Demography and life history traits of a temperate colonial mammal, the little brown bat

温带殖民哺乳动物小棕蝠的人口统计和生活史特征

• 批准号: RGPIN-2015-06020
• 负责人: Broders, Hugh
• 金额: $ 1.53万
• 依托单位: University of Waterloo
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2019
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2019-01-01 至 2020-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=677700
• 关键词: Demography; life; history; traits; temperate

Understanding population biology is crucial for managing, monitoring and conserving biodiversity. Despite this, biologists have tremendous difficulty characterizing many key population parameters (e.g., size, productivity, etc.), even for common species. The objective of my research program is to quantify population parameters that are important for managing populations and to understand factors that cause variation in them. Ultimately, my goal is to measure how populations respond to environmental variation and understand the evolutionary causes and consequences of behaviors. My research program has a focus on bats. To date I have been working on movements of bats in eastern North America via field- and lab-based methods to understand the causes and consequences of population structure. Such information is important for understanding evolutionary dynamics, and management. In recent years, the need for information to inform management of bats is crucial, given the impacts of white-nose syndrome, a disease caused by a fungus that was introduced to North America and has reduced bat populations by >90% in 2 years. In Nova Scotia, it is no longer possible to conduct research at my study sites as their numbers have been reduced to near 0. In Canada three species of bat are now listed as `Endangered' by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada and in many provincial jurisdictions. The science and management community are currently struggling with how to manage the situation and my research program will make a positive contribution to informing this discussion.*** Because of the decimation of my current study systems I am moving my research program to Newfoundland and Labrador where there is still no record of the fungus. Further, based on its geography (i.e., an island) and molecular work that we have conducted it seems there is a much reduced chance the fungus will be introduced. I intend to undertake an intensive, long-term study of the factors that explain variation in life history parameters (e.g., size, reproduction, behavior) of little brown bats, a species that is typical of many temperate zone bats worldwide. My research is designed to incorporate training of undergraduate and graduate students. We will address questions that ultimately address factors that cause change in population size of little brown bats. Little brown bats are a typical bat of temperate areas and I expect our results will be generalizable to other species in other places. Specifically, we will quantitatively characterize behaviors at roosts, social dynamics, and measure survival and reproduction. and identify factors that explain variation in these parameters to understand their evolutionary causes and consequences. As the scientific community struggles to manage the devastation of bat populations a quantitative understanding of these parameters will be important.**

了解种群生物学对于管理、监测和保护生物多样性至关重要。 尽管如此，生物学家在描述许多关键的种群参数（例如，尺寸、生产率等），即使是常见的物种。 我的研究计划的目标是量化人口参数，这是管理人口的重要性，并了解导致他们的变化的因素。最终，我的目标是测量种群如何对环境变化做出反应，并了解行为的进化原因和后果。我的研究项目集中在蝙蝠上。 到目前为止，我一直致力于通过实地和实验室为基础的方法在北美东部蝙蝠的运动，以了解人口结构的原因和后果。 这些信息对于理解进化动力学和管理非常重要。 近年来，由于白鼻综合征的影响，需要信息来告知蝙蝠的管理是至关重要的，白鼻综合征是一种由引入北美的真菌引起的疾病，在2年内使蝙蝠数量减少了90%以上。 在新斯科舍省，由于研究中心的数量已减少到接近0，因此不再可能在我的研究中心进行研究。 在加拿大，有三种蝙蝠现已被加拿大濒危野生动物状况委员会和许多省级管辖区列为“濒危”物种。科学和管理界目前正在努力解决如何管理这种情况，我的研究计划将为这一讨论做出积极贡献。由于我目前的研究系统的大量减少，我将我的研究计划转移到纽芬兰和拉布拉多，那里仍然没有真菌的记录。 此外，根据其地理位置（即，一个岛）和分子工作，我们已经进行了它似乎有一个大大减少的机会，真菌将被引入。我打算对解释生活史参数变化的因素进行深入、长期的研究（例如，小棕蝠是世界上许多温带蝙蝠的典型品种。 我的研究旨在将本科生和研究生的培训结合起来。 我们将讨论的问题，最终解决的因素，导致小棕蝙蝠的人口规模的变化。 小棕蝠是温带地区的一种典型蝙蝠，我希望我们的结果能推广到其他地方的其他物种。具体来说，我们将定量描述栖息地的行为，社会动态，并测量生存和繁殖。 并确定解释这些参数变化的因素，以了解它们的进化原因和后果。 当科学界努力应对蝙蝠种群的破坏时，对这些参数的定量了解将非常重要。**