Project description
Learning about island biodiversity
Islands comprise just 20 % of global landmass yet harbour a disproportionate share of biodiversity. They are also experiencing alarming rates of species extinction, driven by factors like habitat degradation, invasive species, and climate change. The loss of biodiversity threatens the unique ecosystems of islands and disrupts ecosystem functions like pollination. Despite their importance, islands remain understudied in terms of the environmental factors and species interactions. Supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) programme, the IslandNet project aims to tackle this knowledge gap by conducting empirical research across the East Caribbean islands. Through the lens of network theory, functional ecology, island biogeography, and parasitology, it seeks to unravel the intricate relationships between insularity, environmental factors, species diversity, and parasite infections.
Objective
Islands hold ca. 20% of the global biodiversity but have suffered disproportionally high extinction rates and many extant species are threatened. The vulnerability of island biodiversity is linked to drivers of global change like habitat degradation, invasive species, and also climate change. The loss of biodiversity is problematic, since it affects crucial ecosystem functions, such as animal-mediated pollination and seed dispersal, and increases the risk of emerging diseases. However, despite their importance, islands remain largely understudied compared to mainland counterparts. Specifically, there is a lack of empirical studies investigating the effects of insularity and environmental factors, such as climate, on the structure of interaction networks and the underlying ecosystem functions. Furthermore, while parasite infections influence population dynamics, their impact on ecosystem functions has been overlooked. IslandNet will take a crucial step forward by analysing the first empirical dataset on bird-mediated ecosystem functions, in combination with data on functional traits and parasite infections across the islands of the East Caribbean. Combining network theory, functional ecology, island biogeography and parasitology, will allow to disentangle effects of insularity, environmental factors, functional diversity and parasite infections on network structure and underlying ecosystem functions across an entire archipelago. By contributing better insight into the mechanisms driving network structure across islands, IslandNet will provide essential knowledge allowing to plan conservation measures to prevent future biodiversity loss. During this fellowship, I will receive crucial training by leading experts in the fields of biotic interactions and island biogeography at outstanding institutes. This experience will pace my way towards establishing my independence as a researcher in the fields of community ecology and global change with a focus on island ecosystems.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- medical and health sciences health sciences parasitology
- natural sciences biological sciences ecology ecosystems
- natural sciences earth and related environmental sciences physical geography
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2023-PF-01
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
28006 MADRID
Spain
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.