The Animal Ecology research group is a young and dynamic interdisciplinary group aiming at better understanding and quantifying the impact of global changes, in particular climate change and biodiversity loss, on wildlife ecology and diseases epidemiology. We are particularly interested in understanding and predicting how certain pathogens, especially those impacting on human health and animal production, spill over from silent sylvatic cycles causing diseases outbreaks in Europe and in the rest of the world. We combine research activities on animal behaviour with epidemiological surveys and mathematical modelling, producing numerical simulations and scenarios which could be useful for wildlife managers and public health decision makers to identify preventive and control strategies.

Our favourite animal taxa include large vertebrate (ungulates, carnivores), small mammals, birds, mosquitoes and ticks. We have experience on several disease models, but especially on TBE (tick-borne encephalitis), Lyme disease, Rodent Borne Diseases and West Nile Disease. We also work on several parasitic diseases of wildlife, especially those affecting small mammals and galliform birds.

Our  research  activities  is  often  carried out in cooperation with other research groups working at the FEM (GIS and RS platform, Biodiversity and Environment research group, Conservation Genetics research group) other than with several other groups operating at local, national and international level.