Ecological dynamics of past biodiversity loss across comparative island systems

Islands have undergone extensive Holocene biodiversity loss associated with human migrations, with extinction dynamics shaped by interactions between species traits and the form and intensity of regional anthropogenic pressures. The Caribbean, Philippines and Madagascar tropical biodiversity hotspots have experienced particularly complex patterns of loss, retaining high endemism and specialism but dramatically altered ecosystem composition. Reconstructing long-term spatiotemporal dynamics of intra- and inter-island biodiversity responses to variable human pressures is critical in these conservation-priority systems. This PhD will build on IoZ’s ongoing work into the conservation information-content of long-term environmental baselines and pre-impact ecosystem distribution hindcasting. It will integrate multiple lines of evidence (colonial, archaeological, fossil & environmental records; remote sensing products) with statistical, geospatial and niche-modelling approaches to reconstruct species and anthropogenic distributions in the study systems, and phylogenetic approaches to identify life-history traits associated with extinction risk. It will determine comparative patterns of faunal loss in response to differing human activities and define biotic vulnerability within a predictive conservation framework. It will generate novel understanding of the fine-scale spatiotemporal dynamics of island extinction processes, informing future land-use planning and restoration.