Rewilding and Conservation - Insect faunas and natural grazing

Rewilding and Conservation - Insect faunas and natural grazing

https://www.geos.ed.ac.uk/postgraduate/PhD/getDocument?SerialNo=1204

Supervisors: Eva Panagiotakopulu, School of GeoSciences, Univ. of Edinburgh, Patrick Walsh, School of Biological Sciences, Univ. of Edinburgh

Project background After Vera’s seminal work on rewilding and the evidence for the importance of herbivores as part of the dynamic natural cycle, various rewilding projects across Europe have attempted to protect areas, to provide an understanding of grazing regimes of old breeds of herbivores and to collate data which may be used for conservation. These projects, in addition to providing important information on changes in biodiversity and mitigating human impact, also provide opportunities to compare modern insect assemblages with palaeoecological data from previous interglacials when there was no human impact. In the UK, the Knepp rewilding project was initiated as a process-led conservation experiment in 2002 by the landowner Charlie Burrrell with the re-introduction of fallow deer to the park around the house. This has been expanded to include various species of herbivores, including English longhorn cattle, Tamworth pigs, and Exmoor ponies. The success of rewilding at Knepp over the last decade and a half is evident in the Estate becoming a hotspot for endangered nightingales and in the increasing numbers of Turtle doves and Emperor moths. Plant surveys from the Estate over the years and data on herbivores from different parts of the estate provide information on vegetation change as a result of grazing regimes and indicate the importance of grazing for maintaining biodiversity. Insect samples from Knepp have provided initial results which indicate the changes in the fauna depending on habitat and also animals involved. This project intends to continue collating insect data from various parts of Knepp, concentrating on the grazing regimes of different animals and obtaining refined datasets which will map both animal movement, making use of GPS collars and observations, and vegetation change in an attempt to understand how the rewilding regimes have affected the invertebrate faunas. Comparison with other rewilding projects will provide context for the research.
Research Questions The project will focus on changes in biodiversity related to grazing regimes and stocking numbers on the Knepp Estate, Sussex, with a view to better understanding the impacts of natural grazing, environmental change and any recent changes in the fauna as a result of rewilding. In summary, the project will study:
a. insect faunas from different habitats on the Estate with a view to assessing biodiversity and highlighting rare species; b. dung faunas associated with different herbivore species taking into account season, habitat, animal movement and stocking levels; c. similarities to and differences from available data from other rewilding projects with reference to the longer timeframe.
Methodology A preliminary study from Knepp has indicated the potential of insects for assessing changes in biodiversity associated with rewilding, in particular mosaic habitat and grazing pressures. Pitfall traps from various parts of the estate will follow up research initiated by Charlie Burrell and the Sussex Wildlife Trust. In addition, further research on dung assemblages from different species, collating data from different times of year, in association with movement of different herds, will provide refined information about their diversity. Fieldwork at Knepp will take place in collaboration with the University of Edinburgh, The Knepp Estate and the Sussex Wildlife Trust. Processing of insects from pitfall and flight interception traps and data from dung sampling will take place in the School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh, where an extensive comparative collection is available. GPS Data from animal collars will be analysed and mapped using ArcGIS.
Research Training A comprehensive training programme will be provided comprising both specialist scientific training and generic transferable and professional skills. Formal training will be provided in: i) collection and identification of insects, and the collation of insect habitat data. The BugsCEP database will facilitate habitat reconstruction and comparison. Insect research (including use of in the in-house insect collections) ii). ArcGIS and the use of R and relevant statistical packages will also be used for the GPS collars, analysis of the material and comparisons.
Requirements: A background in physical geography, entomology, ecology or biology would be preferred. Relevant field and laboratory experience and previous experience with GIS would be an advantage.