Ellie Dyer

Curriculum Vitae:

2012-Present: PhD Candidate - Institute of Zoology ZSL and University College London.

2010-Present: Coordinator, GAVIA: Global Avian Invasions Atlas Project, Institute of Zoology ZSL.

2009–2010: Research Intern, Sampled Red List Index , Institute of Zoology ZSL.

2007–2008: Environmental Manager, Bedruthan Steps, Cornwall.

2006–2007: MSc Zoo Conservation Biology, University of Plymouth.

2006: Research Assistant, the Scottish Centre for Ecology and the Natural Environment, Loch Lomond (University of Glasgow).

2003–2006: BSc Animal Science: Behaviour and Welfare, University of Plymouth.
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Research Interests:

GAVIA - Global Avian Invasions Atlas Project:

The human-mediated introduction of animals into new areas is a key driver of species extinctions and global environmental change, and a major drain on economic resources. Preventing new invasions is the best way to minimize their impact, but this requires understanding the factors influencing whether or not species establish and spread in foreign environments.

To this end, Professor Tim Blackburn and I have created a novel, spatially referenced, global data set on the distributions of exotic birds. The GAVIA database currently comprises over 27,000 distribution records for over 900 exotic bird species, based on over 850 published references and substantial unpublished information derived from consultation with over 600 organisations and experts worldwide. This represents the most comprehensive resource on the global distribution of alien species in any major taxon.

PhD Research:

Substantial progress in invasion biology has come from studying birds, where detailed historical and ecological information allows determinants of invasion success or failure to be explored. Nevertheless, significant gaps in understanding remain. Most notably, although the necessary stages through which a species passes to become invasive are relatively well documented (transport, release, establishment, spread), aside from a few case studies, the processes of invasive spread have largely been ignored for birds. Understanding these processes is critical in order to mitigate the impacts of exotic species, especially given the need to determine the likely effects of global change on the potential for species to invade new regions.

The primary reason for the lack of studies on invasive bird spread has been the absence of high-quality, spatially and temporally explicit data on the distributions of exotic birds. The creation of the GAVIA Project has rectified this data gap, and my PhD project will exploit the GAVIA database in order to address significant unanswered questions on the determinants of exotic species spread, and the potential impacts on native species and ecosystems.
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Supervisors:

Professor Tim Blackburn , Institute of Zoology ZSL.
Professor Kate E. Jones , University College London / Institute of Zoology ZSL.
Dr. Ben Collen , Institute of Zoology ZSL.
Dr. Phil Cassey , University of Adelaide.

I am funded by an Impact studentship between UCL and IOZ.
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Publications:

Curnick D., Amin R., Dyer E., Riquelme, L., Voirin, B. & Turner, C. (submitted) A population and habitat assessment of Bradypus pygmaeus within the mangrove forests of Escudo de Veraguas Island, Panama. Conservation Letters

Fontoura P.M., Dyer E., Blackburn T. & Orsi M.L. (submitted) Alien Bird Species in Brazil. Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências

Veitch L., Koldeway H., Gollock M., Collen B., Dyer E. & Baillie J.E.M. (submitted) A framework for investing in sustainable fisheries management to alleviate food security risks. Fish and Fisheries

Collen B., Dyer E., Whitton F., Soulsby A., Richman N., Böhm M., Cumberlidge N., Darwall W.R.T., Pollock C. & Baillie J.E.M. (in prep.) Global freshwater diversity and threat distribution. Biological Conservation

Bayliss H.R., Francis R.A., Curnick D., de Morais Jr. M.M., Dehnen-Schmutz K., Dyer E., Ramirez A.D., Shaw R.H., Stewart G.B. & Randall N.P. (in prep.) Making invaders pay? Limited perceived potential for the economic exploitation of invasive species in Great Britain. Ecology Letters