IBBC is a recently launched (01-2008) research group within the IMEP (Dept 2: Organization and Vulnerability of Ecological Systems) that aims at developing some integrative studies in ecology and biology, focusing on interactions between species and particularly dedicated to:

the better understanding of different categories of biotic interactions likely to influence life-history traits and demographic outputs of endangered or invasive species (predation, competition, dispersal), or conversely likely to drive ecosystem dynamics (guano manuring, overgrazing, disruption of ecosystem services…)

the development and the implementation of populations and ecosystems conservation and restoration programmes by manipulating biotic interactions (removal of invasive species for ex.)

Biological invasions and island ecology constitute the main (but not the sole) frames for developing these studies thanks to the combination of different approach levels (individual, population, ecosystem) and the articulation of fieldwork and lab experiments. Our main biological models are birds, invasive mammals and ants.

Key-words: predation, competition, dispersal, chemical communication, olfactory signatures, diet studies, social structures, population dynamics

More information and contact: eric.vidal@univ-cezanne.fr