FLEXIAUS

The ability to respond to altered environmental conditions, in which survival and reproduction are initially poor, plays a crucial role in the long-term persistence of plants and animals confronted to current global environmental changes. Adaptation to altered environments may be limited by genetic, developmental and functional constraints, but also by the type of the disturbance, the demographic characteristics of the population (life history strategy) and the phenotypic and ecological plasticity of individuals. Theoretical and empirical research in the past decades has advanced our understanding of these later limitations, but the role of life history and plastic responses remains poorly understood. First, the life history of a species might affect their survival when the popu lation is small due to stochastic factors and Allee effects. Second, the life history might be associated with adaptations -such as behavioral plasticity and ecological generalism- which combined with dispersal ability and social behavior may buffer individuals against environmental changes. In this project, we plan to study the role of life history and behavioral in the response to environmental changes, integrating comparative, experimental and modeling approaches. Using birds as model system, we will analyze the response to changes in the context of biological invasions, the urbanization process and climate change.