Title of PhD: Assessing the vulnerability of river birds to hydrological disturbance
Supervisors: Dr Jon Sadler, Dr David Hannah, Dr Jim Reynolds
Alex’s project aims to evaluate the significance of river flow-induced disturbance events on the ecology of river birds. He is using data from the British Trust for Ornithology’s (BTO) Waterways Breeding Bird Surveys (WBBS) to model the relationship between river bird abundance and river regime and develop an index of vulnerability of river birds to flooding. He will also use the data collected from two field seasons on the Tywi River corridor, Wales, to investigate how the ecology of the little ringed plover (Charadrius dubius) is influenced by hydrological regime.
Alex’s current work is funded by a studentship awarded by the UK National Environment Research Council.
Alex previously studied Zoology at the University of Glasgow, where he participated in a number of tropical research expeditions as part of the university’s Exploration Society, before working as a Graduate Teaching Assistant for 6 months. He has since worked as a Species Text Author for the charity Wildscreen, to profile endangered species for their website, www.arkive.org, spent a year and a half coordinating conservation research projects in Botum-Sakor National Park, Cambodia, and worked for the RSPB to survey for Black Grouse in the Scottish Highlands.
Royan, A. and Metherell, B. (In press) The application of online wildlife imagery as an education conservation tool. In: Blewitt, J. (Ed.) The Media, Animal Conservation and Environment Education. Routledge, London.
Royan, A. et al. (2011) Population size and distribution of the globally threatened wattled curassow (Crax globulosa) and razor-billed curassow (Mitu tuberosa) in Bolivian Varzea. Bulletin of the IUCN/SSC Cracid Specialist Group, 32: 6-14.
Royan, A. et al. (2010) Variability in escape trajectory in the Trinidadian stream frog and two treefrogs at different life-history stages. Canadian Journal of Zoology, 88 (9): 922-934.
Royan, A. (2010) Significant mammal records from Botum-Sakor National Park, Southwest Cambodia. Cambodian Journal of Natural History, 2010 (1): 22-26.
Royan, A. (2009) Avifaunal inventory with annotated accounts for Botum-Sakor National Park, Southwest Cambodia. Cambodian Journal of Natural History, 2009 (1): 26-39.
Royan, A. (2009) Confirmation of the endangered fishing cat Prionailurus viverrinus in Botum-Sakor National Park, Southwest Cambodia. Bulletin of the IUCN/SSC cat specialist group, 51: 10-11.