Magdalena Spießberger

Magdalena Spießberger M.Sc. is a researcher at the Institute of Zoology within the Department of Ecosystem Management, Climate and Biodiversity at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna (BOKU). She is based at Gregor-Mendel-Straße 33 in Vienna and actively contributes to ecological research focused on amphibian conservation.

Her primary research interests include Amphibian Conservation, Anthropogenic Disturbance effects, and Telomere Dynamics as biomarkers for fitness assessment. Spießberger investigates how chemical and light pollution impact wildlife, particularly the European green toad (Bufotes viridis), in urban environments using advanced tracking methods including radio telemetry and acceleration-based data analysis.

Her work shows a strong emphasis on Citizen Science approaches to conservation, with research trends indicating growing interest in urban ecology and habitat fragmentation. She has been actively presenting her findings at international conferences over the past two years.

Spießberger is currently involved in the research project Green toads in changing times: habitat survey and creation using Citizen Science (2023-2025), which addresses habitat loss for the European green toad. This project is funded by Federal Ministries and involves collaboration between the Institute of Hydrobiology and Aquatic Ecosystem Management and the Institute of Zoology.

Her presentation record demonstrates consistent scholarly activity with seven presentations since 2022 at venues including the Annual Meeting of the British Ecological Society, the European Citizen Science Association Conference, and the Austrian Society for Herpetology.