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Contact Details Department of Biology (Area 4) University of York PO Box 373 York YO10 5YW Tel: +44 (0)1904 328588 E-mail: cd9@york.ac.uk Office: B/E001

Career Outline

1986	BSc	University of Leeds
1989-1990	Post-doc	Imperial College, Silwood Park
1990	PhD	University of Leeds
1990-1993	Post-doc	University of Leeds
1993-2000	Lecturer	Department of Biology, University of York
2000-	Senior Lecturer	Department of Biology, University of York

Research Interests

My research group is approaching the study of dispersal in a variety of ways: from practical field ecology trapping or tracking insects and plants, to purely theoretical approaches. My research has focussed on the evolution of dispersal strategies. Generally, dispersal is favoured when kin competition is strong and habitat is widely distributed, and selected against when suitable habitat is highly aggregated in space, although intelligent organisms, able to detect suitable habitat will be more dispersive. I have been applying models of dispersal evolution to questions of range expansions and invasions including the spread of human diseases. Models demonstrate that dispersal increases at range margins providing climate has made habitat suitable beyond the range, but that range expansion is slowed by an Allee effect. Further expansion of my research considers ageing in relation to dispersal, showing how suicide genes can arise, and the effect of inter-specific interactions.

Discoveries:
We have discovered that programmed death can be selected for in viscous populations.

Some Recent Publications

Travis JMJ, Brooker RW and Dytham C (2005) The interplay of positive and negative species interactions across an environmental gradient: insights from an individual-based simulation model. Biology Letters 1: 5-8

Dytham C and Travis JMJ (2006) Evolving dispersal and age at death.(doi: 10.1111/j.2006.0030-1299.14395.x) Oikos 113: 530-538

C. Dytham (2009) Evolved dispersal strategies at range margins. Proceedings of the Royal Society, B-Biological Sciences (doi: 10.1098/rspb.2008.1535) 276: 1407-1413

S.E.M. Fraser, A.E. Beresford, J. Peters, J.W. Redhead, A.J. Welch, P.J. Mayhew & C. Dytham (2009) Effectiveness of vegetation surrogates for parasitoid wasps in reserve selection. Conservation Biology (doi: 10.1111/j.1523-1739.2008.01069.x ) 23: 142-150

Current Research Projects

• The diversity of natural communities of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi: niche or neutral model? (joint with Alastair Fitter & Thorunn Helgason)
  Funding body: NERC
• The genetics, ecology and evolution of ageing (joint with Steve Sait (Leeds) et al.)
  Funding body: White Rose Network
• fishACE (joint with Jon Pitchford, York; Ulf Deickman, IASA et al.)
  Funding body: EU, Marie Curie
• Linking population and genetic changes during range shifts induced by climate change. (joint with Chris Thomas, Roger Butlin, Sheffield & John Bridle, Bristol)
  Funding body: UKPopNet
• Adaptation for future climate warming: the role of habitat creation in promoting species’ range shifts. (joint with Chris Thomas & Jane Hill)
  Funding body: NERC

Professional Activities

• Honorary Treasurer, British Ecological Society (2004- )
• Editorial board, Ecological Entomology
• Editor, Insect Conservation and Diversity
• Marie Curie More Senior Research Fellow, University of Potsdam (2006-2007)

PhD Research Projects Available for 2010

Modelling the impacts of climate change on species ranges (for 2010-11)
There is no doubt that in the current and future massive climate shifts that many species will either have to shift their ranges or adapt to the new conditions in order to survive. This project aims to utilise and develop an individual-based modelling approach to consider the combination of adaptation and dispersal. There are many questions to answer. Which species will have a reduced range under climate change and which an expanded range? Will it be possible for species to adopt a mixed strategy? Will high dispersal, paradoxically, be detrimental to long-term persistence of a species in a changing climate? How many species will persist and how many will perish?

The student will receive training in simulation modelling.

Supervisor: Calvin Dytham (University of York)

Modelling ageing, senescence and dispersal in a spatially-explicit, individual-based simulation (for 2010-11)
Building on recent simulation modelling (e.g. Dytham & Travis 2006), this project will explore the evolution of age at death in a spatially-explicit simulation model. We have already confirmed that individuals will die before the end of their reproductive life span if, through the increased survival of relatives, their inclusive fitness is raised. This type of result is clearly controversial and this project will expand and enhance the simulation model to explore the robustness of the general conclusion. The modelling will also incorporate a lot more age-specific detail and will explore, in silico, how reduced dispersal in humans may evolve to enhance post-reproductive lifespan where fitness benefits are gained through grandchildren.

The student will receive training in simulation modelling.

Supervisor: Calvin Dytham (University of York)

Dytham, C.& Travis, J.M.J. (2006) Evolving dispersal and age at death. Oikos, 113, 530-538. doi: 10.1111/j.2006.0030-1299.14395.

Lab Members

Status	Name	Project
Post-doc	Barb Anderson	Adaptation for future climate warming: the role of habitat creation in promoting species’ range shifts
Post-doc	Alex Dumbrell	The diversity of natural communities of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi: niche or neutral model?
Research Student	Robert Taylor	Dispersal and interspecific interactions in plant communities. Commonwealth scholarship.
Research Student	George Allen	Evolution of ageing in C. elegans. White Rose Network (joint with Tim Benton, Leeds)
Research Student	Joseph Chipperfield	Linking population and genetic changes during range shifts induced by climate change. UKPopNet (joint with Chris Thomas, Roger Butlin, Sheffield & John Bridle, IoZ)
Research Student	Chris West	Modelling North Sea cod stocks. NERC (joint with Jon Pitchford)