THE EFFECTS OF ANTHROPOGENIC DISTURBANCE ON THE SPATIOTEMPORAL DYNAMICS OF ANIMAL POPULATIONS

Globally, animal migrations are increasingly impeded by human dominated landscapes and are challenging to manage, as they frequently cross regional and national borders. To protect these species, conservationists and wildlife managers need predictive demographic models that are mechanistic, enable sensitivity and scenario analyses, and are parameterised with physiological and behavioural data. Using Integral Projection Models (IPMs), this research will quantify the effects of human-mediated environmental change on the population dynamics of a keystone migratory species. Specifically addressing two research questions, (i) How do cumulative effects of anthropogenic disturbance impact population dynamics?, and (ii) How will migratory populations respond to future disturbance? A migratory integral projection model (IPM) will be developed to evaluate the population level consequences of nonlethal disturbances that accrue over time.
By implementing and parameterising the IPM, the research will explore the sensitivity of population-level processes to anthropogenic disturbances and environmental change.