Jacobus Petersen wins the Quantitative Methods Research Group (QMRG) Undergraduate Dissertation Prize
The Royal Geographical Society with The Quantitative Methods Research Group (QMRG) has named Jacobus Petersen as the winner of their 2023 undergraduate dissertation prize. Jacobus recently graduated from the BA in Geography course at the University of Oxford's School of Geography and the Environment (SoGE).
Thesis title: " Tropical pollination networks in their physical environment: a study into the influence of plant functional traits on the resilience of a crucial ecosystem service."
Jacobus graduated in 2023 with a BA in Geography from the University of Oxford, specialising in the field of biogeography. In his dissertation, he delved into the resilience of 'pollination networks' in tropical ecosystems. Jacobus compiled a comprehensive dataset describing the interaction networks between different pollinators, such as bees and hummingbirds, and plant species across the tropics. Some networks were found to be more modular or nested than others.
He compared these indices to modelled plant functional traits for the network locations, utilizing a model developed by his supervisor (Aguirre-Gutiérrez et al. 2021). Subsequently, Jacobus compared the two datasets with Bayesian regression models, revealing relationships between individual plant functional traits and network indices. The analysis uncovered various interesting relationships, confirming the suspicion that drying and warming ecosystems in the tropics might be at a higher risk of losing pollination function.
Jacobus said, “I very much enjoyed this meta-analysis of existing data, and the use of generated data from the latest models. With rapid advances in remote sensing, modelling, and the compilation of global biodiversity datasets, I believe there are huge opportunities for data analysis and research. Following on from last year, I have stayed in Oxford to do the MSc in Biodiversity, Conservation and Management. I am still doing research with large biodiversity datasets, now focused on the assessment of biodiversity impacts within the carbon market.”
Each year, the Royal Geographical Society's Research Groups recognise outstanding work from undergraduate and postgraduate students at higher education institutions both in the UK and overseas. More information about the prize is available on the RGS with IBG website.
Jacobus Petersen wins The Quantitative Methods Research Group (QMRG) Undergraduate Dissertation Prize
The Royal Geographical Society with The Quantitative Methods Research Group (QMRG) has named Jacobus Petersen as the winner of their 2023 undergraduate dissertation prize. Jacobus recently graduated from the BA in Geography course at the University of Oxford's School of Geography and the Environment (SoGE).
