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Project

Biodiversity conservation

Unit(s) of assessment: Geography, Environmental Studies and Archaeology

Research theme(s): Safety and Sustainability

School: School of Animal, Rural and Environmental Sciences

Overview

The Environment team currently use investigations into avian and mammalian ecology to inform theoretical and practical approaches to the field of biodiversity conservation. Our investigations can be broadly categorised as:

  • quantifying how animals utilise human dominated landscapes, which is achieved through the deployment and analysis of animal tracking devices
  • development of novel methods to monitor populations for conservation
  • how animal behaviour can be used to derive conservation benefits for species.

Current focal species include barn owls, house sparrows, hedgehogs and small mammals in the UK, and threatened vultures and carnivores in Africa.

Collaboration

Current and recent projects, funders and collaborators include:

  • habitat use and threats to Gyps vultures in South Africa
  • South Africa's brown hyena in collaboration with Earthwatch Institute
  • habitat use of hedgehogs in rural landscapes
  • non-invasive methods to monitor hedgehog populations in the UK in collaboration with the and funded by
  • identifying individual wolves from their vocalisations
  • habitat use of water shrews
  • factors affecting productivity in the house sparrow
  • diet analysis of barn owls
  • starvation-predation trade-off in the great tit
  • nesting success of peregrine falcons.

Publications

  • . St. John, Edwards-Jones, Keane, Jones, Yarnell and Jones, Proc. R. Soc. B, 2011
  • . Thorn, Green, Bateman, Cameron, Yarnell and Scott, South African Journal of Wildlife Research, 2010, 40 (1), 77 - 86
  • . van der Merwe, Tambling, Thorn, Scott, Yarnell, Green, Cameron and Bateman, African Zoology, 2009, 44 (2), 288-291
  • . Yarnell, Metcalfe, Dunstone, Burnside and Scott, African Zoology, 2008, 43 (1), 45-52
  • . Simeoni M, Dawson DA, Gentle LK, Coiffait L, Wolff K, Evans KL, Gaston KJ & Hatchwell BJ, Molecular Ecology Resources, 2009, 9(6), 1520-1526.
  • . Wilhelm K, Dawson DA, Gentle LK, Horsefield GF, Scholtterer C, Greig C, East M, Hofer H, Tautz D & Burke T, Molecular Ecology Notes, 2003, 3, 360-362.
  • . Krupa AP, Jehle R, Dawson, DA, Gentle LK, Gibbs M, Arntzen JW & Burke T, Conservation Genetics, 2002, 3, 85-87.
  • . Gentle LK & Gosler AG Proceedings of the Royal Society of London Series B, 2001, 268, 487-491.
  • . Green PR, Gentle LK, Peake TM, Scudamore RE, McGregor PK, Gilbert F & Dittrich WH, Behavioural Processes, 1999, 46, 97-102.