Valentin Moser
@vmoser.bsky.social
Conservation, communities and biodiversity. Studying #beaver ecosystems, interested in all things living. PhD student University of Zurich, @wslresearch.bsky.social and @eawag.bsky.social
Reposted by Valentin Moser
🦫 #Beavers help bats: Where these industrious builders fell trees and dam streams, there are more #bats. New study by WSL and @eawag.bsky.social: www.wsl.ch/en/news/beav... #NatureConservation #DeadWood #Ponds #EnvironmentalProtection #RedList @vmoser.bsky.social @animalecology.bsky.social
Beavers create habitats for bats
A study shows that land animals benefit from beaver dam construction – for example, endangered bats.
www.wsl.ch
November 13, 2025 at 7:28 AM
🦫 #Beavers help bats: Where these industrious builders fell trees and dam streams, there are more #bats. New study by WSL and @eawag.bsky.social: www.wsl.ch/en/news/beav... #NatureConservation #DeadWood #Ponds #EnvironmentalProtection #RedList @vmoser.bsky.social @animalecology.bsky.social
Beavers boost bats! Beaver ponds had higher bat richness (4→5 spp/night), 1.6× activity, and 2.3× feeding vs. controls. Structural changes (standing deadwood, more heterogeneous canopy) and more prey help explain why:
Journal of Animal Ecology:
besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Journal of Animal Ecology:
besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Habitat heterogeneity and food availability in beaver‐engineered streams foster bat richness, activity and feeding
Beavers reshape ecosystems in ways that benefit bat richness, activity and feeding activity. We linked increased habitat structures (standing deadwood and canopy heterogeneity) and prey abundance to ...
besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
September 25, 2025 at 3:41 PM
Beavers boost bats! Beaver ponds had higher bat richness (4→5 spp/night), 1.6× activity, and 2.3× feeding vs. controls. Structural changes (standing deadwood, more heterogeneous canopy) and more prey help explain why:
Journal of Animal Ecology:
besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Journal of Animal Ecology:
besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Reposted by Valentin Moser
Reproduction in ants 🐜 just keeps blowing my mind 🤯
But this here is the crown for sure... for now.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
(go also check out obligate chimerism, social chromosomes, clonal production of females and males, and much more...)
But this here is the crown for sure... for now.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
(go also check out obligate chimerism, social chromosomes, clonal production of females and males, and much more...)
One mother for two species via obligate cross-species cloning in ants - Nature
In a case of obligate cross-species cloning, female ants of Messor ibericus need to clone males of Messor structor to obtain sperm for producing the worker caste, resulting in males from the same moth...
www.nature.com
September 3, 2025 at 8:58 PM
Reproduction in ants 🐜 just keeps blowing my mind 🤯
But this here is the crown for sure... for now.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
(go also check out obligate chimerism, social chromosomes, clonal production of females and males, and much more...)
But this here is the crown for sure... for now.
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
(go also check out obligate chimerism, social chromosomes, clonal production of females and males, and much more...)
Reposted by Valentin Moser
Reposted by Valentin Moser
BEHOLD! One of Earth's greatest lineages of life: the lil wiggle arm guys, Meteora.
These single-celled critters, originally found in deep-sea sediments, are SO DIFFERENT from other lifeforms on Earth that they're likely in their own kingdom (as in, the Animal Kingdom, the Plant Kingdom etc). 🧪🌿
These single-celled critters, originally found in deep-sea sediments, are SO DIFFERENT from other lifeforms on Earth that they're likely in their own kingdom (as in, the Animal Kingdom, the Plant Kingdom etc). 🧪🌿
July 10, 2025 at 8:06 PM
BEHOLD! One of Earth's greatest lineages of life: the lil wiggle arm guys, Meteora.
These single-celled critters, originally found in deep-sea sediments, are SO DIFFERENT from other lifeforms on Earth that they're likely in their own kingdom (as in, the Animal Kingdom, the Plant Kingdom etc). 🧪🌿
These single-celled critters, originally found in deep-sea sediments, are SO DIFFERENT from other lifeforms on Earth that they're likely in their own kingdom (as in, the Animal Kingdom, the Plant Kingdom etc). 🧪🌿
10+ Years of Black-headed Gull Research: Ring-reading in a youth birding group evolved into Switzerland’s first nationwide, coordinated roost count, involving many volunteers
Both studies are now published in the Ornithologischer Beobachter, available here: www.researchgate.net/profile/Vale...
🌍
Both studies are now published in the Ornithologischer Beobachter, available here: www.researchgate.net/profile/Vale...
🌍
June 29, 2025 at 2:57 PM
10+ Years of Black-headed Gull Research: Ring-reading in a youth birding group evolved into Switzerland’s first nationwide, coordinated roost count, involving many volunteers
Both studies are now published in the Ornithologischer Beobachter, available here: www.researchgate.net/profile/Vale...
🌍
Both studies are now published in the Ornithologischer Beobachter, available here: www.researchgate.net/profile/Vale...
🌍
Reposted by Valentin Moser
Thanks to everybody who chimed in!
I arrived at the conclusion that (1) there's a lot of interesting stuff about interactions and (2) the figure I was looking for does not exist.
So, I made it myself! Here's a simple illustration of how to control for confounding in interactions:>
I arrived at the conclusion that (1) there's a lot of interesting stuff about interactions and (2) the figure I was looking for does not exist.
So, I made it myself! Here's a simple illustration of how to control for confounding in interactions:>
May 11, 2025 at 5:34 AM
Thanks to everybody who chimed in!
I arrived at the conclusion that (1) there's a lot of interesting stuff about interactions and (2) the figure I was looking for does not exist.
So, I made it myself! Here's a simple illustration of how to control for confounding in interactions:>
I arrived at the conclusion that (1) there's a lot of interesting stuff about interactions and (2) the figure I was looking for does not exist.
So, I made it myself! Here's a simple illustration of how to control for confounding in interactions:>
Reposted by Valentin Moser
Glad to share this recently published article in @animalecology.bsky.social led by Nick Corline on how "(wood frog) #tadpole aggregations create biogeochemical hotspots in (geographically isolated) #wetland ecosystems": besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
💧🧪🌎🐸 #DelmarvaDisco
💧🧪🌎🐸 #DelmarvaDisco
Tadpole aggregations create biogeochemical hotspots in wetland ecosystems
This research demonstrates that tadpoles can create biogeochemical hotspots in wetland ecosystems and has important ramifications for our understanding of the functional role of animal species in nut....
besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com
May 6, 2025 at 12:47 PM
Glad to share this recently published article in @animalecology.bsky.social led by Nick Corline on how "(wood frog) #tadpole aggregations create biogeochemical hotspots in (geographically isolated) #wetland ecosystems": besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
💧🧪🌎🐸 #DelmarvaDisco
💧🧪🌎🐸 #DelmarvaDisco
Reposted by Valentin Moser
🚨 Stat tips 🚨
Are you aware of the regression to the mean #RTM effect?
This artefact is often overlooked in #ecology & especially in biodiversity resurveys 🌳🍄🦔🦅🦎🦋🐝🐞 It basically shows up each time you investigate changes between 2 time events: t2 vs t1
Let me unfold it for you 🧵
Are you aware of the regression to the mean #RTM effect?
This artefact is often overlooked in #ecology & especially in biodiversity resurveys 🌳🍄🦔🦅🦎🦋🐝🐞 It basically shows up each time you investigate changes between 2 time events: t2 vs t1
Let me unfold it for you 🧵
May 3, 2025 at 7:01 PM
Reposted by Valentin Moser
When #greatwhitesharks disappear: This was the best place on Earth to see great whites - and then they vanished.
A new study based on two decades of data shows what happens in an ocean #ecosystem without great white #sharks.
🌍🦑🐋
A new study based on two decades of data shows what happens in an ocean #ecosystem without great white #sharks.
🌍🦑🐋
This was the best place on Earth to see great white sharks—then they vanished
A new study based on two decades of data shows what happens in an ocean ecosystem without great white sharks.
www.nationalgeographic.com
April 29, 2025 at 5:24 PM
When #greatwhitesharks disappear: This was the best place on Earth to see great whites - and then they vanished.
A new study based on two decades of data shows what happens in an ocean #ecosystem without great white #sharks.
🌍🦑🐋
A new study based on two decades of data shows what happens in an ocean #ecosystem without great white #sharks.
🌍🦑🐋
Reposted by Valentin Moser
🚨New paper alert🚨
Exploring urban #aquatic & #terrestrial biodiversity with #eDNA 🧬
❗ #Urbanization weakens land–water linkages
❗ Aquatic & terrestrial communities follow distinct drivers 🐞🦟
❗ Adapted primers for aquatic & terrestrial invertebrates 🧬
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Exploring urban #aquatic & #terrestrial biodiversity with #eDNA 🧬
❗ #Urbanization weakens land–water linkages
❗ Aquatic & terrestrial communities follow distinct drivers 🐞🦟
❗ Adapted primers for aquatic & terrestrial invertebrates 🧬
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Aquatic and terrestrial environmental DNA signals reveal decoupling of blue-green communities along an urbanization gradient
Urban blue and green spaces, like ponds and parks, can mitigate the negative effects of urbanization on biodiversity by providing diverse, connected h…
www.sciencedirect.com
April 22, 2025 at 1:15 PM
🚨New paper alert🚨
Exploring urban #aquatic & #terrestrial biodiversity with #eDNA 🧬
❗ #Urbanization weakens land–water linkages
❗ Aquatic & terrestrial communities follow distinct drivers 🐞🦟
❗ Adapted primers for aquatic & terrestrial invertebrates 🧬
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Exploring urban #aquatic & #terrestrial biodiversity with #eDNA 🧬
❗ #Urbanization weakens land–water linkages
❗ Aquatic & terrestrial communities follow distinct drivers 🐞🦟
❗ Adapted primers for aquatic & terrestrial invertebrates 🧬
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
New #research! Trying to find the true winter abundance of #Black-headedGulls in Switzerland, we organised a national count - at the overnight roosts! With this method, we recorded with 39'000 gulls about 20 % more than during the traditional (diurnal) water bird counts
April 22, 2025 at 12:44 PM
New #research! Trying to find the true winter abundance of #Black-headedGulls in Switzerland, we organised a national count - at the overnight roosts! With this method, we recorded with 39'000 gulls about 20 % more than during the traditional (diurnal) water bird counts
Reposted by Valentin Moser
Aquatic-terrestrial researchers coming together for the #systemlink seminar 🌊🌱 Amazing talks ranging from leaflitter, beavers, urbanisation, to ecosystem size effects. Thanks a lot for the amazing talks @vmoser.bsky.social, @kperrelet.bsky.social, @LukeIreland, @ema-giacomuzzo.bsky.social
March 16, 2025 at 12:10 PM
Aquatic-terrestrial researchers coming together for the #systemlink seminar 🌊🌱 Amazing talks ranging from leaflitter, beavers, urbanisation, to ecosystem size effects. Thanks a lot for the amazing talks @vmoser.bsky.social, @kperrelet.bsky.social, @LukeIreland, @ema-giacomuzzo.bsky.social
Reposted by Valentin Moser
1/ I'm constantly amazed at the naivety of so much of conservation science (& other mission-driven disciplines)
As if all we have to do is generate the evidence and society's leaders will use it to do what's needed
As if there's no-one trying to make sure that doesn't happen
As if all we have to do is generate the evidence and society's leaders will use it to do what's needed
As if there's no-one trying to make sure that doesn't happen
January 11, 2025 at 11:28 AM
1/ I'm constantly amazed at the naivety of so much of conservation science (& other mission-driven disciplines)
As if all we have to do is generate the evidence and society's leaders will use it to do what's needed
As if there's no-one trying to make sure that doesn't happen
As if all we have to do is generate the evidence and society's leaders will use it to do what's needed
As if there's no-one trying to make sure that doesn't happen
Reposted by Valentin Moser
Rolf Holderegger has been Director of WSL for 100 days. In this interview, he talks about tight finances, WSL's new strategy and why he wants to promote the practical implementation of #research results. www.wsl.ch/en/news/we-w... @sciena_ch @ETH_Rat
‘We work on topics that people care about’
Rolf Holderegger has been Director of WSL for 100 days. In this interview, he talks about the challenges ahead.
www.wsl.ch
January 9, 2025 at 8:17 AM
Rolf Holderegger has been Director of WSL for 100 days. In this interview, he talks about tight finances, WSL's new strategy and why he wants to promote the practical implementation of #research results. www.wsl.ch/en/news/we-w... @sciena_ch @ETH_Rat
Reposted by Valentin Moser
I can also highly, highly recommend this beautiful video by @distrustful-dinos.bsky.social about Berlin's #urbanwildlife, in particular its #Corvids, during NYE.
Incredible rooftop footage of #birds flying around in a panic, surrounded by exploding fireworks. #ornithology #fireworks #conservation
Incredible rooftop footage of #birds flying around in a panic, surrounded by exploding fireworks. #ornithology #fireworks #conservation
Harder! Faster! Louder! – Crows! Fireworks! Berlin! (Krähen in der Silvesternacht)
YouTube video by distrustful dinosaurs
www.youtube.com
December 30, 2024 at 12:30 PM
I can also highly, highly recommend this beautiful video by @distrustful-dinos.bsky.social about Berlin's #urbanwildlife, in particular its #Corvids, during NYE.
Incredible rooftop footage of #birds flying around in a panic, surrounded by exploding fireworks. #ornithology #fireworks #conservation
Incredible rooftop footage of #birds flying around in a panic, surrounded by exploding fireworks. #ornithology #fireworks #conservation