Animal Ecology
In the Animal Ecology team, we are interested in the behavioural and evolutionary ecology of host-parasite interactions. Our double focus is on the role played by parasitism as a component of change in the ecology of other species, and on the effects of ecological change on parasites. We address these questions empirically, with field and lab-based experiments, locally and through international collaborations.
What we do
Currently our team focuses on human impacts on parasites through two main activities: (1) in ParAnthrope (external link) we use experimental evolution to investigate what changes for parasites when host populations are crowded, and (2) in monitored populations of hole-nesting forest birds we investigate how climate and urbanisation affect bird-parasite interactions. We are part of the SPI-birds (external link) international network.
Who are we?
- Adele Mennerat; evolutionary ecologist
- Alexius Folk; PhD student studying farming-induced parasite evolution
- Freya Coursey; PhD student studying the effects of climate and urbanisation on bird-parasite interactions
- Tonje Nummedal Rolland; MSc student studying the effects of parasitism on avian behaviour
- André Kristensen Sæterhaug; MSc student studying adult dispersal in parasites
- Aurora Salonen; MSc student studying hepatitis E virus in reindeer