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Professor Chris D Thomas
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Contact Details Department of Biology (Area 18) University of York PO Box 373 York YO10 5YW Tel: +44 (0)1904 328646 E-mail: cdt2@york.ac.uk Office: B/J2 |
Career Outline
| 1981 | BA | Cambridge University |
| 1984 | MSc | University College of North Wales, Bangor |
| 1988 | PhD | University of Texas at Austin, USA |
| 1988-1989 | Post-doc | DSIR/University of Canterbury, New Zealand |
| 1990-1992 | Post-doc | CPB, Imperial College at Silwood Park |
| 1992-1995 | Lecturer | School of Biological Sciences, University of Birmingham |
| 1995-1999 | Research Fellow | School of Biology, University of Leeds |
| 1999-2004 | Professor | School of Biology, University of Leeds |
| 2004- | Professor | Department of Biology, University of York |
Research Interests
Research in the group focuses on the ecological and evolutionary impacts of human activities on biological systems. We are particularly interested in the following topics. (A) The recent and potential future impact of climate and land use changes on the distributions of species, and on population- and species-level extinctions. This involves a combination of field work and modelling. (B) Impacts of habitat degradation and fragmentation on the extinction and survival of species in human-modified landscapes, dealing with the landscape-scale sustainability of populations and communities. (C) Will species be able to shift their distributions in response to climate change, given that they must cross heavily modified and fragmented landscapes to do so? (D) How do evolutionary (gene flow and selection) processes determine the dynamics and locations of species’ range boundaries. (E) Development of conservation strategies that will be appropriate and robust in the context of climate change. Discoveries We have documented northwards shifts in a wide range of groups of animals over recent decades, during a period of climate warming, and have recently identified that tropical insects have moved to higher elevations. We estimated that 15-37% of species may be committed to eventual extinction as a result of climate warming that is likely to have taken place (mid-range estimates) by 2050, and we have contributed to the development of climate-change adaptation policies for biodiversity. We have also collaborated in the development of conservation planning tools, resulting in the identification of priority areas in Britain and Madagascar.Some Recent Publications
Thomas C D et al. (2004) Extinction risk from climate change. Nature 427: 145-148
Hickling R et al. (2006) The distributions of a wide range of taxonomic groups are expanding polewards. Global Change Biology 12: 450-455
Hoegh-Guldberg O, Hughes L, McIntyre SL, Lindenmayer DB, Parmesan C, Possingham HP and Thomas CD (2008) Assisted colonization and rapid climate change. 321: Science 321: 345-346
Kremen C, Cameron A, Moilanen A, Phillips S, Thomas CD et al (2008) Aligning conservation priorities across taxa in Madagascar with high-resolution planning tools Science 320: 222-226
Chen I.-C., H.-J.Shiu, S.Benedick, J.D.Holloway, V.K.Chey, H.S.Barlow, J.K.Hill & C.D. Thomas (2009) Elevation increases in moth assemblages over 42 years on a tropical mountain Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, USA 106: 1479-1483
Wilson, R.J., Z.G.Davies & C.D.Thomas (2009) Modelling the effect of habitat fragmentation on range expansion in a butterfly Proceedings of the Royal Society, B 276: 1421-1427
Current Research Projects
- Linking population and genetic changes during ranges shifts induced by climate change
Funding body: NERC/Natural England, UKPopNet - The relative importance of microclimate and land use to biodiversity
Funding body: NERC/Natural England, UKPopNet - Adaptation for future climate warming: the role of habitat creation in promoting species' range shifts
Funding body: NERC - The role of ecological and evolutionary processes in the range expansion of grasshoppers and crickets
Funding body: CEH/NERC - Climate change and the ecology of the British uplands: the responses of northern insects, and the implications for threatened bird species
Funding body: NERC/RSPB - The impact of climate change on habitat use: implications for predicting species' range changes.
Funding body: NERC/EHFI - Developing effective adaptation methods for conserving UK biodiversity in the face of future climate warming.
Funding body: NERC/Natural England, UKPopNet - ClimBioHotspots: Climate change and areas with high species diversities at global scale.
Funding body: EC (Marie Curie) - Phenological synchrony and species’ range shifts.
Funding body: NERC/Natural England, UKPopNet - Changes to plant biodiversity in Britain.
Funding body: NERC/BSBI
Professional Activities
- Editorial review boards: Conservation Letters, Diversity & Distributions, Ecological Entomology, Insect Conservation & Diversity
- We actively engage with the press to disseminate research findings: at least 2000 press items worldwide have reported the findings of our research on climate change, extinction and declining species
PhD Research Projects Available for 2010
Estimating global diversity (project co-supervised by Dr Olivier Missa) (for 2010-11)Assessing the global diversity of insects, and the geographic distribution of this diversity, is important if insects are to be included within global conservation planning, as well as topics of scientific curiosity. This project will use model groups (including vertebrates, plants and some insects) to estimate the extent to which it is possible to extrapolate from local and national estimates of diversity to calculate global diversity. Having made such calculations, it will then be possible to estimate global diversity for groups for which local diversity samples are available, but for which global estimates are not available. The project will investigate correlates of alpha, beta and gamma diversity.
The potential for long-distance colonisation to enable species to respond to climate change (for 2010-11)
The ability of species to shift their ranges over long distances, in response to climate change, is likely to depend on the movement of small numbers of individuals across ecological barriers. This project will analyse long distance movement data, potentially concentrating on birds, butterflies and/or plants. The student will evaluate which traits of species are associated with rare, long-distance movement and colonisation. This information is essential if we are to develop conservation approaches (e.g., the need for connected landscapes) that will help species survive future climate change. The project will also help to identify appropriate strategies to facilitate the establishment of species outside their current geographic distributions.
Lab Members
| Status | Name | Project |
| PhD Student | Corrado Topi | Biodiversity indicators of global climate change |
| PhD Student | Alexandra Bell | Changes to plant biodiversity in Britain |
| PhD Student | Matthew Carroll | Climate change and the ecology of the British uplands: the responses of northern insects, and the implications for threatened bird species |
| PhD Student | I-Ching Chen | Impacts of climate change on tropical biodiversity |
| PhD Student | Joe Chipperfield | Linking population and genetic changes during ranges shifts induced by climate change |
| PhD Student | Andrew Suggitt | Modelling thermal components of habitat availability at species’ range boundaries |
| PhD Student | Rachel Pateman | Quantifying relationships between habitat use and temperature at butterfly range boundaries |
| PhD Student | Alison Jukes | The establishment of non-native plant species in Britain |
| PhD Student | Sarah Smith | The impact of climate change on European butterfly biodiversity, past and future |
| PhD Student | Pippa Gillingham | The relative importance of microclimate and land use to biodiversity |
| PhD Student | Björn Beckmann | The role of ecological and evolutionary processes in the range expansion of grasshoppers and crickets |
| Post doctoral fellow | Dr Kevin Walker (Botanical Society of the British Isles) | Changes to plant biodiversity in Britain. |
| Post doctoral fellow | Dr Irina Venevskaya | ClimBioHotspots: Climate change and areas with high species diversities at global scale. |
| Post doctoral fellow | Dr Barbara Anderson | Linking biodiversity and ecosystem services: processes, priorities and prospects |
| Post doctoral fellow | Dr Jon Bennie (based at the University of Exeter) | Metapopulation dynamics and climate change in a model system: the silver-spotted skipper. |
| Post doctoral fellow | Dr Tom Oliver (based at Centre for Ecology & Hydrology) | The impact of climate change on habitat use: implications for predicting species' range changes. |
| Visiting Researcher | Dr Ralf Ohlemueller | Assessing biodiversity risk from climate change and other drivers of change |
| Visiting Researcher | Dr Atte Moilanen | Development of conservation prioritization strategies |
| Visiting Researcher | Dr Jenny Hodgson | Metapopulation dynamics of the silver-studded blue butterfly in stable and dynamic habitats |
| Visiting Researcher | Dr Aldina Franco | Priority areas for the conservation of British biodiversity |