ruffler

"Our model shows that coexistence occurs naturally when species differ in their ability to catch fish and to efficiently fly long distances to the area where they catch fish," says Claus Rüffler, Associate Professor of Animal Ecology at Uppsala University.

"For all species, it would be most beneficial to fish close to the island because it would cost them the least energy. But bird species differ in traits such as wing length and how deep they can dive. Our model shows that different species, all maximising their energy intake, automatically use different distances from the colony," says Rüffler.

"Our model is fundamentally about coexistence and biodiversity. Understanding this is important in itself -- we humans have a desire to understand how nature works. However, such an understanding is also crucial for any management strategy for an endangered ecosystem. Also, we believe that our results contribute to ecology more generally because the mechanism for coexistence discovered in our model likely applies to systems other than seabirds," Rüffler concludes.

Iggy and Lee tell Rachel that this season Eric is playing the role of Feather Ruffler.

A ruffler of feathers and professed “bearded dwarf,” Mr. Dennis knows his way around a quip and tends to dole them out at a very high frequency.