Undergraduate theses for university and college students

Ethology/animal welfare

We usually accept students at both bachelor's and master's level every year. When studying animals in zoos, it is important to understand that the population size of most species is always small.

Maternal behaviour and play behaviour in urials

The urials kept at Nordens Ark is one of four groups of the species kept in European zoos. For a few years, we have collected data in the form of films to map maternal behaviour in the ewes and play behaviour in the few lambs that are born. Do you want to be involved in increasing the knowledge of this critically endangered species to support conservation efforts?

Contact: Jenny Loberg for inquiries about undergraduate theses in ethology/animal welfare, [email protected].

Conservation biology/ecology

Requirements: candidates must have 120 credits in biology/agronomy subjects or the equivalent

Local extinction and historical spread of hedgehogs at Sotenäset

Reconstructing the hedgehog’s historical spread and extinction through literature and interviews. May be extended to a Master’s.

Pollinator fauna in restored grasslands

Since 2011, we have been restoring grasslands from conifer monocultures. At present c. 100 ha of former plantations are now becoming grasslands by using cattle. In this project you will determine pollinator fauna (butterflies, bees) along transects and with other methods (traps). A comparison with non-cut spruce plantations can be done in the project.

Flora succession on restored grasslands

How does flora develop in former forest plantation under cattle grazing. This project seeks to quantify the change in vegetation that has taken place over ten years in the c 100 ha of restored grassland, that was previously dark plantations of Norway spruce, virtually without any vascular plants.

Contact: Mats Niklasson for inquiries about undergraduate theses in conservation biology/ecology, [email protected].