Our courses
Through our theoretical and practical courses we want to enable students from different disciplines dealing with various ecosystem and landscape contexts to identify interactions between goals of biodiversity protection, climate adaptation, agricultural production and human well-being. We aim to provide students the theoretical and practical tools to promote potential synergies and thus to examine and design sustainable, multifunctional landscapes. We use teaching methods such as ‘traditional’ lectures, flipped classrooms and experientail larning, and research-focused project work. In doing so, we emphasize an integrated view of ecological and social dimensions of ecosystems and landscapes, with a strong focus on urban and agricultural systems.
Summer semester
| Course | Lecturers | SWH |
|---|---|---|
| Advanced Concepts and Methods in Urban Ecosystems (SE) | Prof. Dr. Monika Egerer, Prof. Dr. Stephan Pauleit, Dr. Mohammad Rahman | 2 |
| Advanced Concepts and Methods in Urban Ecosystems (UE) | Prof. Dr. Monika Egerer, Prof. Dr. Stephan Pauleit, Dr. Mohammad Rahman | 3 |
| CampusAckerdemie - Garden Educator Training (SE) | Theresia Endriß | 5 |
| Exam colloquium (KO) | Prof. Dr. Monika Egerer | 2 |
| History of Landscape Architecture (UE) | Prof. Dr. Udo Weilacher, Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Regine Keller, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Ferdinand Ludwig, Prof. Dr. Monika Egerer, Prof.Dr.-Ing. Schöbel-Rutschmann | 1 |
| Project Landscape Planning 3 "Ecological concepts" (PT) | Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Weißer, Prof. Dr. Monika Egerer, Dr. Brandon Mak, Dr. Joan Casanelles-Abella | 6 |
| Ecology and ecosystem functions of insects in agricultural landscapes | Prof. Dr. Sara Leonhardt, Prof. Dr. Monika Egerer, Prof. Dr. Livia Cabernard, Astrid Neumann, Susanne Werle | 3 |
| Monitoring and control of insects and their functions | Prof. Dr. Sara Leonhardt, Prof. Dr. Monika Egerer, Astrid Neumann, Susanne Werle | 2 |
Winter semester
| Course | Lecturers | SWH |
|---|---|---|
| Urban Agriculture (VO) | Prof. Dr. Monika Egerer | 2 |
| Edible Cities (UE) | Prof. Dr. Monika Egerer | 2 |
| Urban Productive Ecosystems (VO, SE) | Prof. Dr. Monika Egerer | 3 |
| Seminar Applied Ecology and Planning (SE) | Prof. Dr. Johannes Kollmann, Prof. Dr. Monika Egerer, Prof. Dr. Jürgen Geist, Prof. Dr. Ingrid Kögel-Knabner, Prof. Dr. Annette Menzel, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Stephan Pauleit, Prof. Dr. Anja Rammig, Prof. Dr. Rupert Seidl, Prof. Dr. Hanno Schäfer, Prof. Dr. Michael Schloter, Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Weißer, Apl. Prof. Dr. Thorsten Grams | 2 |
| Places of Change – Education for Sustainable Development Outside the Classroom (PT) | Theresia Endriß | 3 |
| Healthy and Sustainable Urban Development (virtual, VI) | Prof. Dr. Monika Egerer | 3 |
| Exam colloquium (KO) | Prof. Dr. Monika Egerer | 2 |
Background:
The StreuWiKlim project investigates the impact of climate change on traditional orchard meadows in Bavaria. A central aspect of this research is the role of beneficial arthropods (e.g., predatory mites, ladybugs, spiders, and pollinators), which play a crucial role in biological pest control and pollination in these habitats. Studies show that the proximity to natural habitats, the diversity of flowering plants, and the management practices of traditional orchard meadows can influence the population and effectiveness of beneficial organisms. The aim of this Master's thesis is to analyze and assess the population of beneficial arthropods in orchard meadows in the context of climate change and management measures and surrounding habitat changes.
Objective:
This thesis aims to examine how different management strategies, as well as the local and landscape environment, affect the density, species composition, and functions of beneficial arthropods in orchard meadows. The following research questions should be addressed:
- Which beneficial arthropods are most common in traditional orchard meadows?
- How do factors like proximity to natural habitats, habitat quality and abundance and management practices (e.g., mowing, grazing) affect the population of beneficial arthropods.
- To what extent do beneficial organisms contribute to biological pest control?
- What impact do climate changes have on the presence and effectiveness of beneficial organisms?
Tasks:
- Inventory and assessment of the population of selected beneficial arthropods in selected orchard meadows within the StreuWiKlim project (e.g., by using beat tray sampling, pollinator observations, and yellow sticky traps)
- Quantitative assessment of pest infestation by aphids, spider mites, codling moths, and other key pests
- Statistical analysis of the impact of environmental factors, management practices and abundance and quality of habitat structure that affect the beneficial arthropod populations (using R software and Excel)
- Evaluation of the functionality of beneficial organisms in relation to pest control
- Derivation of management recommendations for orchard meadows to promote beneficial organisms and reduce pest infestations
Requirements:
- Bachelor's degree in biology, agricultural sciences, ecology, forestry, sustainable resource management, or related fields
- Knowledge of insect identification methods, as well as statistical data analysis (e.g., using R and Excel)
Supervision:
The Master's thesis will be supervised by an interdisciplinary team from the StreuWiKlim project and external experts.
Start of the Project:
To be agreed upon, preferably from March. The total Duration of field work would take place from March-June 2025.
Application:
Please send your application, including a CV, cover letter, and relevant certificates, by 22 December 2024, to Mr. Niclas Hoegel (niclas.hoegel@tum.de).
We look forward to receiving your application!
Background
The Olympic Park in Munich is an iconic work of art that has received international recognition for its unique synthesis of nature and architecture. In its original conception by landscape architect Günther Grzimek, biodiversity played a central role. In 1972, Grzimek formulated a vision of a synthesis between ‘biotic natural’ and ‘artificial’ systems that would make the park both lively and viable. This idea was expressed in a deliberate design of the green spaces, such as the separation of flat lawns used for leisure activities and species-rich, insect-friendly flowering meadows on steeper slopes.
In order to be recognised as a World Heritage Site, the Olympic Park faces various challenges: the pressure from events and their construction work endangers both the ecological diversity and the listed buildings, and restricts public use. The recognition of the park as a UNESCO World Heritage Site therefore requires an up-to-date and holistic view of its biological diversity and a management plan that mitigates the conflict of interest between biodiversity and leisure use.
Topic, objectives and questions:
* Free choice of topic, depending on your background and interests.
Examples:
- Biodiversity inventory (e.g. of plants or songbirds) in the Olympic Park. Comparison with historical data, discussion of causes and analysis of trends.
- Impact of maintenance on the observed biodiversity (e.g. of mowing (frequency) on plant/insect diversity)
- Development of (planning) strategies to mitigate conflicts of use (between human use (leisure, recreation) and nature conservation).
Requirements
- Degree in geography, biology, landscape architecture, environmental planning, environmental sciences or related disciplines.
- Interest in interdisciplinary research questions.
- Knowledge in biodiversity monitoring and nature conservation is an advantage.
- Previous knowledge in botany and plant ecology is highly advantageous.
- Planning and software skills (e.g. GIS) are required depending on the research question.
- Good communication skills.
The thesis can be supervised in German or English.
If you are interested or for any questions, please contact:
David Schoo (david.schoo@tum.de), Professor Monika Egerer (monika.egerer@tum.de)