Meet new research unit 'Quantitative Biodiversity Dynamics'

Are you looking for a student project or internship within the fields of biology, mathematics, and physics? Sign up for the first symposium of the new research unit of Quantitative Biodiversity Dynamics (QBD) on 14 November 2023 from 14.30 - 17:00 hours at the Educational Lab (in the Tropical Greenhouses) at the Botanic Gardens, and will comprise a series of talks, pitches, and a student project market (see programme below).  

Those who are interested in joining, please register here.

Programme:

14.30 – 14:45h
Registration, coffee & tea

14:45 – 14:50h
Opening remarks

14:50 – 15:10h
Hans ter Steege – Professor of Community ecology of tropical trees @ Quantitative Biodiversity Dynamics: 'The Amazon: a perfect lab for field and quantitative ecology'

15:10 – 15:30h
Marijke van Kuijk – Assistant professor in Tropical Forest Ecology @ Ecology & Biodiversity 'The impact of hunting on animal and plant communities'

15:30 – 16:00h
Coffee Break: Student project market

16:00 – 16:20h
Yann Hautier – Assistant professor in Ecology and Biodiversity @ Ecology & Biodiversity 'Plant diversity dynamics in response to global changes'

16:20 – 16:40h
Edwin Pos – Scientific Director Utrecht Botanic Gardens & Assistant professor @ Quantitative Biodiversity Dynamics 'Introducing Quantitative Biodiversity Dynamics'

16:40 – 16:55h
2-minute pitches by QBD PhD candidates and postdocs:

• Isabela Pombo Geerstma
• Fleur Slegers
• Jelyn Gerkema
• Rezgar Darvand
• Monique de Jager
• Babak Naimi

16:55 – 17:00h
Closing remarks

17:00h
Drinks

'First register, firste serve'

The number of participants is limited to 50 and we will apply the ‘first register, first serve’ rule. Of these 50 participants, we aim to include at least 25 students (if fewer students register, these seats are available to non-students; if more students register, the first 25 students are automatically in and all others are included in the general ‘first register, first serve’ rule).

More activities in the future

QBD aims to organise more of these events in the future. However, this first activity is aimed at introducing the new QBD group to the students and colleagues at Utrecht University who share our interests in biodiversity and/or the use of mathematics to understand its dynamics. We aim to strengthen the network of UU researchers working on these topics and promote the wonderful world of biodiversity research to (UU) students.