Descripción del proyecto
El cambio ambiental global y la biodiversidad
Abejorros, jirafas, insectos, tiburones... El cambio climático afecta a todas las especies del planeta. Por ejemplo, el aumento de las temperaturas adelanta la floración y deja menos tiempo para que las abejas puedan polinizar. Esto es tan solo una muestra del efecto adverso de los cambios en los patrones estacionales sobre la demografía de especies que interactúan entre sí. El proyecto financiado con fondos europeos SEASON estudiará la forma en que el cambio climático global altera la biodiversidad. Trazará la relación entre los procesos demográficos y las interacciones bióticas bajo el efecto de los cambios en el patrón estacional de factores ambientales a lo largo del tiempo y el espacio. Se desarrollará una herramienta analítica para evaluar el papel de la respuesta a la interacción biótica y demográfica en el comportamiento de las poblaciones de distintas especies ante los cambios estacionales. La respuesta de algunas especies a la estacionalidad se analizará simultáneamente.
Objetivo
Most species show seasonal variation in survival and reproduction, which determines and is affected by biotic (intra- and interspecific) interactions. Such demography-biotic-interaction feedbacks, in turn, mediate community responses to seasonal patterns in environmental factors. Changing these seasonal patterns and thereby adversely affecting the demography of interacting species, is one important way in which global environmental change alters biodiversity. However, as population and community responses to changes in seasonality are typically studied separately, we lack a mechanistic understanding of the processes that threaten the persistence of interacting species, posing a major challenge to biodiversity conservation. SEASON aims to bridge this fundamental knowledge gap by linking demographic processes and biotic interactions under changes in the seasonality of environmental factors across time and space. Integrating theoretical and empirical analyses, the two main objectives of this project are to (i) develop an analytical framework which assesses how demography-biotic-interaction feedbacks mediate multi-species population responses to seasonality change; and (ii) apply the framework on empirical systems to synthesize novel information on the importance of the feedbacks. By developing an integrative framework to assess simultaneous responses of several species to seasonality, a key but understudied aspect of environmental change, this research will substantially contribute to global-change ecology. It will also assist researchers and managers in developing new strategies beyond single target populations or annual demographic censuses to mitigate global threats. As SEASON aims to develop a flexible tool that can be expanded in the future and relies on collaboration between two research institutes and several conservation initiatives, the MSCA fellowship will be critical in building a long-lasting research line and a global network of collaborators.
Ámbito científico
Programa(s)
Régimen de financiación
MSCA-IF-EF-ST - Standard EFCoordinador
28006 Madrid
España