Behavioural ecology of ungulates: from individuals to populations

有蹄类动物的行为生态学：从个体到种群

• 批准号: 316189-2012
• 负责人: Ruckstuhl, Kathreen
• 金额: $ 1.53万
• 依托单位: University of Calgary
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2016
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2016-01-01 至 2017-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=595139
• 关键词: Behavioural; ecology; ungulates; individuals; populations

My research focuses on the behavioural ecology of ungulates, particularly Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep and elk. The objectives of my proposed research program are three-fold: 1) understanding individual behaviour, in particular female mate choice 2) exploring how sexual differences in behaviour and ecology impact the larger social network and thus exposure to and transmission of disease, and 3) understanding how human disturbance affects the sexes. Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep females typically mate with more than one male during their receptive cycle but only produce one lamb per year. Females may mate multiply to select good genes for their offspring, who are then better adapted to combat disease or resist parasite infections. Some bighorns leave their natal range to breed elsewhere, returning after breeding. It is not clear why they leave and where they go, but it is expected that males and females have different motivations and different extents to their migrations. Males are expected to travel further and come into contact with more mates than females, which in turn could put them at higher risk of parasite/ disease exposure. I am investigating to what extent males and females contribute to disease flow among populations. Understanding disease dynamics (who infects whom) and contact rates (who interacts with whom) is very important because such knowledge will ultimately provide tools for the effective management and eradication of diseases of national concern (i.e. chronic wasting disease, brucellosis, bovine tuberculosis, etc.). Lastly, I am investigating to what extent urbanization (human disturbance) affects wildlife disease prevalence and dynamics. To answer this, I am studying disease prevalence in elk by comparing a population living in the city of Canmore, to rural elk living in Bow Valley Provincial Park, Alberta. Canmore has grown rapidly, increasingly restricting habitat for native wildlife. While Canmore elk might be safer from predators and have access to high quality forage on municipal greens, they are likely exposed to higher disease transmission risks due to overcrowding compared to rural elk. Research of this kind is crucial, given the current risks to wild ungulates from habitat fragmentation and disease.

我的研究重点是有蹄类动物的行为生态学，特别是落基山大角羊和麋鹿。我提出的研究计划的目标有三个方面：1）了解个人行为，特别是女性择偶; 2）探索行为和生态的性别差异如何影响更大的社会网络，从而影响疾病的暴露和传播; 3）了解人类干扰如何影响性别。落基山大角羊女性通常与一个以上的男性在其接受周期交配，但每年只生产一只羔羊。雌性可以通过多次交配来为后代选择好的基因，这样后代就能更好地适应疾病或抵抗寄生虫感染。一些大角牛离开它们的纳塔尔地到其他地方繁殖，繁殖后返回。不清楚他们为什么离开和去哪里，但可以预料，男性和女性移徙的动机和程度不同。预计男性比女性旅行得更远，接触的配偶更多，这反过来又可能使他们面临更高的寄生虫/疾病风险。我正在调查男性和女性在多大程度上促成了人群中的疾病传播。了解疾病动态（谁感染谁）和接触率（谁与谁相互作用）非常重要，因为这种知识最终将为有效管理和根除全国关注的疾病（即慢性消耗病、布鲁氏菌病、牛结核病等）提供工具。最后，我正在调查城市化（人为干扰）在多大程度上影响野生动物疾病的流行和动态。为了回答这个问题，我通过比较居住在坎莫尔市的麋鹿和居住在阿尔伯塔弓谷省立公园的麋鹿来研究麋鹿的疾病流行情况。坎莫尔发展迅速，日益限制了当地野生动物的栖息地。虽然坎莫尔麋鹿可能更安全，不受捕食者的影响，并且可以在市政绿地上获得高质量的饲料，但与农村麋鹿相比，由于过度拥挤，它们可能面临更高的疾病传播风险。鉴于野生有蹄类动物目前面临栖息地破碎和疾病的风险，这类研究至关重要。