prof. dr. ir. C. (Christiaan) Both
Research interests
I am interested in how organisms adapt to large-scale environmental change. Almost any species in the world is experiencing radical changes in its environment, due to human induced direct habitat changes, or more indirect changes like climate change. If organisms do not adjust to these changes, they likely will decline. My research seeks to understand the capacities and constraints in adaptation, with a clear focus on long-distance migratory birds. Their annual cycles are tuned to seasonal changes across different habitats, and these habitats vary often in the pace of change. In Africa, humans change habitats directly, whereas at the European breeding grounds climate change is altering trophic interactions. How can these species persist? More broadly, I am also interested in how the speed of adaptation varies between species within the same food-web, and how this affects the functioning of ecosystems.