Author: Jan Komárek
During the final EarthBridge project meeting, Stephanie Roilo from the University of Bonn, Agro-ecological Modeling Group under the leadership of Prof. Anna Cord, joined the event and stayed for several days on a scientific visit. During her stay, she delivered two engaging research lectures that combined scientific rigour with a touch of humour, offering both technical insights and thought-provoking discussion.
The first talk, “Monitoring and modelling mammals in farmland: ongoing trials”, introduced ongoing experiments using camera traps to study mammal activity in agricultural areas. Roilo discussed the challenges of image-based monitoring, including false positives, weather-induced distortions, and unexpected visitors triggering the cameras. These funny moments provided an entertaining yet instructive illustration of the methodological limitations and the importance of robust data filtering. The lecture further addressed how such datasets can be integrated into spatial and population models to better understand mammal movements and their ecological roles in farmland ecosystems.
The second talk, “Mapping forest damage risk by cow Bianca”, shifted focus to livestock–forest interactions, exploring how grazing by seemingly harmless, even adorable cows, can inadvertently contribute to the degradation of protected forest areas. Despite its humorous framing, the talk offered a rigorous analysis of risk modelling approaches to identify zones of heightened vulnerability.
Both lectures were followed by an active and broad discussion, ranging from technical details of ecological monitoring to the implications of land-use management and biodiversity conservation in human-shaped landscapes. Roilo’s visit provided an excellent opportunity for knowledge exchange and interdisciplinary dialogue across research teams involved in the EarthBridge network.