What is the impact of urbanization on common birds?
An integrative approach from communities to the individual My thesis aims to evaluate the benefits and constraints of city life for birds. In cities, the natural habitat is mainly present in the form of more or less isolated green spaces within an artificial landscape. Therefore, the survival of birds in the city depends strongly on the abundance of these spaces, and on the way they are arranged and connected to each other. By studying how bird species are distributed in a moderately urbanized city, I am trying to determine how the integration of vegetation in cities can benefit or not benefit bird biodiversity. Also, the urban environment is associated with many constraints (pollution, malnutrition, competition, etc.) that can affect the stress level and condition of birds. In particular, stress could play a role in the current decline of urban populations of house sparrows. By comparing rural and urban populations of house sparrows, I am trying to verify whether the constraints of the urban environment lead to a greater stress response in sparrows. Finally, in the face of these stresses, birds can make physiological and behavioural adjustments to maximize their survival. By experimentally testing an urban constraint on a sparrow population, I am seeking to better understand its effects on the survival and reproduction of individuals.
PhD student in the ECOPHY 2017-2020 team
Supervisors : Frédéric ANGELIER and François BRISCHOUX
Doctoral School: EUCLIDE (La Rochelle University) erika.beaugeard@gmail.com
Tel +33 (0)5.49.09.35.17
