Main supervisor: Dr Davina Hill, Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow;
Co-supervisor: Professor Kirsty Park, Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Stirling.
Changes in land use from an increasing human population presents a major challenge for biodiversity (Grimm et al. 2008). Several studies have documented the impacts of urbanization on wildlife due to habitat loss and fragmentation, chemical, light and noise pollution, harvesting, predation and roads (Russo & Ancillotto 2015). While some aspects of urbanization have immediate lethal effects, others act more slowly or may vary between years or seasons. For example, urban heat might benefit some species, but be detrimental to others at certain times of the year (e.g. hibernators in winter).
Bats are one of the most diverse mammalian groups represented in urban environments but also one of the most threatened.Some species are relatively common in urban areas (e.g. Pipistrellus pipistrellus in Europe), and have been described as ‘urban-adaptors’. However, recent work has indicated that the activity of even these species decreases with increasingly urbanized landscapes (Lintott et al. 2016). The mechanism for this is unclear; most work on bat responses to urbanization has focused on foraging and roosting patterns with little information on physiological effects.
This PhD will use a number of novel and non-invasive welfare indicators to compare levels of physiological stress in wild bats living in urban and rural environments.
Key objectives include:
• Validating novel physiological indicators of welfare in bats
• Testing for variation in physiological stress along a gradient of increasing urbanization
• Assessing whether gut microflora communities differ between urban and rural bats
• Testing for differences in the signature of chemical pollutants between urban and rural populations
• Testing for differences in the temperature and thermal stability of roosts in urban and rural sites
• Modelling population growth from habitat use and composition to inform conservation and survey effort
The student will investigate these questions in two common UK bat species to provide insights on the physiological mechanisms underlying urban declines in bats.
This project is funded by the NERC Iapetus Doctoral Training Partnership (https://www.iapetus2.ac.uk/studentships/the-effects-of-urbanization-on-physiological-indicators-of-welfare-in-bats-2/ ) and is open to UK/EU students.
To apply, follow this link and click on ‘Visit website’: https://www.findaphd.com/phds/project/fully-funded-phd-the-effects-of-urbanization-on-physiological-indicators-of-welfare-in-bats/?p115508
Deadline 10th January 2020 - please email davina.hill@glasgow.ac.uk for further information.
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Dr Davina Hill
Lecturer in Welfare Physiology
Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine
College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences
University of Glasgow
Room 236c Jarrett Building
Garscube Estate
G61 1QH
Twitter @Davina_Hill
ResearchGate profile
https://www.gla.ac.uk/researchinstitutes/bahcm/
https://www.gla.ac.uk/researchinstitutes/bahcm/research/sigs/thermalecologygroup/
The University of Glasgow, charity number SC004401
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