Research
Agricultural land is continuously intensifying in Europe, which results in a dramatic decrease of habitats for wildlife. Today, many experts recommend the creation of small structures such as branch piles and stone piles in agricultural areas to promote biodiversity including weasels (Mustela nivalis) and stoats (Mustela erminea). The aim of my Master thesis is to investigate the ecological needs of stoat and weasel and if the creation of small structures promotes mustelid populations in the agricultural landscape. This Msc study is the first part of a research project investigating quantitatively which species are favoured by the presence of piles of branches or stones and the role of these small structures on the functionality of agroecosystems [link].
