Lilla Lovász | Research interests
- Ecosystem science and conservation
- Large herbivore movement ecology
- Equine and bovine behavioral ecology
- Socio-politics of equid history
Research project
I'm studying the effects of horse and cattle grazing in a recently restored nature conservation area, the Ile du Rhin in the Petite Camargue Alsacienne. Such large herbivores are capable of contributing to the regulation of the succession in meadow habitats, while creating and maintaining diverse habitats and therefore enhancing biodiversity.
I'm interested in how the space use of horses and cattle is related to different habitat characteristics and to the behavior of the other horses or cattle. I'm also investigating the correlations between grazer space use patterns, the density of different bird species, and the changes in the abundance and distribution of certain plant species.
My work includes a great deal of science communication and creating a bridge between practical nature conservation and research – as a former journalist, I find it important to inform the public about the processes of nature conservation and involve conservation managers in scientific discussions.
Acknowledgements
My project is funded by the Fondation de bienfaisance Jeanne Lovioz, the Frey-Clavel-Stiftung, the Swiss Association Pro Petite Camargue Alsacienne, the Ornithologische Gesellschaft Basel, the Stiftung Emilia Guggenheim-Schnurr and the Wolfermann-Nägeli-Stiftung. Many thanks!
Education and professional experience
| 2022–ongoing | Postdoctoral Fellow at the Department of Environmental Sciences, Zoology |
| 2017–2022 | PhD student at the Department of Environmental Sciences, Zoology |
| 2015– 2017 | MSc in zoology, University of Basel, Department of Environmental Sciences, Zoology; thesis on «Possible predictors of adult sex ratios in birds» |
| 2012– 2015 | BSc in biology, University of West Hungary (Szombathely, Hungary); thesis on «Pair formation strategy and population dynamics of the Bearded Reedling» |
| 2006– 2015 | Fejér Megyei Hírlap (daily newspaper) – online- and technical editor, journalist, photoreporter |
| 2005– 2006 | Aviator Magazin – corresponding editor, journalist |
| 2003– 2005 | Aero Magazin – corresponding journalist, column editor |
| 2001–2005 | Diploma in english and communication, Kodolányi János University-College (Székesfehérvár, Hungary) and Södertörns Högskola (Stockholm, Sweden) |
Publications
Lovász L, Korner-Nievergelt F, Amrhein V (2024) Natural grazing by horses and cattle promotes bird diversity in a restored European alluvial grassland. PeerJ 12: e17777. PDF https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.17777
Lovász L (2022) Nature conservation with large herbivores in a restored riparian environment. PhD thesis, Universität Basel. link to PDF
Lovász L, Fages A, Amrhein V (2021) Konik, Tarpan, European wild horse: An origin story with conservation implications. Global Ecology and Conservation 32: e01911. PDF https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gecco.2021.e01911
Lovász L, Korner-Nievergelt F, Amrhein V (2021) Grazer density and songbird counts in a restored conservation area. PeerJ 9: e10657. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.10657
Gewin V (2020) Where I work: The zoologist tracking an island's rebirth (interview with Lovász L). Nature 588: 530. https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-020-03522-8
Lovász L (2018) The hitchhiker's guide to the anthropocene – controversies and paradoxes about nature conservation in Europe. sci five blog, University of Basel.
Lovász L, Roth T, Karcza Z, Lukács KO, Gyurácz J, Amrhein V (2018) Survival, dispersal, and capture probability of male and female birds. PeerJ Preprints 6: e27090v2. https://doi.org/10.7287/peerj.preprints.27090v2
Orbán L, Lovász L, Lukács Z, Gyurácz J (2018) Age-, sex-, and size-related spatial distribution in the common blackbird. North-Western Journal of Zoology 15: 84-90.
Lovász L, Fenyvesi L, Gyurácz J (2017) Contribution to the study of pair formation strategy of the Bearded Reedling (Panurus biarmicus). North-Western Journal of Zoology 13: 297-302.
Awards
(2019) Poster prize (best poster) at the 12th Conference of the European Ornithologists Union (Cluj-Napoca, Romania): On wings and hoofs. Correlations between herbivore density and bird density in an alluvial environment. Poster PDF
(2017) Poster prize (best poster) at the 11th Conference of the European Ornithologists Union (Turku, Finland): Possible predictors of adult sex ratios in birds. Poster PDF
