We welcome Adrian Orihuela Torres, who is conducting a 3-month internship with us at the Institute of Nature Conservation (IOP PAN). Adrian is a doctoral student at University of Alicante, Spain. His research interests lie in the functioning of vertebrate scavenger assemblages in wetlands, and the factors involve in their scavenging dynamics. In his PhD, he focuses on the importance of different biotic and abiotic factors, as well as human disturbances that are increasing in these threatened ecosystems (such as outdoor recreation), and the effect they have on scavenger assemblages and their ecological functions.
During his internship, Adrian will analyze the effect of different variables (seasonality or carcass type), and specially the effect of water management (artificial vs. natural hydrology) on the scavenger assemblage and scavenging dynamics in Doñana Natural Park, one of the most important wetlands in Europe. Doñana is undergoing a severe drought, and is also suffering from numerous threats related to water management. This study will shed light on the effects of this “lack” of water on biodiversity and the ecological functions that the scavenger assemblages perform.
Adrian will make a presentation of his PhD project in our seminar at the Institute of Nature Conservation on 29th November at 13.00 entitled “Scavenging in wetlands: filling a gap in carrion ecology”.
by Carlos Bautista