GURTEN Sabrina, MSc

Sabrina is an ecologist highly passionate about (wild) bees.

After her Bachelor's degree at the University of Basel (CH), Sabrina moved to Innsbruck (AT) where she started a Master's degree in (Molecular) Ecology & Biodiversity with a focus on alpine ecosystems. Her thesis was part of the INTERREG-A-project «protectAlps». In this framework, Sabrina investigated the effects of persistent organic pollutants containing harmful substances, such as flame retardants and chemical pesticides, on alpine bumblebees. The results impressively showed that even the most remote places in the Alps can be massively polluted and that these pollutants are thus another possible reason for the ongoing insect decline (see Link).

Currently, Sabrina is doing her PhD at the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL, CH) and in the Applied Animal Ecology Research Unit (University of Innsbruck, AT). Her research mainly focuses on the study of competition among managed honey bees and managed wild bees and its impact on naturally occurring wild pollinators, as well as wild plants and crops on agricultural areas across Switzerland. She aims at establishing a non-invasive assessment method using eDNA to track changes in complex insect networks. The overall goal of this FiBL-project is to contribute to a more sustainable agriculture by promoting existing biodiversity.

Sabrina is mainly based at FiBL, where she is additionally working as a research assistant.

Research Interests

• Pollinator-Plant Interactions
• Wild bees & Honeybees
• Competition
• Environmental DNA
• Agroecology
• (Functional) Agrobiodiversity
• Entomology
• Conservation Biology
• Molecular Ecology

Current projects

Bestäubungssicherheit dank Biodiversität: Honig- und Wildbienen im (Schweizer) Agrarland

Projektlink zu FiBL-Webseite: https://www.fibl.org/de/themen/projektdatenbank/projektitem/project/2052