Ian Montgomery

Queen's University Belfast | QUB · School of Biological Sciences

Wildfires are an increasing concern due to rising temperatures and incidence of droughts associated with changing climate, poor land management, and direct human interference. Most studies of the impact of fire on temperate heathland and bog examined the consequences of controlled or prescribed burning. Less is known about the impacts of uncontroll...

Introduced non-native species can threaten native species through interspecific hybridisation and genetic introgression. We assessed the prevalence of hybridisation and introgression between introduced European brown hare, Lepus europaeus , and the endemic Irish hare, L. timidus hibernicus . Roadkill hares ( n = 56) were sequenced for a 379bp secti...

Effective monitoring of wildlife populations forms the foundation of modern‐day conservation biology. Without reliable estimates of population size, it is not possible to determine population trends, a key requirement in determining species status under international legislation. Carnivores are one of the more difficult taxonomic groups to monitor...

Invasive species pose one of the greatest global threats to biodiversity. There has been a long history of importing coevolved natural enemies to act as biological control agents to try to suppress densities of invasive species, with historically limited success and frequent adverse impacts on native biodiversity. Our understanding of the processes...

The introduction of non‐native species to new locations is a growing global phenomenon with major negative effects on native species and biodiversity. Such introductions potentially bring competitors into contact leading to partial or total species replacements. This creates an opportunity to study novel species interactions as they occur, with the...

Hedgerows are an important component of agricultural landscapes, but in recent years have increasingly faced threats such as habitat loss, land use change, climate change, invasive species, pests and plant pathogens. Given the potential importance of genetic diversity in countering these threats, and the spatial distribution of such diversity withi...

Isotopic techniques have been used to study phenomena in the geological, environmental, and ecological sciences. For example, isotopic values of multiple elements elucidate the pathways energy and nutrients take in the environment. Isoscapes interpolate isotopic values across a geographical surface and are used to study environmental processes in s...

Understanding the evolution of local adaptations is a central aim of evolutionary biology and key for the identification of unique populations and lineages of conservation relevance. By combining RAD sequencing and whole-genome sequencing, we identify genetic signatures of local adaptation in mountain hares (Lepus timidus) from isolated and distinc...

Understanding the evolution of local adaptations is a central aim of evolutionary biology and key for the identification of unique populations and lineages of conservation relevance. By combining RAD sequencing and whole-genome sequencing, we identify genetic signatures of local adaptation in mountain hares ( Lepus timidus ) from isolated and disti...

Animal populations at northern latitudes may have cyclical dynamics that are degraded by climate change leading to trophic cascade. Hare populations at more southerly latitudes are characterized by dramatic declines in abundance associated with agricultural intensification. We focus on the impact of historical climatic and agricultural change on a...

In focus: Edwards, P. D., Frenette-Ling, C., Palme, R., & Boonstra, R. (2021). Social density suppresses GnRH expression and reduces reproductivity in voles: A mechanism for population self-regulation. Journal of Animal Ecology, 90, 784-795. Intrinsic population processes are important in the regulation of populations of small rodents, including t...

Newly planted broadleaved woodlands under agri-environment schemes lack floral diversity. The dispersal range and colonisation rates of herbaceous ground flora in thirty newly planted broadleaved woodlands in Northern Ireland were investigated during spring and early summer (2017). The colonisation rates of 14 species conventionally recognised as A...

Hedge density, structure, and function vary with primary production and slope gradient and are subject to other diverse factors. Hedgerows are emerging ecosystems with both above- and belowground components. Functions of hedges can be categorized as provisioning, regulating, cultural, and supporting ecosystem services; these functions include food...

Landscapes occupied by recovering carnivore populations in Europe are highly modified by human activity. It is unclear how recovering predators will adapt and sustain populations in highly altered landscapes, with most existing research focused on large carnivores. To address this we contrast population demographics and denning behaviour of a small...

Invasive species pose one of the most serious global threats to biodiversity. Investigations into the interactions of native and non‐native species focus on the impacts of single species, despite being embedded in a network of direct and indirect interactions between multiple species and their environments. We developed 1‐km2 resolution, single‐spe...

Invasive alien species pose one of the greatest threats to global biodiversity. In parts of Europe, introduced eastern grey squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis) have caused regional extinctions of the native red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris). However, exposure to pine martens (Martes martes) has been demonstrated to reverse the competitive outcome betwee...

Ireland, being an island situated on Europe’s western seaboard, has a fewer number of native species than mainland European Union Member States (MS). Increased numbers of vectors and pathways have reduced the island’s biotic isolation, increasing the risk of new introductions and their associated impacts on native biodiversity. It is likely that th...

Reef-forming species play a key role creating, modifying and maintaining important habitat and their associated communities. Globally, many of these habitats are extensively fragmented but our understanding of key ecological processes is drawn from older studies performed in less degraded environments with extensive reef habitats. We tested whether...

Invasive species pose a serious threat to native species. In Europe, invasive grey squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis) have replaced native red squirrels (Sciurus vulgaris) in locations across Britain, Ireland and Italy. The European pine marten (Martes martes) can reverse the replacement of red squirrels by grey squirrels, but the underlying mechanis...

Hares (genus Lepus) provide clear examples of repeated and often massive introgressive hybridization and striking local adaptations. Genomic studies on this group have so far relied on comparisons to the European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) reference genome. Here, we report the first de novo draft reference genome for a hare species, the mountai...

1.Energy availability and energy use directly influence an organism's life history, fitness and ecological function. In wild animals, abiotic factors such as ambient temperature, season and rainfall, and biotic factors such as body mass, age, social group size and disease status, all potentially influence energy balance. 2.Relatively few studies ha...

Human activity is increasingly altering the natural world. Yet the natural adaptability of most mammal species remains unknown. Seasonal and spatial influences on the diet of temperate carnivores tending towards omnivory are, particularly, poorly understood. The pine marten is one such species which in Ireland and Britain is of additional interest...

We are facing global environmental, social and economic problems that can only be addressed by action at all levels of government. For various reasons, governments worldwide are failing to act appropriately. Scientists cannot standby and wait for others to act at this critical dangerous time. Blueprint for Ireland considers the position of the Irel...

Endogenous circadian and seasonal activity patterns are adapted to facilitate effective utilisation of environmental resources. Activity patterns are shaped by physiological constraints, evolutionary history, circadian and seasonal changes and may be influenced by other factors, including ecological competition and interspecific interactions. Remot...

Tosh DG. 2018. Seasonal and predator-prey effects on circadian activity of free-ranging mammals revealed by camera traps. PeerJ 6:e5827 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.5827 Supplemental Information Figure S1. Activity patterns of European hares (Lepus europeaus) and Irish hares (L. timidus hibernicus). Due to the close similarities in activity patter...

Given their cryptic behaviour, it is often difficult to establish kinship within microchiropteran maternity colonies. This limits understanding of group formation within this highly social group. Following a concerted effort to comprehensively sample a Natterer’s bat (Myotis nattereri) maternity colony over two consecutive summers, we employed micr...

Spatially complex habitats provide refuge for prey and mediate many predator–prey interactions. Increasing anthropogenic pressures are eroding such habitats, reducing their complexity and potentially altering ecosystem stability on a global scale. Yet, we have only a rudimentary understanding of how structurally complex habitats create ecological r...

The cryptic wood white Leptidea juvernica is one of a newly-discovered species complex comprising three morphologically similar species in Europe. In the British Isles, L. juvernica is absent from Great Britain, but is widespread in Ireland, where it has experienced recent declines; it is classed as a priority species in Northern Ireland. Using a m...

1.Changes in species distributions through local extinction and colonisation events are a major consequence of climate change. The mechanisms underlying these processes, however, are yet to be fully understood. 2.We investigate the effects of climatic suitability and local rarity on local extinction and colonisation of British birds. We test the hy...

Environmental change has reshuffled communities often causing taxonomic homogenization rather than differentiation. Some studies suggest that this increasing similarity of species composition between communities is accompanied by an increase in similarity of trait composition—functional homogenization—although different methodologies have failed to...

Hedgerows often contain large numbers of tree standards which provide a range of ecosystem services in agricultural landscapes. A stratified random survey indicated that there are ca. 5.3 million hedgerow tree standards in the six counties of Northern Ireland, of which 2.9 million (56.7%) are ash trees (Fraxinus excelsior). Of the six most common h...

We report the first mountain hare (Lepus timidus) transcriptome, produced by de novo assembly of RNA-sequencing reads. Data were obtained from eight specimens sampled in two localities, Alps and Ireland. The mountain hare tends to be replaced by the invading European hare (Lepus europaeus) in their numerous contact zones where the species hybridize...

Introduced non-native mammals can have negative impacts on native biota and it is important that their ecologies are quantified so that potential impacts can be understood. Red-necked wallabies (Notamacropus rufogriseus (Desmarest, 1817)) became established on the Isle of Man (IOM), an island with UNESCO Biosphere status, following their escape fro...

Species Distribution Models (SDMs) rarely incorporate biotic interactions, even though the latter may have great impacts on biogeographical patterns, because interactions can be difficult to model in time and space. In addition, the resolution of input data can have dramatic effects on results, with coarser resolutions unlikely to capture climatic...

Management of wildlife is often a contentious issue in which stakeholders are increasingly influential. The European hare (Lepus europaeus) is a non-native invasive species, now established in Northern Ireland. The European hare impacts the endemic Irish hare (L. timidus hibernicus), a priority species of conservation concern, via competition and h...

The accumulation of biodiversity in space and time has been modelled extensively using the species-area relationship and the species-time relationship, respectively. Recently, these models have been combined into time-area curves in order to investigate spatiotemporal scaling of species richness. This study expands on previous research by applying...

Background The European badger is an important wildlife reservoir of Mycobacterium bovis implicated in the spread of bovine tuberculosis in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Infected badgers are known to shed M. bovis in their urine and faeces, which may contaminate the environment. To aid bovine tuberculosis control efforts novel diagnostic tests fo...

Niche conservatism is the tendency of related species to retain ancestral tolerances after geographic separation. We used Ecological Niche Modelling and Principal Components Analysis of bioclimatic and habitat variables to describe the extent of the species niche, and degrees of bioclimatic-habitat niche conservatism within the mountain hare (L. ti...

Biogenic reefs are an important component of aquatic ecosystems where they enhance biodiversity. These reefs are often established by dense aggregations of a single taxa and understanding the fundamental principles of biogenic reef formation is needed for their conservation and restoration. We tested whether substratum type and density affected the...

Hazel (Corylus avellana) has been a key species in European woodlands throughout the Holocene (10 KYA–present). Like many tree species, it is increasingly under threat from climate change, habitat loss and fragmentation, invasive species and emergent pathogens. As knowledge of the genetic structure of natural populations of trees is vital for manag...

Researchers based in Ireland or working on Irish ecosystems have had a long history of association with the British Ecological Society and its journals. During his BES Presidential address the English born Amyan MacFadyen, then based in Northern Ireland, had “some thoughts on the behavior of ecologists” (Macfadyen 1975). Macfadyen appealed for a mo...

Biotic interactions can have large effects on species distributions yet their role in shaping species ranges is seldom explored due to historical difficulties in incorporating biotic factors into models without a priori knowledge on interspecific interactions. Improved SDMs, which account for biotic factors and do not require a priori knowledge on...

Hedgerows represent important components of agri-environment landscapes that are increasingly coming under threat from climate change, emergent diseases, invasive species and land use change. Given that population genetic data can be used to inform best-practice management strategies for woodland and hedgerow tree species, we carried out a study on...

Questions: Are the germinable seed banks of upland heath and blanket bog reduced following wildfires? Are some species at particular risk? Do the impacts of wildfires on seed banks differ between heathlands and blanket bog? Location: Northern Ireland, United Kingdom. Methods: Vegetation surveys and seed bank sampling were conducted in 2012 at burne...

Identifying routes of invasion is a critical management strategy in controlling the spread of invasive species. This is challenging however in the absence of direct evidence. Therefore, indirect methodologies are used to infer possible invasion sources and routes, such as comparisons of genetic and morphological data from populations from invasive...

Background and aims: Studies on oaks (Quercus spp.) have often been hampered by taxonomic confusion, a situation further compounded by the occurrence of extensive interspecific hybridization. In the present study, a combination of genetic and morphological analyses was used to examine sympatric populations of Q. petraea and Q. robur at the north-w...

Camera traps are used to estimate densities or abundances using capture-recap- ture and, more recently, random encounter models (REMs). We deploy REMs to describe an invasive-native species replacement process, and to demonstrate their wider application beyond abundance estimation. The Irish hare Lepus timidus hibernicus is a high priority endemic...

In recent years, the native woodlands of Europe, including those of Britain and Ireland, have increasingly come under threat from a range of biotic and abiotic factors, and are therefore a conservation priority demanding careful management in order to realise their inherent ecological and cultural benefits. Because the distribution of genetic varia...

Resting metabolic rate (RMR) is a measure of the minimum energy requirements of an animal at rest, and can give an indication of the costs of somatic maintenance. We measured RMR of free-ranging European badgers (Meles meles) to determine whether differences were related to sex, age and season. Badgers were captured in live-traps and placed individ...

Bovine TB (bTB) is endemic in Irish cattle and has eluded eradication despite considerable expenditure, amid debate over the relative roles of badgers and cattle in disease transmission. Using a comprehensive dataset from Northern Ireland (>10,000 km(2); 29,513 cattle herds), we investigated interactions between host populations in one of the first...

Climate change during the past five decades has impacted significantly on natural ecosystems, and the rate of current climate change is of great concern among conservation biologists. Species Distribution Models (SDMs) have been used widely to project changes in species’ bioclimatic envelopes under future climate scenarios. Here, we aimed to advanc...

Genetic analysis on populations of European ash (Fraxinus excelsior) throughout Ireland was carried out to determine the levels and patterns of genetic diversity in naturally seeded trees in ash woodlands and hedgerows, with the aim of informing conservation and replanting strategies in the face of potential loss of trees as a result of ash dieback...

Despite recent advances in the understanding of the interplay between a dynamic physical environment and phylogeography in Europe, the origins of contemporary Irish biota remain uncertain. Current thinking is that Ireland was colonized post-glacially from southern European refugia, following the end of the last glacial maximum (LGM), some 20 000 ye...

In addition to abiotic determinants, biotic factors, including competitive, interspecific interactions, limit species' distributions. Environmental changes in human disturbance, land use and climate are predicted to have widespread impacts on interactions between species, especially in the order Lagomorpha due to the higher latitudes and more extre...

Background The European badger (Meles meles) is involved in the maintenance of bovine tuberculosis infection and onward spread to cattle. However, little is known about how transmission occurs. One possible route could be through direct contact between infected badgers and cattle. It is also possible that indirect contact between cattle and infecte...

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