Chloé Roth
Master’s in Biology
chloe.roth@unine.ch
Interests
My desire to understand living things has never been fully satisfied, despite a childhood spent dissecting flowers and following snails around. So I decided to study biology. My strong fascination with plants has only grown stronger, to the point where I’ve dedicated every one of my academic projects to them—from agriculture to rare trees (the European white elm) and even wetlands.
Beyond simply understanding living things, I’m passionate about sharing this knowledge and sense of wonder with as many people as possible. It was this desire that led me to join the MINTfluencers program, and subsequently to engage in science communication on social media (Instagram @instant_vivant: https://www.instagram.com/instant_vivant/). My goal is to spark the public’s curiosity while raising awareness about nature and its conservation.
Research Areas
My research interests naturally revolve around plants and, more broadly, ecosystems. I have a strong interest in biodiversity and its conservation. I am particularly interested in wetlands and the characteristic species they harbor, as well as the restoration of waterways.
Master’s Thesis
In Switzerland, nearly 90% of the marshes have disappeared. It is therefore crucial to preserve the marshes that still remain. That is why, as part of my Master’s thesis, I am evaluating the effects of mowing marshes on the flora, and in particular on the encroachment of the forest in the Grande Cariçaie. In fact, since the Jura Water Regulation Project, the water level of Lake Neuchâtel has been strictly controlled. Floods are less frequent, which allows forests to advance and encroach on the marshes. One solution to limit this effect is mowing the marshes. The Grande Cariçaie Reserve has been using this method for over 40 years. However, no study has been conducted in nearly 20 years to assess the effect of this mowing on the vegetation. The challenge, therefore, is to determine whether mowing is a viable solution for protecting the marshes from forest encroachment. This research focuses on two main areas: 1) vegetation surveys of permanent plots, and 2) the study of plant functional traits through various measurements and laboratory analysis of leaves.
Main Themes
• Biodiversity and plant succession
• Conservation strategies for non-forested marshes
