We
are very pleased to draw your attention to a session at SETAC Europe
2017 with the title: Unravelling behavioural responses to human -
induced environmental change. The session is part of the main
track: Ecotoxicology becomes stress ecology (from populations to
ecosystems and landscapes). The meeting is held in Brussels, Belgium
7-11 May 2017. Details about submitting a proposal are available on the
meeting website https://brussels.setac.org/.
The deadline for abstract submission is 23 November 2016. We hope to
receive many fascinating abstracts and offer a platform to experts from
different disciplines and career stages.
We are looking forward to a fruitful meeting in Brussels.
Minna Saaristo, Kathryn Arnold, Tomas Brodin
Unravelling behavioural responses to human - induced environmental change
Chairs: Minna Saaristo, Kathryn Arnold, Tomas Brodin
Today,
almost all organisms on Earth live in habitats modified by the actions
of humans. Legislators and the media often focus on death or severe
reproductive malfunctions. However, animals that fail to forage
efficiently, avoid predators or attract mates will accrue zero
fitness. Many studies show human-induced effects on behaviour that are
predicted to affect fitness. For example, pharmaceuticals and endocrine
disrupting chemicals in the environment can alter reproductive and
foraging performance. Recently, it has been suggested that personality
might play an important role in population-level adaptation to new or
shifting environments. Behaviour, therefore, provides a sensitive,
non-lethal biomarker of responses to environmental change, which in turn
provides a better understanding of the mechanisms underlying
behavioural variation. The main objective of this session is to offer a
platform to experts from different disciplines and career stages who
will provide insights into the behavioural responses of animals to
environmental change with an emphasis on chemical pollutants. We
will focus on studies conducted at environmentally relevant
concentrations and unravel behavioural end-points that are
ecologically and evolutionarily relevant to fitness.