PhD in Avian Population & Conservation Ecology (2x)
Vacancy number PhD-AnE-015039 & PhD-AnE-015040
General background
Project CHIRP (Cumulative Human Impact on biRd Populations) is a collaboration between the Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Radboud University and the Dutch Centre for Field Ornithology (Sovon) as part of the newly established Centre for Avian Population Studies. CHIRP is funded by the Technology Foundation STW of the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO).
CHIRP aims to develop a modelling framework that integrates how various human impacts (e.g. climate change, agriculture, mining, fisheries) that act at different spatial and temporal scales affect metapopulation numbers. It will use this knowledge to identify mitigation actions to minimize the impact of human activities and develop the best conservation strategy to help species recovery.
CHIRP will use the well-studied Eurasian oystercatcher in the Netherlands as a test case. The project will combine new field data collection (e.g. using GPS trackers to assess the impact of disturbance on birds) with the development of new hierarchical models that link eco-physiological, demographic and migratory processes (based on the vast literature of this species as well as new large citizen science datasets).
Convocatoria completa.