Severin Freund

My interests center around biotic interactions, alpine ecosystems, and biodiversity. As a hiker and botanist, alpine grasslands are near and dear to my heart, which is why I am very excited to focus on this species-rich ecosystem in my master’s thesis.

For my master’s project, I investigate plant biotic interactions under altitudinal range shifts caused by climate warming. My experiments are conducted in collaboration with the WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF in Davos. Using Bug-Network experiment sites along an altitudinal gradient, we simulate future climates in order to assess the effects of climate warming and novel antagonistic as well as synergistic interactions with invertebrates and pathogens on plant species and functional diversity in alpine grasslands. Our study thus aims to predict what alpine grassland ecosystems will look like in the future and what threats or opportunities might emerge due to climate change.