Name, first name Tobler, Ursina address Aarbergstrasse 50 3250 Lyss phone +41 78 640 99 00 email ursina.tobler@gmx.net birth date 17 February 1981 place of origin Herisau AR profile Zoologist with a main interest in ecology and conservation biology. My mainstays in biological research and in nature conservation practice animate and stimulate each other. In research, the relevance of the questions to nature conservation is important to me; in my nature conservation work, current scientific findings are incorporated. It is a great concern of mine to communicate both research and conservation to a broad public in an approachable way, because only those who understand will engage in conservation actions. professional activities 1 January 2016 – current mandate of the Federal Office for the Environment FOEN for the Advisory Board of the Inventory of Amphibian Breeding Sites of National Importance (IANB) 1 January 2016 – current research associate at ecolytics GmbH (ecological consultancy for conservation, species monitoring and data analysis) 1 May 2012 – current postdoc and administrative assistant in Evolutionary Ecology at the Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies at the University of Zurich 1 November 2011 – project manager for "1001 ponds" at the Swiss Centre for Amphibian- 31 March 2020 and Reptile Conservation (info fauna – karch) Further relevant activities 2023 supervision of a Master thesis on the conservation value of old and new dry stone walls since 2022 member of the foundation board of the Dr. Bertold Suhner Stiftung 2022 lecturer; lecture series "nature-oriented pond design" (November 2022 – November 2023, Zürcher Hochschule für angewandte Wissenschaften ZHAW) since 2021 supervision of a PhD student in conservation biology investigating the diversity of Malagasy amphibians in different agroforestry systems (2021 – 2024) 2019 – 2020 supervision of a Master thesis on the conservation biology of African painted dogs since 2018 lecturer; «BIO556 Scientific Writing for Organismal Biologists» for Master and PhD students at University of Zurich since 2019 lecturer; single lecture on amphibian conservation biology in Switzerland during the module «BIO312 Integrated Species Management and Conservation» at University of Zurich 2017 travel guide NZZ readers’ journey Antarctica 2016 travel guide NZZ readers’ journey Svalbard since 2016 lecturer; lecture and practical training on amphibians in animal experimentation during the module LTK 20 at University of Zurich since 2012 editor for «Zeitschrift für Feldherpetologie» since 2007, irregular various presentations for a non-scientific audience on conservation biology of midwife toads and other amphibians university training 1 January 2007 – PhD student Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental 30 September 2011 Studies at the University of Zurich; Title: “Differential Responses on Individual- and Population-Level to a Fungal Pathogen: Bd infection in the Midwife Toad Alytes obstetricans” 2004 - 2005 MSc in zoology at University of Zurich; Thesis title “Mating behaviour and Sexual Conflict in the Common Toad (Bufo bufo): Effects of Population Density” 2003-2004 studies with major zoology, University of Zurich 2000-2003 basic studies in biology, University of Zurich further courses in conservation practice June 2021 VUR-conference "Eingriffe in schutzwürdige Lebensräume", focus floodplains; Webinar by the VUR November 2012 Symposium "Renaturierung von Landschaften", Frauenfeld, Switzerland since 2005 annual participation at the «Herpetokolloquium» (one-day symposium on conservation biology of Swiss amphibians and reptiles organised by info fauna – karch) November 2003 TBA (Tropical Biology Association) field course in ecology and conservation biology of tropical ecosystems; Kirindy forestry reserve, Madagascar __________________________________________________________________________________ scientific publications Siffert O, Pellet J, Ramseier P, Tobler U, Bergamini A, Schmidt BR (2022): Where land and water meets: making amphibian breeding sites attractive for amphibians. Diversity 14 (e834): 1-19. Martel A, Blooi M, Adriaensen C, Van Rooij P, Beukema W, Fischer MC, Farrer RA, Schmidt BR, Tobler U, Goka K, Lips KR, Muletz C, Zamudio KR, Bosch J, Lotters S, Wombwell E, Garner TWJ, Cunningham AA, Spitzen-van der Sluijs A, Salvidio S, Ducatelle R, Nishikawa K, Nguyen TT, Kolby JE, Van Bocxlaer I, Bossuyt F, Pasmans F (2014): Recent introduction of a chytrid fungus endangers Western Palearctic salamanders. Science 346 (6209): 630-631. Woodhams DC, Brandt H, Baumgartner S, Kielgast J, Küpfer E, Tobler U, Davis LA, Schmidt BR, Bel C, Hodel S, Knight R, McKenzie V (2014): Interacting symbionts and immunity in the amphibian skin mucosome predict disease risk and probiotic effectiveness. PLoS ONE, 9(4): e96375. Tobler U, Garner TWJ, Schmidt BR (2013): Genetic attributes of midwife toad (Alytes obstetricans) populations do not correlate with degree of species decline. Ecology and Evolution 3(9): 2819. Tobler U, Borgula A, Schmidt BR (2012): Populations of a Susceptible Amphibian Species Can Grow despite the Presence of a Pathogenic Chytrid Fungus. PLoS ONE. 7(4): e34667. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0034667 Böll S, Tobler U, Geiger CC, Hansbauer G, Schmidt BR (2012) The amphibian chytrid fungus in Bavarian populations of Alytes obstetricans: past absence, current presence, and metamorph mortality. Amphibia-Reptilia 33 (2012): 319-326 Tobler U, Schmidt BR (2010) Within- and among-population variation in chytridiomycosis-induced mortality in the toad Alytes obstetricans. PLoS ONE. 5(6): e10927. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0010927 __________________________________________________________________________________ non-scientific publications Schmidt BR, Zumbach S, Tobler U (2020): Verbreitung, Gefährdung und Schutz der Gelbbauchunke in der Schweiz. Mertensiella, 29:161-168. Pellet J, Ramseier P, Tobler U, Zumbach S (2020): Ein letztes Bollwerk für die bedrohten Amphibien der Schweiz: prioritäre Amphibiengebiete. NL Inside 2/20. Konferenz der Beauftragten für Natur- und Landschaftsschutz KBNL und BAFU, Arten, Ökosysteme und Landschaften. Schmidt, BR, Zumbach, S, Tobler, U, Lippuner, M (2015): Amphibien brauchen temporäre Gewässer. Zeitschrift für Feldherpetologie 22: 137-150. Tobler U, Schmidt BR, Geiger CC (2010) Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis: ein Chytridpilz, der zum weltweiten Amphibiensterben beiträgt. Schweizerische Zeitschrift für Pilzkunde 88(3): 112-116. Schmidt BR, Tobler U, Ramseier P (2010) Die Verbreitung der Geburtshelferkröte (Alytes obstetricans) im Kanton Basel-Landschaft (NW-Schweiz). Mitteilungen der Naturforschenden Gesellschaften beider Basel 12: 75-84. Schmidt BR, Furrer S, Kwet A, Lötters S, Rödder D, Sztatecsny M, Tobler U, Zumbach S (2009) Desinfektion als Maßnahme gegen die Verbreitung der Chytridiomykose bei Amphibien. In: Hachtel, M., Schlüpmann, M., Thiesmeier, B. and Weddeling, K. (eds.) Methoden der Feldherpetologie. Laurenti Verlag, Bielefeld, pp. 229–241. prices and awards 2008 Naturschutzpreis der Zoologischen Gesellschaft Zürich