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Shandiya Balasubramaniam
PhD StudentEnrolled at: Zoology Department, University of Melbourne
SBalasubramaniam@museum.vic.gov.au
Impacts of habitat fragmentation on MHC IIb gene diversity in birds of the Victorian box ironbark woodlands
Human activities such as resource extraction, grazing, and agriculture have marked impacts on the diversity and abundance of species as a result of loss and fragmentation of natural habitats. The level of fragmentation and connectivity of remaining habitat patches are known to play a significant part in the longterm viability of populations. Thus, the impacts of habitat fragmentation have an important role in conservation biology. My study will investigate the effects of habitat fragmentation on the genetic diversity of immune system genes (MHC Class II ß genes) and parasite infection rates in an avian species, the brown treecreeper (Climacteris picumnus). The brown treecreeper is an endemic Australian passerine with a cooperative breeding system. Male offspring stay on in their natal territories and usually help the breeding pair to raise subsequent broods, while female offspring typically disperse to new territories. Previous studies on the species have indicated that habitat fragmentation has significant effects on the dispersal of females, resulting in a decline in abundance of the species.
My PhD forms part of a ARC linkage grant between the Monash University and Museum Victoria, involving a large research team that includes Jane Melville, Paul Sunnucks, Alexandra Pavlova, Alan Lill.
