Avian Reproduction Dynamics and Ecomorphology in Boreal Ecosystems

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Canada's boreal forests are famous for their role as major breeding grounds for billions of songbirds. Yet, we know very little about the basics of avian reproduction in this vast ecosystem, let alone the mechanisms behind avian reproduction dynamics, mostly because of difficulties in getting reliable fitness data over extensive areas and entire species communities. In recent years, my Discovery Grant focused on habitat selection processes in boreal and temperate forests. My lab has shown experimentally that forest fragmentation does limit movements of songbirds, to the point of becoming an evolutionary force that has changed the wing morphology of forest birds after one century of forest landscape change. This suggests that changes in forest patterns directly impact the tradeoffs (fitness costs/benefits) associated to songbirds' habitat selection. Yet, the links between habitat fragmentation, habitat selection, and demographic and evolutionary responses remain poorly known. My next Discovery Grant will be dedicated to finding such links, through a set of projects focused on songbird fitness components and morphological correlates of habitat selection.