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The Durrell Trust for Conservation Biology
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CV
PhD research entitled "Population genetics of invasive species: Characterising population genetic history and disease prevalence in the introduced population of ringneck parakeets (Psittacula krameri) in the UK" Supervisors: Dr Jim Groombridge (DICE) and Professor Byron Morgan (NCSE, IMSAS)
Lastly, the presence of parakeets in local parks and gardens is enjoyed by many, but their successful colonisation of the UK may carry unwanted consequences. This project will also survey the UK parakeet population for prevalence of a number of pathogens (including Psittacine Beak and Feather Disease), in order to understand the problems posed by this introduced species.
Research Objectives:
This project has funding from a University of Kent Graduate Teaching Scholarship, with additional support from IMSAS. |
What lessons can we learn from introduced species for conserving endangered populations? Many populations of introduced species are known to have been founded from very few individuals, but appear to avoid the problems commonly associated with small population size, such as loss of genetic diversity and inbreeding depression, whereas these same factors are known to be important in contributing to the population decline of endangered species. This project investigates these issues by characterising population genetic history and disease prevalence for an introduced population of parrots in the UK, as a comparative system to inform existing conservation studies on endangered species of parrots.
Introduced or invasive species are those species which have been introduced outside of their native range and which threaten native wildlife, for example by competing for or damaging habitat or acting as vectors for disease. As such, invasive species are a global conservation problem. One example is the ringneck parakeet (Psittacula krameri). Despite being a non-migratory species and native to the Indian sub‐continent and sub‐Saharan Africa, this parakeet has managed to colonise many parts of the world, including the UK. The introduced population of parakeets in the UK is thought to have been founded from just a handful of escaped pet birds in 1969. However, today the estimated population may exceed 20,000 birds and is possibly one of the fastest-growing of any bird population in the UK, a situation that has come to the attention of local and national government. 
The ringneck parakeets have flourished in their non-native habitats due to their ability to feed generally on a wide range of foods. Indeed, parakeets may become a concern for the UK agricultural sector because of the tendency of these birds to feed on orchard fruits as well as maize and sunflower crops, all of which are likely to become increasingly popular crops in the UK in response to future climate change. The growth of the UK parakeet population has been relatively well-documented over the past decades since these birds first appeared in the UK, providing a valuable study-system for examining the population genetic history of an invasive vertebrate species. We hope that studying the population genetics of this rapidly growing population can provide some insights into why populations of invasive species are so successful.