Dr Emmanuel Nwankwo

Profile

I am an early career researcher focusing on conservation, biodiversity, ecology and climate change; to build on community-based frameworks for biodiversity conservation. Working to achieve sustainable use of natural resources to ensure a conducive environment for biodiversity conservation. I am currently working with Axel Rossberg to understand the intrinsic, environmental and other extrinsic factors that drive species turnover across different ecosystems and how it influences ecosystem services globally. 

My previous research focused on a wide range of tropical and sub-tropical environments in Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa, Eswatini (Swaziland) and the Mediterranean region (Cyprus). My research experiences include working on:

• Soundscape ecology and other methods of biodiversity measurements to assess variation in wildlife activity based on soundscape within the equator and southern regions in Africa
• Patterns of phenotypic and genetic variation in Pogoniulus tinkerbirds and their role in interactions at contact zones
• Investigate variation in Pogoniulus tinkerbirds focusing on the phylogenetic relationship between the species, determine variation in a song based on analyses from field recordings, variation in plumage and morphology from measurements of museum specimens and at contact zones in the field
• Diversity and abundance survey of bat species in Amurum Reserve, North-central Nigeria
• Influence of habitat availability on migration speed, refuelling patterns and seasonal flyways of raptors.

Expertise 

Excellent experience in field data collection, data manipulation, analyses, and visualisation. Experience in:

• R Programming
• Spatial modelling and GIS (QGIS and ArcGIS)
• Statistical and ecological modelling
• Soundscape ecology
• Phylogenetics and population genetics
• Morphometric analysis and avian plumage colouration analyses
• Biodiversity analyses
• Forest disturbance dynamics
• Climate change impact and amelioration

Supervisors:

Axel Rossberg

Research

Research Interests:

I am currently interested in the mechanism and prediction of large-scale ecological responses to environmental change. Other research areas of interest include Biodiversity conservation, Sustainable use of natural resources and Ecosystem services.

Publications

Sample Publications:

Edum, N. P., Ezealor A. U., Obiajunwa, U. P., Nwankwo, E. C. (2021). Observations of pollination ecology in Tetrapleura tetraptera (Schumm. & Thonn.) Taub. Nigerian Journal of  Wildlife Management, 5(1): 54-62.

Egu, E. C., Nwankwo, E. C., Offiong, E. E. (2021). Assessment of forest investment, financial flows and revenue collection in the Abia State Forest Sector, Nigeria. Journal of Applied Science and Environmental Management, 25(5): 745-753.

Alexander Kirschel, Emmanuel Nwankwo, Daniel Pierce, Daniel Pierce, Michaella Moysi, Bridget Ogolowa, Ara Monadjem, Alan Brelsford. (2020). CYP2J19 mediates carotenoid colour introgression across a natural avian hybrid zone. Molecular Ecology, 29: 4970-4984. https://doi.org/10.1111/mec.15691

Hadjikyriakou, T. G., Nwankwo, E. C., Virani, M. Z., & Kirschel, A. N. (2020). Habitat availability influences migration speed, refuelling patterns and seasonal flyways of a fly-and-forage migrant. Movement Ecology, 8(1): 10. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40462-020-0190-4

Kirschel, A. N. G., Nwankwo Emmanuel C., Seal N. and Grether F. G. (2020). Time spent together and time spent apart affect song, feather colour and range overlap in tinkerbirds. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 123(2):439-458. https://doi.org/10.1093/biolinnean/blz191

Nwankwo Emmanuel C., Mortega, K. G., Karageorgos, A., Ogolowa, B. O., Paragregoriou, G., Grether, G. F. & Kirschel, A. N. (2019). Rampant introgressive hybridisation in Pogoniulus tinkerbirds (Piciformes: Lybiidae) despite millions of years of divergence. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 127(1): 125-142. https://doi.org/10.1093/biolinnean/blz018

Ngwuli, C. P., Nwankwo, Emmanuel C., Mbakwe R. and Oti, V. O. (2019). Effect of phytohormones on vegetative propagation of selected Pterocarpus species on different soil types and seasons in the humid tropics. Nigerian Agricultural Journal, 50(1): 215-225.

Nwankwo, E. C. (2019). Variation in nightly weather conditions drivers of the echolocating bat communities activity patterns. Nigerian Journal of Wildlife Management, 3(2): 1-11

Kirschel, A.N.G, Nwankwo, Emmanuel C., & Gonzalez, J. C. T. (2018). Investigation of the status of the enigmatic White‐chested Tinkerbird Pogoniulus makawai using molecular analysis of the type specimen. Ibis, 160(3): 673-680.

Nwankwo, Emmanuel. C., Pallari, C.T., Hadjioannou, L., Ioannou, A., Mulwa, R.K. and Kirschel, A. N. (2017). Rapid song divergence leads to discordance between genetic distance and phenotypic characters important in reproductive isolation. Ecology and Evolution, 8(1): 716-731. https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.3673

Conference Proceedings:

Irene C. Onwunji, Ebenezer C. Egu, Emmanuel C. Nwankwo. (2021). Changes in vegetation cover across Nigerian States and Geopolitical Zones. Proceedings of 4^th Wildlife Society of Nigeria Conference, Makurdi, 15-18 September 2021.

Duruigbo, S. O., Ezealor, A. U. Nwankwo, E. and Onyenweaku, L. P. (2020). Seasonality in abundance of selected key insect species in three habitat   types   in Umudike Area, Abia State, Nigeria. Proceedings of the I^st International Conference of the College of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, MOUAU (CNREM 2020).

Collaborators

A. P. Leventis Ornithological Research Institute Laminga, Behavioural Ecology and Evolution Laboratory (University of Cyprus), Michael Okpara University of Agriculture Umudike