Gilberto Pasinelli

Contact

Function

Expertise

Current Projects

Effects of resource pulses on settlement behaviour, predation and population fluctuations in the wood warbler
to the project

Aims

• understanding the interactions among wood warblers, forest rodents, predators and the availability of beechnuts and acorn arising from intermittent resource pulses
• examining the settlement behaviour of wood warblers and congeneric species in relation to resources pulses 
• assessing spatial and temporal variation and identifying factors affecting nest survival and reproductive performance
• examining mechanisms underlying conspecific attraction

 

Consequences of resource pulses caused by bark beetle outbreaks and other environmental factors on woodpecker populations

Aims

• assess how populations of three-toed woodpecker, great spotted woodpecker and black woodpecker respond to the abundance of spruce bark beetle
• examine the relationships between woodpecker abundances and deadwood arising from bark beetle outbreaks and other environmental factors

 

Recovery program for the wood warbler
to the project

Aims

• Direct recovery measures through habitat improvement
  Uninhabited woodland areas that are suitable in terms of location and structure are turned into habitats for the wood warbler by means of targeted forest management interventions.
• Indirect recovery measures through applying research results to forest management
  Results of recent studies on the habitat needs of the wood warbler are integrated into forest management practices in order to examine how the findings can inform the practical work of forest management in general and to investigate whether management interventions in support of the wood warbler are compatible with established commercial forestry practices.

 

The White-backed Woodpecker in managed forests
to the project

Aims

• determining how this specialized woodpecker species survives in managed forests 
• examining site characteristics and forest structures affecting occurrence
• determining habitat selection and space use by means of radio-tracking
• identifying factors affecting nest success and reproductive performance
• analysing diet with meta-barcoding

 

Ecology of a rare species: understanding causes of population decline in grey-headed woodpecker

Aims

• investigating space use and habitat selection with radio-tracking and remote-sensing technologies
• assessing nest survival and breeding success  
• analysing diet with meta-barcoding
• identifying critical habitat factors for species recovery

Co-operations

Effects of resource pulses on settlement behaviour, predation and population fluctuations in the wood warbler: Raphael Arlettaz, Conservation Biology, Universität Bern; Martin Flade, Landesbetrieb Forst Brandenburg LFB, Waldsieversdorf; Marta Maziarz, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw; Grzegorz Neubauer & Tomasz Wesołowski, Laboratory of Forest Biology, Wrocław University; Natalia Hałas & Jakub Szymkowiak, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań; Nina Farwig, Michael Riess, Dana Schabo & Pablo Stelbrink, Conservation Ecology, University of Marburg; Christian Ginzler & Daniel Scherrer, Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, Birmensdorf; Malcolm Burgess, Andrew Cristinacce & John Mallord, RSPB, Sandy, Bedfordshire; Tony Davis, Butterfly Conservation, Southampton.

Consequences of resource pulses caused by bark beetle outbreaks and other environmental factors on woodpecker populations: Eckehard Brockerhoff & Marco Basile, Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, Birmensdorf.

The White-backed Woodpecker in managed forests: Hanna Kokko, Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Universität Mainz; Arpat Ozgul, Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Christian Ginzler, Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, Birmensdorf.

Past

Genetic connectivity and phylogeography of woodpecker populations
to the project

Aims

• quantifying the connectivity of middle and great spotted woodpecker populations and thus inferring the dispersal capacities of these woodpecker species
• assessing the genetic diversity of middle and great spotted woodpecker populations
• closing knowledge gaps according to the recovery plan for the middle spotted woodpecker 
• understanding the phylogeography of the middle spotted woodpecker

 

Spatial population structure in small local populations

(not related to the Swiss Ornithological Institute)

Examining the spatial population structure and the contribution of small local populations for species persistence using the reed bunting (Emberiza schoeniclus) as a model organism (Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich) 

Dispersal and inbreeding in red-cockaded woodpeckers

(not related to the Swiss Ornithological Institute)

Examining relationships between dispersal behaviour and ecological, social and genetic factors as well as effects of inbreeding on breeding phenology and population persistence (Virgina Tech, Blacksburg, USA).

CV

Employment
2020 - present	Scientific Director, Swiss Ornithological Institute, Sempach
2010 - 2020	Deputy Scientific Director, Swiss Ornithological Institute, Sempach
2008 - 2010	Wissenschaftlicher Adjunkt, Swiss Ornithological Institute, Sempach
2001 - 2008	Senior research associate, Institute of Zoology, University of Zurich
2003 - 2007	Part-time research associate, Swiss Ornithological Institute, Sempach
1999 - 2001	Postdoctoral research associate, Department of Biology, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA, USA
1998 - 1999	Research associate, Swiss Ornithological Institute, Sempach
1993 - 1999	Research and teaching associate, Zoological Museum, University of Zurich
Education
2011	Habilitation at the University of Zurich, Switzerland
1993 - 1999	PhD at the University of Zurich, Switzerland
1991 - 1992	Diploma (MSc) at the University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, Switzerland
Further training
2012	Occupancy workshop (D. MacKenzie, Swiss Ornithological Institute, Sempach)
2011	ConGen - Population Genetics Data Analysis Course (Flathead Lake Biological Station, Montana, USA)
2008	Workshop on landscape genetics (L. Waits, University of Wisconsin, Madison, USA)
2007	Workshop on quantitative genetic methods using animal models (K. Foerster, University of Zurich)
2006	Hierarchical modeling in ecology: estimation of abundance, occupancy, and species richness in large-scale surveys (R. Dorazio & A. Royle,University of Zurich)
2004	Model selection and inference (D. Anderson, University of Zurich)
1999	Introductory course into GIS: ARCINFO/ARCVIEW (F. Kienast, Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research, Birmensdorf)

Service

Panels

• 2017-2022: Chairman of the woodpecker specialist group of the German Ornithological Society (DO-G)
• 2012-2019: Advisory board of Swiss Biodiversity Forum, a platform of the Swiss Academy of Sciences
• 2009-2017: President of the Swiss Society for the study and conservation of birds (Ala)
• 2006-2015: Advisory board of the German Ornithological Society (DO-G)
• 2004-2009: Board member Naturforschende Gesellschaft Zürich (Zurich natural history society)

Editorial boards

• 2006-today: Acta Ornithologica http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/miiz/actao
• 2009-2018: Der Ornithologische Beobachter
• 2006-2015: Avian Conservation and Ecology (ACE-ECO) http://www.ace-eco.org
• 1997-today: Reviewer for numerous journals and grant agencies

Teaching

I teach these classes at the University of Zurich:

• BIO 335: Ornithology (in odd years)
• BIO 345: Wildlife ecology and conservation (in even years)

Publications

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