Description du projet
Prendre soin des oiseaux migrant entre zones d’hivernage et de reproduction
L’UE abrite plus de 500 espèces d’oiseaux sauvages. L’expansion urbaine rétrécit les habitats des oiseaux et l’agriculture intensive a réduit leurs ressources alimentaires. Les oiseaux migrateurs, qui font des allers et retours entre les lieux de reproduction et d’hivernage, sont de moins en moins nombreux. Le projet TesSEH, financé par l’UE, développera une nouvelle approche intégrée pour quantifier les coûts énergétiques réels dans l’environnement naturel sur un continuum de stratégies de vol. Il permettra également de calibrer les coûts métaboliques dans des conditions contrôlées afin de faire évoluer le domaine de la recherche bioénergétique. Les résultats contribueront de manière significative à la théorie biogéographique et renforceront notre compréhension des traits physiologiques efficaces sur le plan énergétique. Le projet révolutionnera à terme les modèles énergétiques aviaires.
Objectif
Migration is a key life-history stage for many avian species and underpins the distribution of biodiversity on Earth. The species-energy hypothesis states that energetics underlies spatial- and temporally-specific patterns; yet the energetic balance for free-flying migratory species is poorly understood due to the inherent difficulties in studying individuals across vast geographic scales. To date, it has not been possible to obtain a field-derived metric of energetics in passerines let alone relate it to the environmental energetic conditions experienced. Major advances at the MPI-AB in the miniaturisation of heart-rate loggers, and the launch of ICARUS tracking technology with high spatio-temporal resolution, will now enable unique insights into energetically costly flight behaviour over the full annual cycle. By filling a technological and a conceptual gap, the ER will be the first to develop a novel, integrated approach to quantify the true energetic costs in the natural environment across a continuum of flight strategies, and calibrate metabolic costs under controlled settings to transform the research field of energetics. Empirically-derived data, resulting from this action, will be used to test if the species-energy relationship is applicable to the vast majority of small songbirds which change their distribution in response to seasonal variation in conditions and resources. Furthermore, this will enable the development of a tool to refine flight performance models and determine the response of this biological system to climate change. It will permit explicit testing of the species-energy relationship under seasonally specific environmental conditions, with a unique approach of incorporating energetic demands into the system. Cumulatively, fulfilling the objectives of TesSSEH, will significantly contribute to biogeographic theory, develop our understanding of energetically efficient physiological traits and revolutionise avian energetic models.
Champ scientifique
Mots‑clés
Programme(s)
Régime de financement
MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)Coordinateur
80539 Munchen
Allemagne