Marion Cordonnier
Research in ecology on species interacting within anthropogenic landscapes
@Dr_M_Cordonnier
Research skills
Invasive species - Climate changes - Urbanization
Interspecific hybridization - Landscape genetics - Biogeography
Chemical communication - Behavioural Ecology
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Main Technical Skills
Analytical methods in landscape ecology or genetics
Bayesian clustering algorithms, least cost path and circuit theory, multivariate spatial analyses, ordination under spatial constraint
Molecular & chemical ecology techniques
DNA extraction, mitochondrial DNA Sanger sequencing, microsatellite loci genotyping, cuticular lipid extraction, gas chromatography (GC-FID / GC-MS)
Analyses and modelling of dynamic biological systems
Generalized mixed models, binary data analyses, multivariate approaches, parametric and non-parametric tests, similarity analyses
Wildlife monitoring in natural & laboratory environments
Ants: Sampling (direct search, baits, pitfalls), behavioral surveys (foraging activities, aggressiveness), common garden (>6 months rearing)
Birds: Behavioural survey in playback-response experiments, acoustic census (Common birds)
Mammals: Behavioural survey of interference competition (large mammals), Sociological survey (Pet cat)
Other: Shelters survey (reptiles), pop. displacements (Natterjack toad)
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Data processing / Specialized software
Biostatistics: R, R Studio, PAST
Informatics: MS Office, web, Inkscape
GIS: ArcGis, QGis
Genetic: Structure, Circuitscape, Genepop, Genemarker, NewHybrid, Seaview, Network, CodonCode Aligner, Clumpak, PopArt, GenAlex, Coancestry, PeakScanner…
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Languages
French: Native language
English: Fluent written (scientific English), Occasional oral practice
German: Basic
Research axes
AXIS 1 - Distribution patterns in anthropogenic landscapes
Urbanization and climate changes drive the biological response of many species which shift their distributions ranges. Based on an individual-based sampling scheme of 1690 samples of Tetramorium ant species along a large-scale climatic gradient and 19 urban gradients in the Rhône valley (France), I gave a first description of the climatic niche of four Tetramorium species and I investigated how urbanization structured the distribution of these species at four spatial scales.
More recently, I have started a new project whose aim is to decipher the anthropogenic drivers of ant species distribution. Based on a corpus of species from the Temnothorax genus living in different fragmented habitats, this project will allow to understand how spatial scales (from habitat to landscape) modulate the impacts of human in species distribution.
AXIS 2 - Global changes and biological invasions
Urbanization pomotes the introduction of non-indigenous species and expanding the habitats favourable to their establishment. Urban warming, through Urban Heat Island effects, may enhance biological responses similar to climate warming in rural areas. I tested this prediction for Tetramorium immigrans along latitudinal and urbanization gradients in the Rhône valley (France). I used a multidisciplinary comparative approach to investigate the geographic distribution, genetic diversity and structure of this species in the Rhône valley. I am now investigating deeply the impact of urbanization in the propagation of this species based on the measurement of behavioral and physiological impacts of different stresses such as light pollution, extreme temperatures or food fasting, using a comparative approach with a native species.
I also collaborated to the Invacost project, whose aim is to estimate the economic costs relating to biological invasions at a global scale.
AXIS 3 - Human-driven gene flows
Biodiversity faces growing pressures from human actions, including habitat conversion, degradation, and fragmentation. In this context, my research purpose is to investigate how and in which direction human impact on landscape affects intra- and interspecific gene flow, mainly in ants. At an intraspecific level, I studied for instance population genetics and gene flow between isolated populations of the ant Temnothorax nigriceps at different spatial scales (collaboration with Abel Bernadou).
But gene flows also act at an interspecific level. Hybridization between species has increased in recent years, often in association with anthropogenic environmental changes, sometimes resulting in the extirpation of one of the parental species or in the replacement of species pairs by hybrid swarms. I investigated the processes involved in establishing a hybridization zone between Tetramorium caespitum and T. immigrans. I combined approaches based on simulations with Bayesian and Maximum-likelihood genetic clustering to highlight the existence of backcrosses between hybrids and parental species, showing fertility of hybrids. I also used paternity analysis techniques to test the existence of pre- or post-mating sexual selection. Finally, I addressed the issue of inter-individual recognition mechanisms, mobilizing both behavioural biology and chemical ecology approaches. More recently, I have started a new project whose aim is to decipher the anthropogenic drivers of ant species hybridization. Based on a two Temnothorax species, this project will allow to understand how local human disturbances modulate the gene flows between species.
AXIS 4 - Interspecific interactions in human-impacted ecosystems
I firstly studied competitive interactions through collaborative research in large mammals communities of Sub-Saharan ecosystems (collaboration with Nicolas Ferry). Such researches focused on competition for access to good quality water in ecosystems where water is scarce and only maintained by humans during the dry season. These works were based on behavioral survey of large mammals around waterpoint and chemical approaches to measure the water quality.
I then addressed questions on competitive interspecific interactions in the context of biological invasions in ants. Invasive ants cause significant disruption to native species communities, for example due to competition with local species. During the invasion process, the ability to acquire resources and the direct competitive interactions with other species play a key role. I investigated these factors through behavioral approach centered on the competitive interactions between different ant species of both native and invasive taxa.
I am finally studying predation interactions in urbanized ecosystems. These researches investigate potential drivers of predation behavior by domestic cats, one of the most abundant predators and a serious threat to many wildlife species (collaboration with Emmanuelle Baudry). Based on 1,400 sociological surveys of cat owners, this work evidenced that the predation rates, regardless of the prey, were strongly influenced by the environment, especially by the factors relating to urbanization.
