Dept Biology
University of Fribourg
  
 
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MSc in Ecology & Evolution  
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Master of Science in Biology, Option Ecology & Evolution
Curriculum

Information on the obligatory and elective cours for this option can be found on the appropriate web page of the Faculty of Science. The following link gives the relevant information for candidates beginning in the autumn semester 2009 (pdf file).

The study advisor for details specifically related to this option is Prof Louis-Félix Bersier

 

Plant population biology (Heinz Müller-Schärer)
Our research interests are ecological and evolutionary aspects of plant-antagonist interactions, especially in the context of plant invasion and biological control ; organisms : Centaurea maculosa, Senecio vulgaris, S. jacobaea and Veratrum album, with their associated insect herbivores and pathogens. more
Multi-species interactions (Sven Bacher)
We are interested in factors contributing to population regulation and conditions under which populations escape regulation. We experimentally study ecological relationships between herbivorous insects and their host plants, their natural enemies (predators, parasitoids, pathogens), and other organisms (competitors, mutualists). However, some questions need to be addressed at the landscape or even global scale (landscape ecology, macroecology). We are particularly interested in applied questions (biological control, invasion biology, nature conservation). more
Population genetics (Christoph Haag)
The group is interested in the genetic consequences of habitat fragmentation and finite population size. We focus on questions such as; how is genetic variation in fitness maintained in natural populations; why do the majority of organisms reproduce sexually; how does dispersal evolve. A combination of experimental, molecular, and theoretical approaches are used. Our main study organisms are water fleas (Daphnia), butterflies, and a critically endangered bird, the Northern bald ibis. more

Community ecology (Louis-Felix Bersier)
The interest of the group is the study of the organization and functioning of communities. This is achieved through studies at the level of whole communities (food-webs, describing who eats whom), of groups of taxonomically related species (e.g. communities of passerine birds), and of simple tritrophic systems (plant-herbivore-predator). The approaches include modelling, meta-analyses, experiments and empirical research. The main systems studied are ecological compensation zones in agricultural landscape. more
Molecular ecology & evolutionary genetics group (Christian Lexer)
We are interested in the origin and maintenance of functionally and ecologically important biodiversity at the above- and below-species level. This includes the genetics of adaptation, speciation, of variation in mating systems, and of traits involved in range shifts. We explore these topics using a combination of ecological, molecular, and statistical approaches including novel genomic and post-genomic tools with a focus on plants. more
Conservation biology and biogeography (Gregor Kozlowski)
Our main research interests are causes and consequences of the biodiversity loss. We are interested both in theoretical and applied questions of conservation biology and conservation biogeography. Our main study organisms are threatened aquatic and wetland plants. more

 

 

 

University of Fribourg - Faculty of Science - Department of Biology - Ecology & Evolution - chemin du musée 10 - 1700 Fribourg 
phone +41 26 / 300 8850 - fax +41 26 / 300 9680 - contact: secretary - updated September 2009 -  Swiss University