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Are species distributions constrained by biological timing mechanisms and the photic environment?

Project description

Impact of light on species distribution

Organisms use abiotic cues, such as changes in available light, to synchronise their biology to the environment. However, the effect of light on species distribution is not well understood. The EU-funded PhoticEdge project will examine this relationship, using four species of migratory flycatchers breeding along a latitudinal gradient spanning from 56 degrees North to above the Arctic Circle in Sweden. Flycatchers will be studied because they employ photic cues for determining breeding, migration, and compass bearings. PhoticEdge will investigate how the photic environment associated with the birds' breeding and wintering ranges influences their ability to track their 24-hour and annual cycles. This will provide insights into the interaction between species distribution and their photic environment, increasing knowledge of changes to biodiversity under global climate change.

Objective

Biotic and abiotic factors determine species distributions, and organisms use abiotic cues, such as the diel and annual changes in available light, to synchronize their biology to the environment. Temperature is a dominant factor determining species distributions, and under global climate change, global temperature gradients are shifting polewards, away from the equator. In contrast, the photic environment is fixed by latitude and date, and is a dominant factor in determining ecological interactions and physiology. We, however, know little about whether these static photic cues determine species distributions. I aim to elucidate the relationship between species distributions and the photic environment by studying four species of migratory flycatchers (songbirds) breeding along a latitudinal gradient spanning from 56 degrees North latitude to above the northern polar circle (66.6 °N) in Sweden. Migratory flycatchers are excellent models to test hypotheses regarding the interaction between species distributions and the photic environment, because they use photic cues for determining breeding, migration, and compass bearings. The selected species also have different breeding and migratory ranges that span the polar circle and cross the equator, thus providing an excellent comparative system for understanding constraints on the northern and southern edges of their distributions. I will bring individuals into captivity to investigate experimentally how the photic environment associated with their breeding and wintering ranges affect their ability to track the diel and annual cycles. This project will provide novel insight into the interaction among species distributions and photic environment, insight required to predict properly whether species could successfully track their optimal thermal environment to new latitudes and photic environments. This new insight allows us to understand better the changes to biodiversity under global climate change.

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MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)

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(opens in new window) H2020-MSCA-IF-2020

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Coordinator

LUNDS UNIVERSITET
Net EU contribution

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.

€ 191 852,16
Address
Paradisgatan 5c
22100 Lund
Sweden

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Region
Södra Sverige Sydsverige Skåne län
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
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Total cost

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.

€ 191 852,16
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