Wild Research Bites - a podcast from SLU

In this episode we discuss how rewilding can be used as a strategy to mitigate climate change. With me in the studio is Associate Professor Joris Cromsigt from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences who works with topics in ecology in both northern and southern hemispheres. What is rewilding? Can animals have an influence on the climate system? If so, how? These are the questions discussed in this episode through examples from Joris' and his colleagues recently published paper (see link to the paper below). Please contact us to our email ([email protected]), Facebook or Twitter. You can find this podcast on Spotify, Soundcloud or iTunes.

Links:

Profile of Joris Cromsigt at SLU: https://www.slu.se/cv/joris-cromsigt/

Paper discussed: https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/abs/10.1098/rstb.2017.0440

In this episode, we discuss the topic of women in science, the importance of female role models and the event Soapbox Science. With me is Judith Felten, associate senior lecturer at UPSC, who talks about her experiences as a presenter last year at the international event Soapbox Science in Umeå, and her expectations for this year. Soapbox science is a platform for promoting women scientists and the science they do by following the London Hyde Park's Speaker's Corner format (i.e standing in public on a box talking without a microphone or other forms of digital aid). There will be 12 presenters talking about topics ranging from forests, pregnancy, fish, antibiotic, genetics and more. Our second guest is Navinder Singh, one of the organizers and associate professor at SLU, who tells us more about the vision of Soapbox science and the thoughts that lead to initiating this international event in Umeå. During 2019 Soapbox science will have 42 events in 13 countries from May to October. The event in Umeå is the 18th of May at 10-15 and the other one in Sweden is in Uppsala the 25th of May. If you want to learn more about the events or get in contact with our quests, take a look in the links below. We think that the topic of gender and role models within academia and the forest sector is a very important issue to discuss and we encourage you to send us your comments and questions via email ([email protected]), Facebook or Twitter. You can find this podcast on Spotify, Soundcloud or iTunes.

Links

Navinder: https://navinderjsingh.weebly.com/research.html

Judith: www.upsc.se/judith_felten

Soapbox Science website: http://soapboxscience.org/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soapboxscience/?hl=en

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/soapboxscience/?ref=br_rs

Twitter: https://twitter.com/soapboxscience

Umeå Soapbox Science event 2018: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=337eQoTLqkU

London Soapbox Science event 2013: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqC2DIB5Ccw

In this episode of Wild Research Bites we interview a Ph.D. student Sabrina Dressel to discuss the ECOS (Ecology and Society research school) Ph.D. course on Global Perspectives on Adaptive Wildlife Management that took place in Kruger National Park in South Africa earlier this year. We discuss the overall feelings about the course from both an instructor’s and a student’s perspectives and go into more detail about the course activities and class dynamics. We talk about the learning environment, student tasks, and the free time after all the official activities were done for the day. Sabrina tells us about exciting encounters with wild animals and points out some challenges that the instructors and students faced during the course. Finally, we reflect on the most exciting moments and insightful take-home messages from the course.

Resources:

Course blog (English): http://blogg.slu.se/adaptive-wildlife-management/

ECOS Research school (English): https://www.slu.se/institutioner/skogsekonomi/utbildning/forskarutbildning/ecos/

Course plan (English):

https://www.slu.se/utbildning/program-kurser/kurser/?sprak=en&kurskod=PFS0154

News post on the course (Swedish):

https://resurs.slu.se/tva-veckor-on-the-wild-side-oppnade-mina-ogon-for-nya-perspektiv/?fbclid=IwAR0bP2PDqum-8kHU4DsCvTQB5aA2ZYPSAUcG9FFKk5NLDsB12lRDjdCVSb4

SoapBox Science Umeå Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Nonprofit-Organization/Soapbox-Science-Ume%C3%A5-1732349400131771/

Contact:

Email: [email protected]

Facebook: @wildresearchbites

Twitter: @wild_podcast

Sabrina Dressel: [email protected]

The cover picture was taken by Sabrina Dressel.

In this episode of Wild Research Bites we discuss master studies and thesis work with Anna Widén, current Ph.D. student and Stephanie Higgins, currently writing her master thesis. Both took part in the master program Management of Fish and Wildlife populations at the Department of Wildlife, Fish and, Environmental Studies at SLU Umeå. We discuss their overall experience with the program before diving deep into their individual master thesis projects. Annas thesis project was about bark stripping of red deer on Norway spruce where she found the interactions between Swedish forestry and wildlife interesting. Stephanie is trying to build a pedigree for wolverines in Scandinavia using DNA sampling and analysis methods to study patterns across generations on a large scale. We also discuss study techniques, different teaching activities and also what specifically Anna and Stephanie think a good teacher and a good supervisor does.

Links to resources:

The master program that both Anna and Stephanie took part in at SLU Umeå, Management of fish and wildlife populations (in English and Swedish): www.slu.se/fishandwildlife/

Vacant master thesis projects at the Department of Wildlife, Fish and, Environmental Studies, SLU Umeå (in English and Swedish): https://www.slu.se/en/departments/wildlife-fish-environmental-studies/education/grundutbildning/master-thesis/

Master thesis work at SLU general information (in English and Swedish): https://student.slu.se/en/studies/degree-projects/

Contact

Email: [email protected]

Facebook: @wildresearchbites

Twitter: @wild_podcast

Anna Widén: [email protected]

Stephanie Higgins: [email protected]

Cover photo by Stephanie Higgins

In this episode, Emelie and Olli are discussing fire in the boreal forest of Fennoscandia while also making comparisons to savanna ecosystems of South Africa. Why does it burn in the forest? What are the negative as well as positive effects of fire? And how have humans affected fires as a natural disturbance? The situation during the summer of 2018 in Sweden and many other parts of the world regarding high temperatures, little rain, and many forest fires, was widely covered in mainstream media but seen only as a catastrophe. Emelie and Olli provide a more nuanced picture of fire as part of the ecosystem. Also, in an interview with researcher Anne-Maarit Hekkala who works at the Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies at SLU, the use of fire as a restoration method is discussed in detail. Anne-Maarit studied the effects of prescribed burning on insects and vegetation as part of her Ph.D. project in Oulu, Finland. After the interview, Emelie talks more about her own current Ph.D. project looking into long-term effects of fire and also comparing natural fire (wildfire) to prescribed burning. Other current research regarding fire is also brought up, such as a recent study by Frauke Ecke about a virus spread by voles that might increase when temperatures rise. It would not be a complete episode about fire without bringing up the comment from the current American president about raking the forest to prevent fire. What do the two Ph.D. students have to say about this?

The audio quality is a bit different in this episode since Olli was in South Africa when the episode was recorded. Please send comments, thoughts or questions through our social media accounts or to our email wildpodcast(a)slu.se.

Links to resources:

SLU researchers (in Swedish) https://www.slu.se/ew-nyheter/2018/8/soker-du-slus-experter-pa-skogbrand/

Article about Frauke Eckes research (in Swedish): https://www.svt.se/nyheter/lokalt/vasterbotten/fordubblat-antal-sorkar-med-sorkfeber-efter-skogsbrander

SLU scientist answer questions about fire (in Swedish) https://www.slu.se/ew-nyheter/2018/8/skogsbrander/

Infographic about fire by SLU (in Swedish) https://www.slu.se/forskning/kunskapsbank/miljoanalys/skogsbrand-infografik/

In this first episode of Wild Research Bites you will be introduced to the vision for the podcast and a personal story of how two nature interested children became Ph.D. students at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU). The university is divided geographically to five different campuses and topic-wise between four different faculties. The podcast is recorded in Umeå at the Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies within the Forest faculty. But then who are these two Ph.D. students behind the microphones? First, we have Olli Hyvärinen, moved to Sweden from the north-east of Finland but he visited several other countries on his way from basic education to research on rhino-plant-climate interactions. Second, we have Emelie Fredriksson, born and raised up here in the north of Sweden. She moved to Umeå 2010 to start her bachelor education and have stayed since then! Her research is focused on fire and forest management. This interview between Emelie and Olli briefly covers most areas this podcast will revolve around, which includes current nature-related topics, education, and research. Lastly, they go through the future episode ideas for the podcast and encourages everyone who listens to this first episode to give feedback, questions, and comments.