The GEco group aims to integrate biological, ecological and geological knowledge, as well as the varying effects of human influence on nature. GEco focuses on integrative research, with respect to methods and approaches, research fields, spatial and temporal scales, biodiversity levels and groups of organisms (mostly plants and vegetation studies), in search for insights beyond those that can be achieved by studies with more limited scope.
Most master's theses will be connected to an ongoing research project, more below. There will also be options for master's theses outside of projects, like on population biology/-dynamics, distribution modelling, gradient / ordination studies and on mapping in different systems (not NiN only). The GEco group also has several datasets from long time series available that can serve as material for a master thesis.
Master's theses in GEco 2017 onwards: At the bottom at this page
Examples of long-term research projects
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Nature in Norway (NiN)
The development of "Nature in Norway" (NiN) is a long-term project with the aim of documenting and further developing knowledge about Norwegian natural variation. The role of the GEco group and the Natural History Museum in this project is to develop the theoretical ecological foundation of the NiN system, and provide courses. NiN is frequently used for mapping nature types, describing habitats of red-list species, and research projects. NiN is the foundation for the Norwegian Environment Agency's mapping [Norwegian only] and the Norwegian Agriculture Agency's MiS-mapping [Norwegian only].
Master's theses on NiN could be on the correlation between the vegetation and environmental variables in different nature types or in methodological issues on mapping of nature types etc.
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The Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
GBIF Norway is the Norwegian participant node in the Global Biodiversity Information Facility, GBIF. Our main task is to make primary data on biological diversity from the Norwegian collections and observation databases freely available and to coordinate and support GBIF-related activities and data use in Norway. Master's theses could be linked to mobilizing data through data publishing, data paper and data flow infrastructure/standards for different types of data (e.g. herbarium data or maps) and the use of such data in, for instance, distribution modelling or DNA barcoding and eDNA studies.
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Natur i endring (Nature in change)
Will our mountains turn into forests? "Nature in change" is a citizen science project run by the Natural History Museum, the Norwegian Mountain Center and the Norwegian Trekking Association, with support from the Sparebankstiftelsen DNB. The project started in 2018, and with the help and efforts from many hikers has registered many of the patches of forest and trees that grow highest up in the mountains using a self-developed mobile app. Thus, we now have far better data than before on where the tree and forest lines are today. This data set can form the basis for master's theses based on citizen science, on tree- and forest lines, and on the use of mobile applications for data capture.
https://www.naturiendring.no/ [Norwegian only]
https://www.nhm.uio.no/forskning/prosjekter/natur-i-endring/index.html [Norwegian only]
Veiledere (hovedveiledere hos oss)
- Olav Skarpaas (OS)
- Rune Halvorsen (RH)
- Anders Bryn (AB)
- Harald Bratli (HB)
Master's theses in GEco 2017 onwards
|
Year |
Candidate |
Title of Master Thesis |
Supervisors |
|
present |
Sivertsen, Bendik
|
Solving the calcareous riddle: integrating random forest and novel dissimilarity partitioning with the EcoSyst framework to analyze species nestedness in lime-rich forest vascular plant communities |
HB, RH, PH |
|
present |
Knapstad, Mari Helene |
Compositional dynamics on the forest floor: does past logging matter? |
HB, RH |
|
present |
Winther, Ina Teresa |
Cryptogam species composition and successional dynamics on dead wood |
HB, RH |
|
present |
Hei?s, Kim André |
Land cover mapping – an approach to the subject of different end results |
AB, PH, Adam E. Naas, Espen S. V?rland |
|
present |
Arvesen Folland, Amanda Marie |
Comparison of nature-type maps made with NiN 2.3 and NiN 3.0 |
AB, RH, PH, Adam E. Naas |
|
present |
Andreassen, Cornelia |
Inconsistencies in land cover mapping |
AB, PH, Ingrid V. Tjessem, Heidrun A. Ullerud, Mari E. Engelstad |
|
2022 |
Broughton, Pernille A. W. |
Kartlegging av tilstandsvariabler for biologisk mangfold i skog |
AB, RH, PH |
|
2022 |
Brynildsrud, Katrine |
Forty years of urban vegetation changes in Oslo, Norway |
AB, PH, Michael Angeloff (NIBIO) |
|
2022 |
Korsvik, Trym |
An autoecological study of red helleborine (Cephalantera rubra) in Norway. |
RH, HB, OS |
|
2021 |
Plathe, Elin Karin (UiT) |
Vegetation-environment analysis of areas with peat accumulation and hummock formation in the context of NiN (Natur i Norge). A study from Laggu, Gamvik municipality, Troms and Finnmark county. |
RH, Geir Arnesen (UiT), Lennart Nilsen (UiT) |
|
2021 |
Naas, Adam E. |
Distribution modelling of a century with tree- and forest line changes in south Norway |
AB, OS, PH |
|
2020 |
Jakobsen, Sindre Bergan |
Species distribution along the ridge snowbed-gradient at Finse, Southern Norway. |
HB, RH, AB |
|
2020 |
Karlsen, Ariane |
Naturtypekartlegging i Oslo etter systemet ?Natur i Norge?. Hvilke naturtyper er vanlige og hvilke er sjeldne i et urbant milj?? |
OS, |
|
2020 |
Halvorsen, Julie |
Characterisation and typification of urban ecosystem types – a test of the NiN system. |
OS, RH |
|
2020 |
Lynne, ?yvind |
Comparing unequal probability sampling with random stratified sampling with respect to finding rare species and making distribution models |
OS, RH |
|
2020 |
Karijord, Martha |
Populasjonsunders?kelser av dragehode (Dracocephalum ruyschiana) - med fokus p? isolasjon, areal, naturtyper og gjengroing p? utvalgte lokaliteter i S?r?st-Norge |
OS, Marianne Evju (NINA), Odd Stabbetorp (NINA) |
|
2019 |
Torma, Michal |
The reliability of Citizen-science data collection - analysis of Natur i Endring project |
AB, PH |
|
2018 |
Larsen, Metteline Dydland |
Changes after 25 years of abandonment in semi-natural hay meadows in Svartdal, SE Norway. A re-analysis. |
HB, RH |
|
2018 |
Tandstad, Hilde Riksheim |
Vegetation-environment analysis of the transition between avalanche meadows and semi-natural grasslands in N?r?yfjorden, Western Norway. |
RH, HB |
|
2018 |
Volden, Inger Kristine |
Dynamics of tree- and forest lines over time. A case study from L?rdal, Western Norway |
AB, RH, PH |
|
2018 |
Haga, Hannah |
A new method to quantify the accuracy of classification and spatial delineation in land cover maps |
AB, Anne B. Nilsen, Heidrun A. Ullerud |
|
2017 |
V?rland, Espen Sommer |
Semi-natural grasslands in Southeastern Norway. Investigating the land cover contents of Naturbase localities. |
RH, AB, HB |
|
2017 |
Jordal, Karen |
Data fitness for use in conservation planning. Conservation of crop wild relatives in Norway |
AB, Dag Endresen |
|
2017 |
Lieungh, Eva |
Point of view: Repeatability and Reliability of Nature Type Identification |
AB, RH, Heidrun A. Ullerud |