A5044060955- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation
- Avian ecology and behavior
- Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies
- Species Distribution and Climate Change
- Animal Behavior and Reproduction
- Cocoa and Sweet Potato Agronomy
- Plant and animal studies
- Animal Ecology and Behavior Studies
- Bat Biology and Ecology Studies
- Rangeland and Wildlife Management
- Environmental DNA in Biodiversity Studies
- Wildlife-Road Interactions and Conservation
- Conservation, Biodiversity, and Resource Management
- Oil Palm Production and Sustainability
- Fire effects on ecosystems
- Bird parasitology and diseases
- Wildlife Conservation and Criminology Analyses
- Economic and Environmental Valuation
- Food Chemistry and Fat Analysis
- Gamma-ray bursts and supernovae
- African Botany and Ecology Studies
- Marine animal studies overview
- Animal Vocal Communication and Behavior
- Agriculture, Land Use, Rural Development
- Phytoplasmas and Hemiptera pathogens
University of Glasgow
2020-2025
Universidade do Porto
2021-2025
Biodiversity Research Institute
2020-2024
Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos
2024
Durham University
2020-2023
Louisiana State University
2010-2022
National Institute of Amazonian Research
2013-2022
Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute
2014-2021
National Zoological Park
2015-2021
Louisiana State University Agricultural Center
2013-2021
Abstract How are rainforest birds faring in the Anthropocene? We use bird captures spanning > 35 years from 55 sites within a vast area of intact Amazonian to reveal reduced abundance terrestrial and near‐ground insectivores absence deforestation, edge effects or other direct anthropogenic landscape change. Because undisturbed forest includes far fewer than it did historically, today’s fragments second growth more impoverished shown by comparisons with modern ‘control’ sites. Any goals...
Warming from climate change is expected to reduce body size of endotherms, but studies temperate systems have produced equivocal results. Over four decades, we collected morphometric data on a nonmigratory understory bird community within Amazonian primary rainforest that experiencing increasingly extreme climate. All 77 species showed lower mean mass since the early 1980s—nearly half with 95% confidence. A third concomitantly increased wing length, driving decrease in mass:wing ratio for...
Recent evidence suggests that mercury exposure has negative effects on the health of songbirds, and species forage in wetlands may be at a greater risk bioaccumulation than are those other habitats. We examined concentrations blood feathers from wetland obligate rapidly declining Rusty Blackbird (Euphagus carolinus) five regions across North America: three wintering areas contiguous United States breeding western boreal forests Alaska Acadian northeastern America. In blood, Blackbirds forest...
Abstract Identifying the composition of avian diets is a critical step in characterizing roles birds within ecosystems. However, because are diverse taxonomic group with equally dietary habits, gaining an accurate and thorough understanding diet can be difficult. In addition to overcoming inherent difficulties studying birds, field advancing rapidly, researchers challenged myriad methods study diet, task that has only become more difficult introduction laboratory techniques studies. Because...
Amazonia now contains vast areas of secondary forest because widespread regeneration following timber harvests, yet the value to wildlife remains poorly understood. Secondary becomes structurally similar primary after abandonment, and therefore we predicted that avian movement across interface (hereafter "the interface") would gradually increase with time since abandonment until recovery pre-isolation levels. From 1992 2011, captured 2,773 understory birds 10 foraging guilds along fragments...
Rapidly increasing urbanisation requires mitigation against associated losses of biodiversity and species abundance. In urban-breeding birds, altered food availability for nestlings is thought to reduce reproductive success compared forest populations. To compensate shortages preferred foods, urban parents could increase their search effort optimal diets or provision other foods. Here, we used telemetry faecal metabarcoding on blue tits from one populations compare parental comprehensively...
Abstract Forests are being converted to agriculture throughout the Afrotropics, driving declines in sensitive rainforest taxa such as understorey birds. The ongoing expansion of cocoa agriculture, a common small‐scale farming commodity, has contributed loss 80% cover some African countries. farms may provide habitat for biodiversity, yet little is known about their suitability vertebrate fauna, or effect farm management on animal communities. Here, we report first in‐depth investigation into...
Central/West Africa is one of the most biodiverse regions on earth and largest producers cacao, producing about 68.4 % world's chocolate. Here, cacao pests diseases can cause losses $761 million annually. However, no studies from have quantified role flying vertebrates as pest suppressors in plantations. We used an exclusion experiment to prevent access bats birds trees for 12 months how their absence affected arthropod communities, herbivory, crop yield. Overall, important such mealybugs...
Moult is an essential part of birds' annual cycle, and requires sufficient intake energy nutrients, but we understand little about how such nutritional requirements are met by wild birds. Using faecal metabarcoding, analysed the diet moulting non‐moulting Common Bulbuls Pycnonotus barbatus , captured in Cameroon. We found that birds was more diverse than birds, with approximately 1.5 times arthropod plant taxa, plus evidence dietary composition differences between groups. Our results provide...
The Congo Basin rainforest and adjacent Lower Guinea Forest constitute the second largest tract of lowland tropical in world. As with rest continent, human population is increasing rapidly forest degradation ubiquitous. through logging has pervasive negative effects on ecosystems, but selective considered less impactful than clearcutting. Recent research Afrotropical shows that certain avian species guilds are more affected by others (e.g., specialist insectivores such as followers Dorylus...
Avian diversity in fragmented Amazonian landscapes depends on a balance between extinction and colonization cleared disturbed areas. Regenerating forest facilitates bird dispersal within degraded may tip the favor of persistence habitat patches. Determining response birds to fragmentation be hindered because many species use adjacent second growth matrices thereby limiting applicability island biogeography predict loss; alternatively, countryside biogeographic framework evaluate value...
Abstract The contribution of interspecific competition to structuring population and community dynamics remains controversial poorly tested. Interspecific has long been thought influence the structure migrant–resident bird communities in winter, yet experimental evidence elusive. arrival billions songbirds into Neotropical habitats, where they co‐exist with residents, provides a unique opportunity assess its consequences. Working 15 ha Jamaican black mangrove forest, we used removal...
ABSTRACT Soils from 18 parrot collpas (‘clay licks’) in southeastern Peru averaged four times more available sodium than uneaten control soils. Collpa soils contained marginally clay sites and content was uncorrelated with content. Parrots may select ingest based on
Abstract Our commentary explores the increase in cashew cultivation across West Africa, drawing attention to its impacts on biodiversity and livelihoods. We summarize issue regionally, then showcase Guinea‐Bissau, where we unravel dynamics between expansion, habitat loss, Finally, propose concrete policy measures encompassing strengthened conservation, sustainable land‐use planning, enhanced farming practices, community engagement, international market reforms. recommendations extend beyond...
Bats provide important pest suppression services with economic value to cocoa farmers, yet the impact of farm management on bat diversity metrics is still poorly understood. This especially if we consider that Afrotropical farms supply 68 % world's chocolate market, expected increases in production forthcoming decades. In this study, investigated for first time how abundance, richness and varied between African different levels shade tree cover, communities characteristics. We found cover...
Animals are subject to ecological traps when anthropogenic changes create habitat that appears suitable but selected results in decreased fitness. The Rusty Blackbird (Euphagus carolinus) breeds boreal wetlands and has declined by 85–95% over the last half century. We studied nest-site selection daily nest-survival rate (DSR) of 43 nests northern New England evaluated whether regenerating logged areas adjacent created traps. Although nesting adults avoided high-canopied forests with dense...
Migratory birds spend most of their journeys at stopover sites where they rest and refuel. Many migrants are in steep decline, understanding behavior within among migrations is crucial for developing effective conservation strategies across the full annual cycle. One rapidly declining songbirds North America Rusty Blackbird (Euphagus carolinus; 85–95% decline over past 50 yr), ecology a major gap our knowledge its We utilized an automated telemetry array western Lake Erie Motus Wildlife...
Abstract Primary tropical rain forests are being rapidly perforated with new edges via roads, logging, and pastures, vast areas of secondary forest accumulate following abandonment agricultural lands. To determine how insectivorous A mazonian understory birds respond to between primary three age classes forest, we radio‐tracked two woodcreepers ( G lyphorynchus spirurus , N = 17; X iphorhynchus pardalotus 18) a terrestrial antthrush F ormicarius colma 19). We modeled species‐specific...