Ilke Geladi

Portrait photo of Ilke  Geladi

Ilke Geladi

PhD Student, Trip Coordinator, 2022-2023

Contact Details

ilkegel@student.ubc.ca

Research Interests

Ecosystem services, Forest Restoration, Landbird Conservation

Bio

Ilke Geladi is a PhD student in the WoRCS Lab under the supervision of Claire Kremen. Her research explores questions related to the conservation of landbirds in the agricultural zone of Santa Cruz island in the Galapagos archipelago.

During her undergraduate studies at McGill University in Montreal, QC, Ilke studied the evolutionary adaptation (or lack thereof) of two native fish prey species in response to a major impoundment event and to the introduction of an invasive predator in Gatun Lake in Panama. This fascinating study captivated her to join the research world.

Ilke continued her studies to obtain a Master’s degree in Tropical Biodiversity and Ecosystems through the Erasmus Mundus Masters Programme (TROPIMUNDO). During her Master’s work, Ilke examined what agricultural landscape features were promoting landbird diversity and abundance in Santa Cruz, Galapagos. She also conducted semi-structured interviews with farmers to gain a basic understanding of landbird-farmer interactions.

Through her doctoral studies, she aims to tie together aspects from ecological, evolutionary and social disciplines to help inform a conservation plan. More specifically, she will study the ecosystem services and disservices landbirds provide to farmers as well as the effect of agricultural landscapes on evolutionary processes. She will work closely with local stakeholders with the aim of identifying optimal sites within the agricultural zone for forest restoration to aid landbird conservation. Her work at IRES is supported by an NSERC-CGSD grant.

In her free time, you can find her hiking through a forest, exploring new parts of the world or sharing a beer with friends.