PhD Research Studentship

Strategies of butterflies: a novel approach to understanding their ecology and conservation status
School of Biological and Molecular Sciences
Director of Studies Dr Tim Shreeve
Description of Project
Butterflies are important bioindicators of environmental quality. An increasing proportion of Palaearctic butterflies have range and distribution changes which make them of conservation concern, vulnerable to extinction or threatened with extinction whilst a few are expanding their ranges. The habitats and attributes of many species need to be more closely defined than at present. Previous work demonstrates the feasibility of using multivariate techniques to determine butterfly strategies on the basis of ecological attributes and to suggest predictable co-occurrences on the basis of their resource requirements and their habitat requirements. This project will produce a comprehensive analysis of the strategies of the western Palaearctic butterfly fauna with the specific aims of; developing a strategy model of European butterflies using multivariate techniques, determining the relationship between strategies and changes of range and distribution, and predicting species similarities on the basis of their attributes. The work will involve combining existing and newly gathered information on species ecological attributes to develop a strategy model and ecological classification using multivariate techniques. New data and testing of predictions will be conducted with fieldwork within the British Isles and central-southern Europe.

Background material Shreeve, T.G., Dennis, R.L.H., Roy, D.B. & Moss, D. 2001. An ecological classification of British butterflies: Ecological attributes and biotope occupancy. Journal of Insect Conservation, 5: 145-161. Dennis, R.L.H., Hodgson, J.G., Grenyer, R., Shreeve, T.G., Roy, D.B. 2004.Host plants and butterfly biology. Do host-plant strategies drive butterfly status? Ecological Entomology, 29: 12-26.

The closing date for applications is February 14th.
Applications must include two copies of your CV and the names and addresses of two academic referees. Please state which project you are applying for and send to : Jill Hemsley, School of Biological and Molecular Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Headington Campus, Oxford OX3 0BP.Tel: 01865 483240. Email: jhemsley@brookes.ac.uk
Further details