Functional connectivity and avian population ecology in intensively-managed forest landscapes

集约管理森林景观中的功能连通性和鸟类种群生态

• 批准号: RGPIN-2017-05102
• 负责人: Villard, MarcAndré
• 金额: $ 2.04万
• 依托单位: Université de Moncton
• 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=682391
• 关键词: Functional; connectivity; avian; population; ecology

Functional connectivity, the relative ease with which organisms move among resource patches, is a critical parameter influencing gene flow and population persistence, especially when habitat is fragmented. This parameter reflects the behavioural response of individuals to landscape structure and it is generally considered to be species-specific. Rapid developments in tracking technology have made it possible to monitor the movements of a wide range of organisms, but small animals remain difficult to track owing to technological limitations. For example, passerine birds, representing ca. 2/3 of all bird species currently known, cannot be tracked daily using currently available GPS tags, except for larger species. Until tracking technology allows documenting the daily movements of smaller organisms, we will need to design field experiments to gain insight into dispersal or habitat selection. In this research program, my students and I will use translocation experiments to create territorial vacancies and monitor the replacement of removed individuals. We will perform 25-km translocations in mixed forest plots surrounded by spruce plantations or similar forest (controls), to determine whether landscape context influences the replacement of temporarily absent males. We hypothesize that intensive forest management will influence the movements of translocated individuals as well as immigration of individuals potentially available to recolonize vacancies. Our previous research has shown that spruce plantations are much less permeable than deciduous forest to the movements of a migratory bird species (the Ovenbird). However, the specific mechanisms underlying this pattern and its consequences for habitat occupancy remain to be discovered. Therefore, we will perform translocations on this and two other migrant bird species to determine whether sensitivity to matrix type reflects the species' foraging niche (foliage gleaning vs ground foraging). Translocations will be performed on territorial males, whose response to matrix type and habitat fragmentation may differ from that of natal dispersers. The latter are thought to play a key role in functional connectivity. Hence, we will also capture individuals prospecting for territories during the post-breeding season and determine whether they return the following spring. This will make it possible to determine whether breeding site selection by first-year individuals takes place in fall or spring. We will also perform short-distance translocation experiments and track birds using radio-telemetry to test the hypothesis that landscape permeability is most strongly influenced by edge crossings rather than by the permeability of matrix types present. We will then use our empirical data to model bird movements using circuit theory and other methods. These models will be used to contrast forest management scenarios on focal species.

功能连通性，生物体在资源斑块之间移动的相对容易程度，是影响基因流动和种群持续性的关键参数，特别是当栖息地破碎时。 这一参数反映了个体对景观结构的行为反应，通常被认为具有物种特异性。 跟踪技术的迅速发展使人们能够监测各种生物的活动，但由于技术限制，小动物仍然难以跟踪。 例如，雀形目鸟类，代表CA。目前已知的所有鸟类中有2/3无法使用现有的GPS标签进行日常跟踪，但较大的物种除外。 在追踪技术允许记录较小生物体的日常活动之前，我们需要设计实地实验来深入了解扩散或栖息地选择。 在这个研究项目中，我和我的学生将使用易位实验来创造领土空缺并监测被移除个体的替代。 我们将在云杉种植园或类似森林（对照）包围的混合林地中进行25公里的易位，以确定景观环境是否影响暂时缺席的男性的替代。 我们假设，集约化的森林管理将影响迁移的个人以及移民的个人潜在的空缺。 我们以前的研究表明，云杉种植园比落叶林对候鸟物种（烤箱鸟）的运动的渗透性要小得多。然而，这一模式的具体机制及其对栖息地占用的影响仍有待发现。 因此，我们将进行易位，这和其他两个候鸟物种，以确定是否敏感的矩阵类型反映了物种的觅食生态位（树叶拾穗与地面觅食）。 易位将进行领土男性，其矩阵类型和栖息地碎片化的反应可能会有所不同的纳塔尔分散。 后者被认为在功能连接中发挥关键作用。因此，我们还将在繁殖后的季节捕获寻找领地的个体，并确定它们是否会在第二年春天返回。 这将使人们有可能确定繁殖地点的选择，由第一年的个人发生在秋季或春季。 我们还将进行短距离易位实验和跟踪鸟类使用无线电遥测测试的假设，景观渗透性是最强烈的影响，而不是由目前的矩阵类型的渗透性的边缘交叉。 然后，我们将使用我们的经验数据，利用电路理论和其他方法来模拟鸟类运动。 这些模型将用于对比重点物种的森林管理设想方案。