Can we recreate microrefugia to reduce the impact of climate change on threatened birds?

For many threatened species, the ability to disperse or to adapt to changes in climate is limited. Microrefugia, small patches of habitat within a species range that may have more favourable conditions, have been posited as a potential buffer against the impact of climate change. Restoration schemes aim to recreate the structurally complex and heterogenous habitats that enable microrefugia to occur. However, whether habitat restoration can create climate microrefugia, particularly to benefit species under threat is still unknown. Empirical evidence on the value of microrefugia as a buffer against phenological mismatches that result from lack of adaptation to climate change is also limited. This studentship will be based on the NZ hihi study system, capitalizing on 30 years of data across multiple restored reintroduction sites. The project aims to test the impact of habitat restoration on (a) the development of hihi breeding microrefugia, (b) the phenological mismatch between timing of breeding and invertebrate abundance, (c) between timing of breeding and ectoparasite occurrence and (d) how these change reproductive success outcomes. The project involves 2/3 field seasons in NZ and suited to individuals that enjoy the outdoors. We hope the project will not only enable us to produce highly relevant global research on the development of species resilience, but also directly impact ongoing hihi management strategies to reduce their risk of extinction.