Master Thesis "Effects of traffic, floral resources, and landscape structure on pollinator communities"

The Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) with its 1,100 employees has gained an excellent reputation as an international competence centre for environmental sciences. We are part of the largest scientific organisation in Germany, the Helmholtz association. Our mission: Our research seeks to find a balance between social development and the long-term protection of our natural resources.

Heterogeneous landscapes and a higher diversity of local floral resources can positively impact pollinators at different scales, by providing additional and improved nesting and foraging habitats. Despite facing multiple threats (e.g. climate change, land-use intensity, habitat loss and pathogens), pollinators are also vulnerable to high road traffic and road types. Busy roads can increase the risk of collisions between vehicles and pollinators, particularly for smaller insects. Road types that have broader and more floral-rich road verges may exhibit greater pollinator diversity, but may also increase the likelihood of vehicular collisions with pollinators. Within the EU-Project Safeguard, we will provide an exciting opportunity to improve our understanding of the influence of traffic on pollinator diversity and insect mortality to help guide management and conservation efforts to better support pollinator communities.