Predicting species distributions for biodiversity renewal decisions. (Ref:4444)

预测物种分布以做出生物多样性更新决策。

• 批准号: 2739420
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: UNIVERSITY OF EXETER
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Studentship
• 财政年份: 2023
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2023 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=studentship-2739420
• 关键词: Predicting; species; distributions; biodiversity; renewal

We are in a biodiversity crisis and a challenge for ecologists is to devise strategies for targeting conservation effort effectively. Where should new habitats be created, and how should they be managed? Typically, ecologists have used habitat suitability models to predict how species respond to changes in land-use, but species occurrence is affected not only by the suitability of habitat at that location, but also by the spatial configuration habitats. Species are more likely to survive in bigger, better and more connected habitats. For this reason, meta-population models are often used to assess how regional persistence is maintained by a balance between local extinctions and colonisations from surrounding habitats. However such models are data hungry: one must verify the presence or absence of populations in every patch of habitat before predictions can be easily made. Moreover, they are less able to account for ongoing incremental changes (positive or negative) in habitat quality. Despite the evident strengths and weaknesses of these two approaches, they have yet to be unified into a single framework.The PhD student recruited in this project will be registered and based at the University of Exeter's Penryn Campus in Cornwall. S/he will working closely with the project team and as part of a vibrant community of researchers and conservation practitioners delivering a large NERC-funded project: "Renewing biodiversity through a people-in-nature approach (RENEW)". S/he will (1) work with the project team to develop modelling approaches for predicting how species respond to habitat creation and restoration, (2) test the model rigorously by collecting field data on declining woodland bird species in south-west England, including Lesser Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos minor) and Willow Tit (Poecile montanus). Then, by working closely with a range of land-managers and conservation stakeholders (farmers, RSPB, Natural England and The Wildlife Trusts) and under the auspices of the G7 Legacy Project, s/he will use the models to guide targeted biodiversity renewal actions. The G7 Legacy Project is an ambitious nature recovery project, aiming to deliver a lasting legacy for nature, climate and the people of Cornwall. It will restore land and habitats for key species including woodland birds. The area forms part of an England wide nature recovery network - a national network of wildlife-rich places that the government has committed to creating in its 25 Year Environment Plan.

我们正处于生物多样性危机中，生态学家面临的挑战是制定有效的保护战略。应该在哪里建立新的栖息地，以及如何管理它们？通常，生态学家使用栖息地适宜性模型来预测物种对土地利用变化的反应，但物种的出现不仅受到该位置栖息地适宜性的影响，而且还受到栖息地空间配置的影响。物种更有可能在更大、更好和更连通的栖息地中生存。出于这个原因，元种群模型经常被用来评估区域持久性是如何保持当地的保护和周围栖息地的殖民之间的平衡。然而，这样的模型是数据饥饿：一个人必须验证存在或不存在的人口在每一个补丁的栖息地之前，可以很容易地作出预测。此外，它们不太能够说明生境质量的持续递增变化（积极或消极）。尽管这两种方法有明显的优点和缺点，但它们还没有统一到一个单一的框架中。本项目招募的博士生将在康沃尔郡的埃克塞特大学彭林校区注册和工作。他/她将与项目团队密切合作，并作为一个充满活力的研究人员和保护实践者社区的一部分，提供一个大型的NERC资助的项目：“通过人在自然中的方法（RENEW）更新生物多样性”。他/她将（1）与项目团队合作，开发预测物种对栖息地创造和恢复的反应的建模方法，（2）通过收集英格兰西南部林地鸟类物种减少的实地数据，包括小斑点啄木鸟（Dendrocopos minor）和杨柳山雀（Poecile montanus），严格测试模型。然后，通过与一系列土地管理者和保护利益相关者（农民，RSPB，自然英格兰和野生动物信托基金）密切合作，并在G7遗产项目的主持下，他/她将使用模型来指导有针对性的生物多样性更新行动。G7遗产项目是一个雄心勃勃的自然恢复项目，旨在为自然，气候和康沃尔人民提供持久的遗产。它将恢复包括林地鸟类在内的关键物种的土地和栖息地。该地区是英格兰全国自然恢复网络的一部分，这是一个由野生动物丰富的地方组成的国家网络，政府承诺在其25年环境计划中创建。