I am a wildlife biologist specialising in the natural history, ecology and conservation of small carnivores. I am particularly interested in their spatial ecology, activity rhythms, diet and social organization. The acquired knowledge allows us to better understand niche partitioning and the potential impacts of top-down and bottom-up processes on these species, and conversely their potential impact on their predators and prey. Ultimately, a better understanding of both species natural history and ecological processes may help identify conservation needs and devise conservation actions.
I have so far mostly worked in Protected Areas (PAs), focusing on otherwise quite flexible small mammal species. Despite noticing drastic habitat differences between PAs and e.g. neighbouring livestock farms, most of the studied species are still present there, sometimes likely at similar densities. In some cases, the absence of medium-size predators may even favour the smaller carnivore species. It is also well-known that some generalist rodent species thrive in cropland areas, whereas specialists tend to be extirpated. I did not have the “opportunity” to observe the impact of human activities on the well-being of people per se, beyond the fact that there is a very inequitable allocation of land, hence affecting income, access to education, psychological well-being and overall life quality.
