Dr. Zanette's Links:
For further information about Dr. Zanette and her research, please visit her website at:
http://publish.uwo.ca/~lzanette
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Position: Associate Professor Office: 207 Collip Building Phone: 519-661-2111 x88317 Fax: 519 661-3935 |
Dr. Liana Zanette
Population, Conservation, and Behavioural Ecology
Research Statement
Dozens of species of songbirds have declined in abundance or disappeared altogether from much of their historical range in association with large-scale habitat destruction, and changes in land use, on every inhabited continent. Rachel Carson’s warnings in the early 1960’s that excessive pesticide use could result in a ‘silent spring’ highlighted the effects of persistent toxic chemicals as a potential mechanism in these songbird declines. By identifying a particular mechanism, Carson’s work was instrumental in changing agricultural practices and thereby averting the disaster she foresaw. Unfortunately, the pattern of decline has continued. Surprisingly, the mechanisms responsible for these continued declines are not well understood. The long-term goal of my research program is to identify the mechanisms responsible for the global declines in songbird abundance. Through a series of rigorously designed, large-scale, controlled field experiments, I am testing the various mechanisms hypothesized to be responsible for these declines. This research is already being cited as a model for the experimental approach to the study of ecology and will have broad implications for the conservation of biodiversity. As in medicine, an accurate diagnosis is indispensable for both prevention and recovery.
