Developing multivariate approaches to analyze ecological and genetic variation in caribou and other highly-vagile mammals

我之前对狼的研究和我的实验室对驯鹿的初步发现表明，驯鹿、麋鹿和狼等高度灵活的生物可能是识别进化重要单位的理想研究物种。由于地形障碍对这些物种的生殖隔离的影响有限，因此可以研究对分化的其他影响，包括对保护目的可能也很重要的一套性状。我将与一名博士、两名硕士生和一名技术员一起，以北美驯鹿为模式物种，研究冰川后事件、景观特征和近期基因流动对北方物种分化的影响。我们还将把驯鹿的数据与现有的麋鹿和狼的数据集（分别是过去的NSERC和NSF项目）进行比较。该项目旨在利用北美驯鹿、麋鹿和狼的GPS信息，并通过资源选择函数（Resource Selection Functions）表征栖息地的适宜性，开发一个多元摩擦图（代表在景观中移动的成本）。从理论的角度来看，我们将建立综合多元模型来预测个体驯鹿对的遗传亲缘关系水平，这取决于生境因素和分类地位。这是一种新颖的分析方法（承认需要从人口水平的分析转变），它将允许测试地理距离对遗传距离的影响，并将其与地形障碍的影响和在景观中移动的实际成本进行比较。该研究项目将在加拿大落基山脉及其邻近地区取样，沿着整个冰川后的驯鹿分布，以确定苔原/林地入侵的程度，这可能是一个冰川后的事件（我的实验室目前有信息，但仅适用于落基山脉南部）。因此，这个新的研究项目提供了分子数据，并将其与现有的生态数据相结合，目的是通过采用一种可以作为陆生物种一般模型方法的原始方法，了解北美驯鹿（即敏感和受威胁的物种）、麋鹿或狼的空间分化模式。

My previous work on wolves and my lab's initial findings on caribou demonstrate how highly vagile organisms such as caribou, elk and wolves may be ideal study species to recognize Evolutionary Significant Units. Since the effects of topographic barriers on reproductive isolation are limited in these species, other influences on differentiation can be studied, including a suite of traits that may also be important for conservation purposes. Together with one PhD, two Master students and one technician, I will study the influence of post-glacial events, landscape features and recent gene flow on differentiation of northern species, using caribou as model species. We will also compare caribou data to existing datasets on elk and wolves (past NSERC and NSF projects, respectively). This program aims at developing a multivariate friction map (representing the cost of movement through the landscape) by using GPS information available on caribou, elk and wolves and by characterizing habitat suitability by means of Resource Selection Functions. From a theoretical point of view, we will contribute integrative multivariate models to predict the levels of genetic relatedness of individual caribou pairs dependent upon habitat factors and upon taxonomic status. This is a novel analytical approach (acknowledging need for shift from population-level analyses) that will allow testing the effects on genetic distance of geographic distance and comparing this to the effects of topographic barriers and of the realistic cost of movement through the landscape. The research program will sample in the Canadian Rockies and contiguous areas along the entire post-glacial distribution of caribou to determine the extent of tundra/woodland introgression, likely a post-glacial event (information currently available in my lab, but for the southern Rockies only). This new research program therefore contributes molecular data and integrates it with existing ecological data with the purpose of understanding spatial patterns of differentiation that could be maintained in caribou (i.e. a sensitive and threatened species) and in elk or wolves by employing an original methodology that could serve as a model approach for terrestrial species in general.