Dr. Stefan Widmer

ZHAW School of Life Sciences and Facility Management
Institute of Natural Resource Sciences
Grüentalstrasse 14
8820 Wädenswil

+41 (0) 58 934 58 62
stefan.widmer@zhaw.ch

Work at ZHAW

Position

Research Associate Vegetation Ecology Research Group

Focus

Vegetation change
Vegetation resurvey
Conservation biology

Experience

Research Associate Vegetation Ecology Research Group
Zurich University of Applied Sciences
2025 - today
PhD Student Research Group Vegetation Ecology
Zurich University of Applied Sciences
2021 - 2025
Research Assistant Vegetation Ecology Group
Zurich University of Applied Sciences
2016 - 2020

Education and Continuing education

Education

PhD / Ecology
University of Zurich
2021 - 2025
MSc ZFH in Environment and Natural Resources
Zurich University of Applied Sciences
2016 - 2019
Quantitative Ecology Module
University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice
2017 - 2018
BSc ZFH in Natural Resource Sciences
Zurich University of Applied Sciences
2012 - 2015

Network

Membership of networks

ORCID digital identifier

ORCID ID: 0000-0002-4920-5205

Social media

ResearchGate

Projects

Publications

Articles in scientific journal, peer-reviewed

Widmer, S., Riedel, S., Babbi, M., Herzog, F., Wohlgemuth, T., Kessler, M., & Dengler, J. (2026). A century of change : many losers vs. few winners among Swiss grassland plants. Biological Conservation, 315(111679). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111679
Widmer, S., Riedel, S., Babbi, M., Herzog, F., Wohlgemuth, T., Kessler, M., & Dengler, J. (2025). One century of change : stronger diversity decline in lowland than in mountain grasslands in Central Europe. Global Change Biology, 31(10), e70529. https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.70529
Genucchi, K., Widmer, S., Billeter, R., & Dengler, J. (2025). No negative impact of Erigeron annuus on native plant diversity : a case study from Northern Switzerland. Tuexenia, 45, 429–444. https://doi.org/10.14471/2025.45.013
Riedel, S., Widmer, S., Dengler, J., Herzog, F., Schneider, M. K., Wohlgemuth, T., & Kessler, M. (2025). Lasting legacies : relicts of historical plant communities in Central European grasslands amid a century of biodiversity loss. Biological Conservation, 312(111500). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2025.111500
Ostrowski, G., Aicher, S., Mankiewicz, A., Chusova, O., Dembicz, I., Widmer, S., & Dengler, J. (2025). Mean ecological indicator values : use EIVE but no cover-weighting. Vegetation Classification and Survey, 6, 57–67. https://doi.org/10.3897/vcs.134800
Riedel, S., Widmer, S., Bringuier, O., & Dengler, J. (2024). Cover vs. biomass sampling in grassland vegetation plots. Tuexenia, 44, 261–275. https://doi.org/10.14471/2024.44.003
Riedel, S., Widmer, S., Babbi, M., Buholzer, S., Grünig, A., Herzog, F., Richner, N., & Dengler, J. (2023). The Historic Square Foot Dataset : outstanding small‐scale richness in Swiss grasslands around the year 1900. Journal of Vegetation Science, 34(5), e13208. https://doi.org/10.1111/jvs.13208
Riesen, M., Widmer, S., Dengler, J., & Billeter, R. (2022). Einfluss maschinell geöffneter Lichtungen auf die Artenvielfalt in Grün-Erlen-Beständen : eine Untersuchung zu Gefäßpflanzen, Tagfaltern und Heuschrecken. Naturschutz und Landschaftsplanung, 54(8), 24–31. https://doi.org/10.1399/NuL.2022.08.02
Bergauer, M., Dembicz, I., Boch, S., Willner, W., Babbi, M., Blank-Pachlatko, J., Catalano, C., Cykowska-Marzencka, B., Gehler, J., Guarino, R., Keller, S., Moysiyenko, I., Vynokurov, D., Widmer, S., & Dengler, J. (2022). Scale-dependent patterns and drivers of vascular plant, bryophyte and lichen diversity in dry grasslands of the Swiss inneralpine valleys. Alpine Botany, 132(2), 195–209. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00035-022-00285-y
Biurrun, I., Pielech, R., Dembicz, I., Gillet, F., Kozub, Ł., Marcenò, C., Reitalu, T., Van Meerbeek, K., Guarino, R., Chytrý, M., Pakeman, R. J., Herrera, M., Hüllbusch, E. M., Ingerpuu, N., Jägerbrand, A. K., Jandt, U., Janišová, M., Jeanneret, P., Jeltsch, F., et al. (2021). Benchmarking plant diversity of Palaearctic grasslands and other open habitats. Journal of Vegetation Science, 32(4), e13050. https://doi.org/10.1111/jvs.13050
Zhang, J., Gillet, F., Bartha, S., Alatalo, J. M., Biurrun, I., Dembicz, I., Grytnes, J.-A., Jaunatre, R., Pielech, R., Van Meerbeek, K., Vynokurov, D., Widmer, S., Aleksanyan, A., Bhatta, K. P., Campos, J. A., Czortek, P., Dolezal, J., Essl, F., García‐Mijangos, I., et al. (2021). Scale dependence of species–area relationships is widespread but generally weak in Palaearctic grasslands. Journal of Vegetation Science, 32(3), e13044. https://doi.org/10.1111/jvs.13044
Backhaus, L., Albert, G., Cuchietti, A., Jaimes Nino, L. M., Fahs, N., Lisner, A., Kolář, V., Kermavnar, J., Widmer, S., Zimmermann, Z., Rofrics, N., de Bello, F., Lepš, J., & García Medina, N. (2021). Shift from trait convergence to divergence along old field succession. Journal of Vegetation Science, 32(2), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1111/jvs.12986
Charmillot, K., Hedinger, C., Babbi, M., Widmer, S., & Dengler, J. (2021). Vegetation change in meso-xeric grasslands of the Swiss Jura Mts. over 40 years. Tuexenia, 41, 441–457. https://doi.org/10.14471/2021.41.019
Kummli, J., Widmer, S., Wilhelm, M., Dengler, J., & Billeter, R. (2021). Vegetation changes in urban grasslands over 25 years in the city of Zurich, Switzerland. Tuexenia, 41, 423–440. https://doi.org/10.14471/2021.41.018
Widmer, S., Riesen, M., Krüsi, B., Dengler, J., & Billeter, R. (2020). Wenn Gämsen Schafe ersetzen : Fallstudie zu den Auswirkungen auf die Diversität von alpinen Rasen. Tuexenia, 40, 225–246. https://doi.org/10.14471/2020.40.013
Keller, S., Babbi, M., Widmer, S., Gehler, J., Hausmann, S., Berg, C., Landucci, F., Schwager, P., Sumberova, K., & Dengler, J. (2020). Determination of habitat requirements of the glacial relict Nuphar pumila as basis for successful (re-)introductions. Tuexenia, 40, 309–326. https://doi.org/10.14471/2020.40.022
Biurrun, I., Burrascano, S., Dembicz, I., Guarino, R., Kapfer, J., Pielech, R., Babbi, M., Hepenstrick, D., Widmer, S., & Dengler, J. (2019). GrassPlot v. 2.00 : first update on the database of multi-scale plant diversity in Palaearctic grasslands. Palaearctic Grasslands, 44, 26–47. https://doi.org/10.21570/EDGG.PG.44.26-47
Frei, E. S., Widmer, S., Babbi, M., & Krüsi, B. (2019). Extensive Bekämpfung des Adlerfarns an einem voralpinen Trockenstandort. Naturschutz und Landschaftsplanung, 51(8), 374–381.
Dengler, J., Widmer, S., Staubli, E., Babbi, M., Gehler, J., Hepenstrick, D., Bergamini, A., Billeter, R., Boch, S., Rohrer, S., & Dembicz, I. (2019). Dry grasslands of the central valleys of the Alps from a European perspective : the example of Ausserberg (Valais, Switzerland). Hacquetia, 18(2), 155–177. https://doi.org/10.2478/hacq-2019-0008
Widmer, S., Frei, E. S., Babbi, M., & Krüsi, B. (2018). Extensive Bekämpfung des Adlerfarns fördert die floristische Vielfalt. Bauhinia, 2018(27). https://doi.org/10.21256/zhaw-4939
Babbi, M., Widmer, S., Blattner, M., & Krüsi, B. (2016). Waldrandaufwertungen : Einfluss von Exposition und Wüchsigkeit des Standorts. Schweizerische Zeitschrift für Forstwesen, 167(5), 286–293. https://doi.org/10.3188/szf.2016.0286

Other publications

Billeter, R., Widmer, S., Riesen, M., Krüsi, B., Dengler, J., & Thiel, D. (2023). Biodiversitätsforschung im Jagdbanngebiete Graue Hörner (Kt. SG). N+L Inside, 2023(3), 29–33. https://kbnl.ch/2023/08/31/biodiversitaetsforschung-im-jagdbanngebiet-graue-hoerner-kt-sg/
Dengler, J., Babbi, M., & Widmer, S. (2021). Square Foot Project gestartet : Wandel der Grünlanddiversität in der Schweiz über ein Jahrhundert. IUNR Magazin, 2021(1), 13. https://doi.org/10.21256/zhaw-22288
Babbi, M., Widmer, S., & Frei, E. S. (2020). Erfolgreiche extensive Bekämpfung des invasiven Adlerfarns. N+L Inside, 2020(2), 28–31. https://doi.org/10.21256/zhaw-20114
Babbi, M., Widmer, S., Ochsner, P., & Krüsi, B. (2017). Hilfe von oben : Erfassung von Adlerfarnbeständen mit Drohnen. Vierteljahrsschrift der Naturforschenden Gesellschaft in Zürich, 162(3/4), 10–11.

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