Linking space use, individual fitness, and population dynamics to quantify the conservation value of geographic areas

将空间利用、个体健康度和种群动态联系起来，量化地理区域的保护价值

• 批准号: RGPIN-2017-03867
• 负责人: AugerMéthé, Marie
• 金额: $ 2.11万
• 依托单位: University of British Columbia
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2020
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2020-01-01 至 2021-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=709752
• 关键词: Linking; space; use; individual; fitness

Managing and conserving aquatic animals is challenging. Marine and freshwater animals migrate, change their distribution through time, and are difficult to monitor. The primary goal of my research group will be to develop tools to quantify the value of geographic areas for aquatic species. To do so, I will link movement data with body condition, stress levels, breeding success, and population size data. Determining the relationships between habitat utilization, reproductive condition, and population processes will allow my research group to identify habitats important to the survival of aquatic species, which is a crucial step towards conservation and management planning. Because the technology used to track the movement of aquatic animals presents technical challenges such as large measurement errors, a further focus of my research program will be to develop new statistical tools that can handle these challenges. While the methods I will develop will be applicable to many species in Canada and elsewhere, I will take a multi-species approach focused on three polar study systems from the Canadian Arctic and sub-Antarctic islands. First, I will use acoustic telemetry to identify the habitat use of native zebra trout and factors affecting the spread of introduced brown trout. Protecting the habitat of zebra trout and stopping the spread of the introduced species threatening them with extirpation are conservation priorities in the Falkland Islands. My work will directly contribute to the management of these species. Second, I will use satellite telemetry to identify the marine habitat use of gentoo penguins around the Falklands, where substantial fishing and oil development is occurring. Penguins are an iconic wildlife attraction in the Falklands, where tourism is the 2nd largest contributor to the economy. Understanding interactions of gentoos with industry, and how they affect reproductive performance, is crucial to management. Third, I will relate changes in the Canadian Arctic to variation in the distribution of narwhals and belugas. Climate change has led to declining sea ice, which promotes increased human activity (e.g. shipping, fishing, oil and gas). I will test the hypothesis that increased shipping and ice declines have changed the distribution of these species, information needed for the creation of a Marine Protected Area in Hudson Bay. The proposed research will create national and international collaborations with academic institutions, NGOs, and governmental agencies, and is designed to directly train 17 highly qualified personnel (2 postdocs, 4 PhD, 4 MSc, 7 BSc). My research will bring novel statistical tools to assess the importance of geographic areas to species. These tools will help answer ecological questions and will be designed to address important management and conservation issues for species with significant economic, ecological, and cultural importance.

管理和保护水生动物具有挑战性。海洋和淡水动物迁徙，随着时间的推移改变其分布，难以监测。我的研究小组的主要目标将是开发工具来量化水生物种的地理区域的价值。为此，我将把运动数据与身体状况、压力水平、繁殖成功率和种群规模数据联系起来。确定栖息地利用，繁殖条件和人口过程之间的关系将使我的研究小组确定栖息地重要的水生物种的生存，这是保护和管理规划的关键一步。由于用于跟踪水生动物运动的技术带来了技术挑战，例如较大的测量误差，因此我的研究计划的进一步重点将是开发能够应对这些挑战的新统计工具。虽然我将开发的方法将适用于加拿大和其他地方的许多物种，但我将采取多物种方法，重点关注加拿大北极和亚南极岛屿的三个极地研究系统。首先，我将使用声学遥测，以确定本地斑马鳟鱼的栖息地使用和影响因素的传播引进褐鳟鱼。福克兰群岛的优先保护事项是保护斑鳟鱼的生境，并阻止外来物种的扩散，使它们面临灭绝的威胁。我的工作将直接有助于这些物种的管理。第二，我将利用卫星遥测技术确定福克兰群岛周围巴布亚企鹅对海洋栖息地的使用情况，那里正在进行大量的渔业和石油开发。企鹅是福克兰群岛标志性的野生动物景点，旅游业是经济的第二大贡献者。了解Gentoos与行业的相互作用，以及它们如何影响生殖性能，对管理至关重要。第三，我将把加拿大北极地区的变化与独角鲸和白鲸分布的变化联系起来。气候变化导致海冰减少，这促进了人类活动的增加（如航运、渔业、石油和天然气）。我将检验一个假设，即增加的航运和冰的下降改变了这些物种的分布，在哈德逊湾建立一个海洋保护区所需的信息。拟议的研究将与学术机构，非政府组织和政府机构建立国家和国际合作，旨在直接培养17名高素质人员（2名博士后，4名博士，4名硕士，7名理学士）。我的研究将带来新的统计工具来评估地理区域对物种的重要性。这些工具将有助于回答生态问题，并将旨在解决重要的管理和保护问题的物种具有重大的经济，生态和文化的重要性。