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Background:
As the latest IPCC report states, one of the consequences of climate change will be a higher frequency of extreme weather events. Such increased weather variability will probably be mirrored in increased fluctuations of animal populations. Given that most animals in the Netherlands live in small patches of very fragmented habitat, an extreme weather event could cause the extinction of the whole local population in a habitat patch. Our research quantifies this increased risk of extinction and also looks at the adaptation strategies in landscape design that could diminish the negative impact of weather extremes on population persistence.
Description of the work:
Droughts pose a potential danger for some dragonflies & damselflies as they depend on water for the substantial part of their lifecycle. The student will analyse data of Dutch Dragonfly Databank and relate them to historical environmental data. The impact of the extremely dry and warm summer of 2003 can be inspected based on satellite photos. The exact research questions will be formulated according to the student's interest. The research will be carried out in cooperation with the Vlinderstichting (Dutch Butterfly Conservation)
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