Details of Award
NERC Reference : NE/S006923/1
Forecasting biodiversity losses in Wallacea from ecological and evolutionary patterns and processes.
Grant Award
- Principal Investigator:
- Professor JMJ Travis, University of Aberdeen, Inst of Biological and Environmental Sci
- Co-Investigator:
- Dr L T Lancaster, University of Aberdeen, Inst of Biological and Environmental Sci
- Co-Investigator:
- Professor C Gubry-Rangin, University of Aberdeen, Inst of Biological and Environmental Sci
- Co-Investigator:
- Dr G Bocedi, University of Aberdeen, Inst of Biological and Environmental Sci
- Co-Investigator:
- Dr AC Algar, University of Nottingham, Sch of Geography
- Grant held at:
- University of Aberdeen, Inst of Biological and Environmental Sci
- Science Area:
- Freshwater
- Marine
- Terrestrial
- Overall Classification:
- Unknown
- ENRIs:
- Biodiversity
- Global Change
- Natural Resource Management
- Science Topics:
- Behavioural Ecology
- Community Ecology
- Conservation Ecology
- Population Ecology
- Systematics & Taxonomy
- Abstract:
- The Wallacea region, lying between the Borneo to the west and Papau New Guinea to the east, is one of the world's biodiversity hotspots, hosting incredibly high levels of biodiversity, much of which is unique to the region. This exceptional level of biodiversity and endemism reflects evolutionary diversification and radiation over millions of years in one of the world's most geologically complex and active regions. The region's exceptional biodiversity, however, is threatened by climate change, direct exploitation and habitat destruction and fragmentation from land use change. Continued habitat loss and fragmentation is expected to precipitate population declines, increase extinction rates, and could also lead to 'reverse speciation' where disturbance pushes recently diverged species together, leading to increased hybridisation, genetic homogenisation, and species' collapse. Already, approximately 1,300 Indonesian species have been listed as at risk of extinction, but the vast majority of the region's biodiversity has not been assessed and we lack basic information on the distribution and diversification of many groups, let alone understanding of what processes drove their diversification, how they will respond to future environmental change, and how to minimize species' extinctions and losses of genetic diversity while balancing future sustainable development needs. In response to the need for conservation and management strategies to minimize the loss of Wallacea's unique biodiversity under future environmental change and future development scenarios, we will develop ForeWall, a genetically explicit individual-based model of the origin and future of the region's biodiversity. ForeWall will integrate state-of-the-art eco-evolutionary modelling with new and existing ecological and evolutionary data for terrestrial and aquatic taxa including mammals, reptiles, amphibians, freshwater fish, snails, damselflies and soil microbes, to deliver fresh understanding of the processes responsible for the generation, diversification, and persistence of Wallacea's endemic biodiversity. After testing and calibrating ForeWall against empirical data, we will forecast biodiversity dynamics across a suite of taxa under multiple environmental change and economic development scenarios. We will develop a set of alternative plausible biodiversity management/mitigation options to assess the effectiveness of these for preserving ecological and evolutionary patterns and processes across the region, allowing for policy-makers to minimise biodiversity losses during sustainable development. Our project will thus not only provide novel understanding of how geological and evolutionary processes have interacted to generate this biodiversity hotspot, but also provide policy- and decision-makers with tools and evidence to help preserve it.
- Period of Award:
- 14 Nov 2018 - 31 Mar 2022
- Value:
- £413,891 Lead Split Award
Authorised funds only
- NERC Reference:
- NE/S006923/1
- Grant Stage:
- Completed
- Scheme:
- Directed - International
- Grant Status:
- Closed
- Programme:
- Wallacea
This grant award has a total value of £413,891
FDAB - Financial Details (Award breakdown by headings)
| DI - Other Costs | Indirect - Indirect Costs | DA - Investigators | DA - Estate Costs | DI - Staff | DA - Other Directly Allocated | DI - T&S |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| £5,691 | £159,894 | £59,375 | £27,844 | £122,421 | £2,704 | £35,960 |
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