Dr Richard Inger

Postdoctoral Research Fellow

Role

Dr Richard Inger is an ecologist with two main roles within Environment and Sustainabiltiy Institute (ESI) . Firstly he will be exploring and quantifying the ecosystem services provided by birds. Secondly he will be coordinating Prof. Kevin Gaston’s research group. Rich is a member of the Biosciences department in the College of Life and Environmental Sciences.

Profile

Rich completed his PhD at the University of Glasgow before undertaking post-doctoral positions at Strathclyde University and Queen’s University Belfast. He joined the University of Exeter in 2008, within Prof Stuart Bearhop’s group in the Centre for Ecology and Conservation. Rich  joined the ESI in January 2012.

Academic and research interests

• the interaction between animals, their food sources and the wider environment;
• how habitat, prey availability and individual foraging decisions influence the current and future dynamics of both consumers and prey;
• uses a range of field, modelling and lab techniques, particularly the use of stable isotopes;
• applied conservation and management problems.

Selected publications

Strauss, C., Bearhop, S., Bodey, T.W., Garthe, S., Gunn, C., Grecian , W.J., Inger, R., Knight, M.E., Newton, J., Patrick, S.C., Phillips, R.A., Waggitt, J.J. & Votier, S.C. (2012) Sex-specific foraging behaviour in northern gannets Morus bassanus: incidence and implications. Marine Ecology-Progress Series, 457, 151-162.

Blount, J., Rowland, H., Drijfhout, F., Endler, J. Inger, R., Sloggett, J., Hurst, G., Hodgson, D. & Speed, M. (2012) How the ladybird got its spots: effects of resource limitation on the honesty of aposematic signals. Functional Ecology, 26, 334-342

Harrison, X.A., Bearhop, S., Inger, R.,  Colhoun, K., Gudmundsson, G.A., Hodgson, D.J., McElwaine, G., & Tregenza, T.,  (2011) Heterozygosity-Fitness Correlations in a Migratory Bird: an analysis of inbreeding and single locus effects. Molecular Ecology 20 4786-4795

Jackson, A.L., Inger, R., Parnell, A. & Bearhop, S., (2011) Comparing isotopic niche widths among and within communities: SIBER – Stable Isotope Bayesian analysis of stable isotope data. Journal of Animal Ecology 80 595-602      

Robb, G.N., McDonald, R.A., Inger, R., Newton, J., McGill, R.A.R., Chamberlain, D.E., Reynolds, S.J., Harrison, T.J.E. & Bearhop, S., (2011) Using stable isotope analysis as a technique for determining individual use of supplementary food in birds. The Condor  113 475-482

Witt, M.J., Sheehan, E.V., Attrill, M.J., Bearhop, S., Broderick, A.C., Cotterell, S.P., Crow, E., Grecian, W.J., Halsband-Lenk, C., Hodgson, D., Hosegood, P., Inger, R., Sims, D.W., Thompson, R., Votier, S.C. & Godley, B.J., (2011) On assessing the biodiversity impacts of wave energy: Lessons from the Wave Hub. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A 370 502-529

Inger, R., Harrison, X.A., Ruxton, G.D., Newton, J., Colhoun, K., Gudmundsson, G.A., McElwaine, G., Pickford, M., Hodgson, D., & Bearhop, S., (2010) Carry-over effects reveal reproductive costs in a long distance migrant. Journal of Animal Ecology 79 974-982

Inger, R., McDonald, R., Rogowski, D., Jackson, A.L., Parnell, A., Preston, S.J., Harrod, C., Goodwin, C., Griffiths, D., Dick, J.T.A., Elwood, R.W. & Bearhop, S.,  (2010) Do non-native invasive fish support elevated lampreys populations. Journal of Applied Ecology 47 121-129

Rutz, C.R., Bluff , L.A., Reed, N., Troscianko, J., Newton, J., Inger, R., Kacelnik, A., & Bearhop, S., (2010) The ecological significance of tool use in New Caledonian crows. Science 329 1523-1525      

Harrison, X.A., Tregenza, T., Inger, R., Colhoun, K., Dawson, D.A., Gudmundsson, G.A., Hodgson, D.J., Horsburgh, G.J., McElwaine, G., & Bearhop, S., (2010) Cultural inheritance drives site fidelity and migratory connectivity in a long distance migrant. Molecular Ecology 19  5484-5496              

Harrison, X.A., Blount, J., Inger, R., & Bearhop, S., (2010) Carry-over effects as drivers of fitness in animals. Journal of Animal Ecology 79 974-982

Parnell, A., Inger, R., Bearhop, S., & Jackson, A.L., (2010) Source partitioning using stable isotopes: coping with variation. Plos One 3 e9672

Grecian, W.J., Inger, R., Attrill, M.J., Bearhop, S., Godley, B.J., Witt, M.J., Votier, S.C., (2010) Potential impacts of wave-powered marine renewable energy installations on marine birds. Ibis 152 683-697           

Voiter, S.C., Bearhop, S., Witt, M., Inger, R., Thompson, D., & Newton, J., (2010) Individual variation in foraging ecology of a central place predator: Linking seabirds with commercial fisheries. Journal of Applied Ecology 47 487-497

Inger, R., Attrill, M.J., Bearhop, S., Broderick, A.C., Grecian, W.J., Hodgson, D.J., Mills, C., Sheehan, E., Voiter, S.C., Witt, M.J. & Godley, B., (2009) Marine Renewable Energy: Not all bad news for biodiversity. Journal of Applied Ecology 46 1145-1153    

Jackson, A., Inger, R., Bearhop, S., & Parnell, A., (2009) Erroneous behaviour of MixSIR, a recently published Bayesian isotope mixing model: a discussion of Moore & Semmens. Ecology Letters, 2008. Ecology Letters 12 E1–E5   

Inger, R., & Bearhop, S., (2008) Applications of stable isotope analysis in ornithological research. Ibis 150 447–461

Inger, R., Ruxton, G., Newton, J., Colhoun, K., Gudmundsson, G., & Bearhop.S., (2008) Habitat utilisation during staging affects body condition in a long distance migrant: Potential impacts on fitness? Journal of Avian Biology 39 704-708

Inger, R., Ruxton, G.D., Newton, J., Colhoun, K., Robinson, J.A., Jackson, A.L., & Bearhop, S., (2006) Temporal and intrapopulation variation in prey choice of wintering geese determined by stable isotope analysis. Journal of Animal Ecology 75 1190-1200

Inger, R., Ruxton, G.D., Newton, J., Colhoun, K., Mackie, K., Robinson, J.A., & Bearhop, S., (2006) Using daily ration models and stable isotope analysis to predict biomass depletion by herbivores. Journal of Applied Ecology 43 1022-1030

Inger, R., Bearhop, S., Robinson, J.A., & Ruxton, G., (2006) Prey choice affects the trade-off balance between predation and starvation in an avian herbivore. Animal Behaviour 71 1335-1341.

Qualifications 

• 2006 PhD Glasgow University
• 2003 MSc Napier University
• 1991 BSc Sheffield University

Contact details