Challenges and originality of the project: As super-predators, felines (e.g. jaguars, pumas, ocelots) play an essential role in regulating tropical forest ecosystems, particularly in regulating prey populations and stabilising fauna-flora interactions. However, deforestation, the expansion of agricultural land and mining activities are fragmenting their natural habitat and increasing interactions with humans, leading to conflicts such as livestock predation and transmission of zoonotic diseases such as toxoplasmosis. The project proposes to adopt an innovative non-invasive genomics approach, faecal DNA analysis, to gain a better understanding of the mechanisms by which felines interact with humans and domestic animals by adopting an integrated approach, exploring different facets of feline ecology: spatial, feeding, parasite ecology, and kinship structure in natural and anthropised environments. The project benefits from the complementary expertise of the members of the consortium in population genomics, trophic ecology, tropical ecology, parasitic ecology, and molecular developments carried out during pilot studies.
The Guiana Space Centre (GSC) is a vast protected area which contains a wide diversity of fauna and flora, including protected species. A partnership between the CNES and the Office Français de la Biodiversité (OFB) has allowed the detailed study of wildlife within the GSC for over 10 years, including camera-trapping, estimation of wildlife density, GPS-collars tracking, etc. A pilot study on faecal DNA has also been conducted, partly funded by the CNES, which has provided invaluable information on the ecology of felines.
Methodology: The project will focus mainly on the GSC as a reference area of wild habitats. We will also include the Réserve Naturelle du Mont Grand Matoury as a peri-urban protected area. Three different farms between Roura and Sinnamary will also be studied. The project is based on the analysis of over 570 faeces samples already collected at the study sites. Further routine sampling is planned on the sites. These samples will be used to study the genetics of feline populations, family structure, inbreeding, and dispersal, as well as their diet and the prevalence of parasites, particularly toxoplasmosis. Non-invasive genomics methods will be used to sex and genotype the individuals (SSRseq microsatellites), assess their level of relatedness, identify the wild and domestic prey consumed, and characterise the parasites present in the faeces through a metabarcoding approach and strain isolation.
Key questions of the thesis:
What is the level of competition for food resources between different cat species in natural and anthropised areas?
What are the impacts of habitat modification, through agriculture and urbanisation, on the use of space and feeding behaviour of felines?
How does habitat fragmentation influence the population structure and dispersal of felines in French Guiana?
What biotic (i.e. ecological interactions) and abiotic (i.e. environmental factors) mechanisms favour the presence of pathogens, such as toxoplasmosis, in felines in French Guiana?
Working hypotheses:
H1) As felines are opportunistic predators, their diet is assumed to vary according to their size, habitat structure and human hunting pressure, which determine the available prey communities. In particular, we expect lower prey diversity, more domestic prey, and strong competition for resources in agricultural/anthropogenic areas.
H2) Despite the increase in deforestation and habitat fragmentation, forest cover remains homogeneous, with no real break in connectivity over most of French Guiana. We therefore assume that felines can disperse on a large scale.
H3) Because of their greater interaction with humans and domestic animals, we hypothesise that felines living in agricultural/anthropic areas have a greater parasite load and are more likely to be carriers of toxoplasmosis, with strains that may vary in their genetic diversity and virulence for humans from one environment to another (i.e. wild vs. domestic cycle of the parasite).
Scientific and practical contributions: The results of this thesis will be used to guide feline management and conservation policies in French Guiana. They will contribute to our understanding of the epidemiological dynamics of toxoplasmosis and to the development of strategies to mitigate human-wildlife conflicts. This project will also contribute to the national action plan for feline conservation, in partnership with the OFB, the Institut Pasteur and other local and international institutions. It adopts a ‘One Health’ approach, integrating health, ecological and human dimensions.
In conclusion, this thesis proposes an innovative framework for the conservation of felines in French Guiana by combining non-invasive genetic techniques with an in-depth ecological analysis of the interactions between felines, their prey and humans in a context of increasing anthropisation.
For more Information about the topics and the co-financial partner (found by the lab !);
contact Directeur de thèse –
Then, prepare a resume, a recent transcript and a reference letter from your M2 supervisor/ engineering school director and you will be ready to apply online before March 14th, 2025 Midnight Paris time !
Profil
Master’s 2 in biodiversity, ecology, evolution or equivalent with a keen interest in conservation biology and population genetics. Must be able to carry out fieldwork in remote tropical areas – Practical experience in molecular biology and/or bioinformatics analysis of high-throughput sequencing data would be greatly appreciated, but training courses planned. – previous experience in wildlife-human conflicts desired – Skills in applying statistical tools with R. – Good oral and written communication skills in French and English. – proven record of scientific publication in English is desired
Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales
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