Microclimate refugia site management strategies for biodiversity conservation

据预测，生物多样性将受到持续气候变暖的严重影响，即使在最乐观的未来气候变化情景中，也有可能发生干旱。许多物种对这些人类引起的环境变化作出反应，改变范围，减少和灭绝。物种更有可能在小气候变异和小气候避难所的范围内持续存在。我们最近由NERC资助的研究表明，人类栖息地的使用可能会影响物种的运动策略，行为和种群趋势。了解有助于在更广泛的景观中保留物种的小气候异质性的特征对于设计有效的管理行动至关重要，这些管理行动可以保护大气候条件可能变得不适合的当地种群。这个博士项目涉及分析现有的运动数据（www.movebank.org）跨物种范围和收集新的跟踪数据的模式物种（常见的红隼Falco tinnunculus与居住人口在欧洲和地区暴露于极端天气条件），与国家的最先进的设备由Movetech遥测，一个合作项目，涉及监督员（www.movetech-telemetry.com）。这个项目将（1）评估个人使用的小气候和栖息地变异跨物种范围;（2）确定对极端天气的行为反应;（3）量化不同物种间小气候特异性的变化;（4）确定促进小气候避难所的管理措施。该项目旨在确定栖息地管理措施，积极促进合适的小气候，并帮助更长时间地保留物种在更广阔的景观中，通过检查物种分布范围边缘的位置，将有可能设计跨物种当前分布范围的行动。

Biodiversity is predicted to be severely impacted by ongoing climate warming and extinctions are likely to occur even in the most optimistic future climate change scenarios. Many species are responding to these human induced changes in the environment by shifting ranges, declining and going extinct. Species are more likely to persist in parts of the range where there is microclimate variability and microclimate refugia sites. Our recent NERC-funded research showed that the use of anthropogenic habitats may influence movement strategies, behaviour and population trends of species. Understanding the characteristics of microclimate heterogeneity that help retain species in wider landscapes will be essential to design effective management actions that protect local populations where macroclimate conditions may become unsuitable. This PhD project involves analysing existing movement data (www.movebank.org) across species ranges and collecting new tracking data for a model species (common kestrel Falco tinnunculus with resident populations across Europe and in areas exposed to extreme weather conditions), with state-of-the-art devices developed by Movetech telemetry, a collaborative project involving the supervisors (www.movetech-telemetry.com).This project will (1) assess individual use of microclimate and habitat variability across species ranges; (2) identify behavioural responses to extreme weather; (3) quantify variability in microclimate specificity across species and (4) identify management actions that promote microclimate refugia sites.This projects aims to determine habitat management actions that actively promote suitable microclimates and help retain species in wider landscapes for longer, by examining locations at the edges of species range it will be possible to design actions across species' current ranges.