Rachel Dobson​

​I have a broad interest in conservation biology, engaging in research that enhances our understanding of the risks facing species worldwide to improve their management. Specifically, my research seeks to anticipate how species may dynamically respond to future environmental changes, with the aim to inform more resilient, proactive management strategies. Prior to my doctoral studies, I explored the ecoclimatic drivers of avian population densities on a global scale. During my PhD, I developed near-term forecasts of nomadic bird movements in sub-Saharan Africa to support adaptive management action under extreme weather events. Currently, I am collaborating with Birdlife International to deepen our understanding of the potential impacts of future climate and land-use changes on birds and mammals inhabiting Key Biodiversity Areas within Ecuador, with a strong focus on the implications for ecosystem services.

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Position: Postdoctoral Research Associate in the Department of Biosciences

Supervised by: Prof. Stephen Willis and Dr Christine Howard

Email:  [email protected]

Twitter: @racheldobson98

​Research Groups: Behaviour, Ecology and Evolution Research (BEER) Centre, British Trust for Ornithology (BTO), British Ecological Society (BES)

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Education

2020 - 2024 PhD Biology, University of Leeds 
2016 - 2020  MBiol BioSciences, Durham University

Publications
DOBSON, R., CHALLINOR, A. J., CHEKE, R. A., JENNINGS, S., WILLIS, S. G. & DALLIMER, M. 2023. dynamicSDM: An R package for species geographical distribution and abundance modelling at high spatiotemporal resolution. Methods in Ecology and Evolution, 14, 1190-1199.

DOBSON, R., CHALLINOR, A. J., CHEKE, R. A., JENNINGS, S., WILLIS, S. G. & DALLIMER, M. 2023. dynamicSDM: Species Distribution and Abundance Modelling at High Spatio-Temporal Resolution. R package version 1.3.2. CRAN. https://CRAN.R-project.org/package=dynamicSDM.