.
My name is Hedda and I am 26 years old. I’m currently doing a master’s in Ethology and Animal Biology at Linköping university, where I will do a thesis project in the summer of 2025. The Apollo butterfly (Parnassius apollo) is a protected species on Gotland, but they face many threats that can lead to extinction. Thus, to accomplish effective conservation efforts on Gotland we need more knowledge of its habitat requirements and key factors that are critical for the species survival. My project will examine the relationship between habitat quality and the population densities across different areas on Gotland through fieldwork. I will also help and collaborate with two of my fellow master’s students, Ambre Genard and Ronja Kooiman, who will do their own projects on the Large Blue and Marsh fritillary butterflies (respectively). Acquiring funding for the fieldwork will help in getting the much needed insight for the species, which can help with effective habitat management for the Apollo butterfly.
My name is Ronja Kooiman, I am 24 years old and from the Netherlands. I am enthusiastic, have a lot of energy and I love to be outdoors. I am good at problem solving and creative thinking. I have a Bachelor’s degree in Animal Sciences from Wageningen University and Research, where I developed a strong foundation in animal biology and research methodologies. During my exchange in Uppsala (SLU) I first came into contact with ecology and was inspired by the urgent need of conservation and the possibilities ecological research can give. Currently I am doing the master, Applied Ethology and Animal Biology at Linkoping university and even though I am still interested in individual animal behaviour, behaviour in the ‘bigger picture’ is of higher importance to me now. I think research in behavioural ecology can do a lot for the future of conservation projects and biodiversity (habitat restoration, connectivity, protection, population dynamics etc).
While my field experience is limited, I have gained skills through internships with veterinarians and outdoor experience as a team leader at the scouts. I also worked as a housekeeper for people with different health problems for 8 months teaching me how to deal with different types of people. For my bachelor thesis I studied anticipation behaviour in cats, giving me some research experience.
My supervisor is Victor Johansson (victor.a.johansson@liu.se). Apart from Victor, both Karl-Olof Bergman (karl-olof.bergman@liu.se) and Markus Franzén (markus.franzen@liu.se) will follow up on my work.
