Dr. Michael Nobis

Main research interests

• Macroecology - large-scale analyzes of spatial patterns, ecology and dynamics of biodiversity (focus on Switzerland and vascular plants but also including analyzes from landscape to global scales)
• Trait analyses - relationships between biological traits and the environment
• Biological invasions - distribution and dynamics of non-native vascular plants in Switzerland

Current and previous positions

Scientific commissions & Editorial boards

• Info Flora: Member of the scientific commission since 2012. Prior to this member of the Swiss Commission of Wild Plant Conservation CPS/SKEW (2006-2011) - one of the two predecessor of Info Flora. As a member of the working group on invasive neophytes involved in updating the List of invasive and potentially invasive neophytes in Switzerland.

• Vegetation Classification and Survey (VCS), editorial board: VCS is an international, peer-reviewed journal on plant community ecology published on behalf of the International Association for Vegetation Science (IAVS).

Software 

• KISSMig. A simple model to simulate species migration and range dynamics for the free software environment R.

Dissertations

• Rai K.S. (2022) Ecological modelling of vascular plant diversity under different climate and land use change scenarios in Nepal Himalaya, co-supervisor, in cooperation with Prof. Dr. Ch. Scheidegger/WSL, Prof. Dr. K. Shresta/Tribhuvan University Kathmandu

• Breiner F. (2015) Revision of the Red List of fern and vascular plants - evaluation and application of statistical methods, co-supervisor with Dr A. Bergamini/WSL and Prof Dr A. Guisan/UNIL

• Brose H. (2011) Analyzing distributions and dynamics of vascular plant species richness at the landscape scale in Switzerland. A study based on the deconstructive approach to biodiversity. University of Bern, Prof Dr M. Fischer; Committee Prof Dr Ch. Scheidegger/WSL, Univ. Bern, Dr M.P. Nobis/WSL, Dr I. Kühn/UFZ, M. Plattner/Hintermann & Weber AG). A research cooperation with the Swiss Biodiversity Monitoring program (BDM)

• Schlup M.B. (2009) Assessing the functional connectivity of calcareous grassland plant communities. Examiner Prof Dr H. Bugmann/ETHZ, Co-examiners Prof H.H. Wagner/University of Toronto, Prof Dr P.J. Edwards/ETHZ, Dr M.P. Nobis/WSL

Others

• Rieben L. (2022) Analysis of urban wall typologies in Zurich: Evaluation of their suitability to host spontaneous vascular plants, Master Thesis, in cooperation with Dr C. Catalano/ZHAW.

• Federer C. (2015) Distribution of Senecio inaequidens in Zurich from 1985 to 2015, Master Thesis, in cooperation with PD Dr S. Güsewell/ETHZ

• Haag S. (2013) Neophyten an revitalisierten Gewässern in der Schweiz, Master Thesis, in cooperation with Dr B. Krüsi/ZHAW

• Gasser M. (2010)Vergleich von Neophytenvorkommen in siedlungsnahen und -fernen Waldrändern der "S5-Stadt" zwischen Zürich und Rapperswil, Matura Thesis, in cooperation with Dr T. Rauch-Schwegler/ETHZ