Dr. Peng He

Animal societies are shaped by pure social processes and the habitat environments in which individuals live. However, the role of habitat features in shaping the social structure and organisation of group-living animals remains largely overlooked and unexplored. By (physically or behaviourally) shaping when and where individuals move, the amount and spatial arrangement of the habitat components (i.e. habitat configuration) can impact which individuals more frequently encounter one-another, and in doing so shape the overall social structure and social organisation of populations.
During my PhD, I primary focus on exploring how habitat configuration can shape the patterns of social interactions of group-living animals using theoretical approaches, and discussing the consequences of this in ecological and evolutionary contexts. As animal habitat environments are changing (especially due to anthropogenic drivers), I’m also keen on discussing the implications of habitat change on the conservation of group-living animals under my research framework.