Animal movement and distributions

Nature is experiencing increasing anthropogenic pressures; almost daily we receive news of declining species populations, contracting species’ ranges, and (local) species extinctions. Land use and landcover changes pose some of the largest threats to wildlife in forest ecosystems. This is exacerbated by a changing climate. However, amidst all this negative news, there are also positive voices to be heard about conservation. There are many examples of species recoveries, but unfortunately scientists warn that these are not nearly enough to stem the sixth mass extinction. The need for a good understanding of the roles that humans play in negatively or positively affecting species’ distribution is thus stronger than ever. Such understanding can aid evidence-based conservation planning and management.

We aim to understand the patterns and processes determining the distribution of species through space and time, and to help mitigate the negative effects of increasing anthropogenic impacts.

Topics

We are specifically interested in the following research questions:

• How do anthropogenic perturbations impact species’ distribution in boreal forest landscapes?
• Which life history traits of species make their presence vulnerable to anthropogenic perturbations?
• Have effects of anthropogenic perturbations on species distribution changed over space and time, and if so, are these effects predicted to change over space and time in future?
• Based on these research outcomes, how can adaptive forest management strategies and wildlife conservation benefit species?