Two billion birds in SA

In this paper (Hui et al. 2009. Ecol Appl 19(8): 2038-2048), we estimated a total of 2 billion birds in South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland, using eight different models based on the occupancy-abundance relationship and the scaling pattern of occupancy. I am glad that the editor eventually chose our work as the front cover (see the photo of a black shouldered kite on the left). The Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America also reported our work in a small article (Oct 2009, 494-495), with a photo of Southern Marsked Weaver as the front cover. This small article also includes photos of Malachite Sunbird, Cape Bunting and Acacia Pied Barbet. This is the first time that my bird photos have been published by professional journals. All 5 photos were taken during the study. The Kite was taken at Eagle Encounter, Spear; the Weaver, Sunbird and Barbet were from my garden at home. I know them so well that I can distinguish each individual of their family living in the trees around us. The Bunting was taken at Cape Point NP by pure luck (the bird perched 20cm away from my camero for a few seconds).

Research Interests

Nature never fails to amaze us. My continuous interest is to apply mathematics in the field of ecology for a deeper and more fundamental understanding of emerging ecological patterns. This will not only enhance our understanding in the natural sciences but also challenge the development of mathematics. Scientific research, from my perspective, endeavours to measure natural objects, to quantify patterns and structures from these measurements, and ultimately to identify the mechanisms governing these patterns and structures. This is equal to unveiling (i) what patterns exist in nature, (ii) how such patterns emerge, and (iii) why nature organizes itself in such a way. My research, thus, focuses in three specific areas. First, spatial patterns caused by organism-environment feedback and biotic interactions, such as the consequence of niche construction, the origin of altruism (e.g. the evolution of cooperation), spatial complexity (e.g. from the Allee effect, overcrowding, competition, or predation), and the evolutionary processes (e.g. allopatric speciation). Second, the scaling patterns of species distribution and biodiversity, specifically, macroecological patterns such as the occupancy frequency distribution of species ranges in a community and the non-random aggregated patterns of species distribution and association. Finally, estimating rates of spread from a dispersal kernel. These three areas of research all serve to clarify the relationship among patterns, scales and dynamics in ecological systems.