Birds in the City

Ecosystem perturbations can impact pathogen dynamics. In particular, there is a growing consensus that anthropogenic activities are associated with zoonotic spillovers, but empirical evidence remains limited. I study infectious agent dynamics in colonial species — those forming colonies to breed, like bats, seabirds and seals — across gradients of anthropization. In such species, the division of populations into spatially distinct colonies, and synchronous seasonal breeding allow us to define clear spatial and temporal replicates. This project draw upon my work on the ecology of infectious agents in colonial species. By comparing dynamics across colonies — and potential manipulating environmental conditions across colonies — we can obtain more robust results than in non-replicated systems. Because the essential dynamics of pathogen dynamics do not differ between host species, I expect the mechanistic insights obtained from these model systems to be generalizable to other pathogens, notably those directly threatening public health.

Main Collaborators

• Thierry Boulinier, National Center for Scientific Research, France
• Juliet Lamb, Center for Functional and Evolutionary Ecology, France
• Craig Hebert, Carleton University, Canada
• Raül Ramos, University of Barcelona, Spain
• Aurélien Mercier, Limoges University, France
• Marion Koopmans, Erasmus Medical Center, Netherlands

Field Sites

Main Funders