Causes and consequences of niche variation in humans and other predators: ecological and evolutionary insight into foraging, fishing and hunting

资源的利用将包括人类在内的所有活着的有机体团结起来。然而，作为竞争的结果，有机体往往占据自己的生态位，由所有可用资源的子集组成。不同的物种、种群甚至个体可以使用不同的资源。我们知道，这种变化对生物体所面临的生态和进化环境，以及它们的外观、行为和与其他生物的相互作用有着巨大的影响。不太为人所知的是，哪些过程可以塑造、重塑和维持这种利基变化。我的研究小组通过询问大型和自然支离破碎的景观如何影响大型哺乳动物捕食者从物种到个体水平的食物生态位差异来研究这个核心问题。 我们还研究了全人类中最有影响力的哺乳动物捕食者的生态位，以及猎人和渔民对他们的竞争对手和猎物的影响。重要的是要了解捕食者的行为，这种捕食者捕食任何捕食者中种类最多的猎物，以极高的杀伤率捕杀，并以种群中的大型生殖成虫为目标。 我的研究计划已经开发了一个长期的现场系统和几个以文献和数据库为重点的项目。在野外，我们研究了狼、黑熊和灰熊如何相互竞争，以及如何捕捞鲑鱼，鲑鱼是一种关键的中央资源。我们的数据库项目考察了渔业、自给性收割机和休闲猎人对共享猎物的生态和进化的全球影响。 预期的成果包括为从本科生到博士后的受训者提供一个丰富和富有成效的学习环境。我们的团队将对生态位变化的原因和后果有更好的理解，生态位变化是生物多样性中未得到充分研究的组成部分。通过这样做，我们的目标是为与捕食者和猎物有关的生态和进化理论提供新的见解。我们还寻求有关猎人和渔民的新信息，以确定可能减少与收获有关的影响的管理战略。总体而言，通过与野生动物和渔业管理者的接触，这些新知识可以造福于加拿大和其他地区的野生动物、鱼类和人民。

The use of resources unites all living organisms, including humans. As a result of competition, however, organisms tend to occupy their own niche comprised of a subset of all available resources. Different species, populations, and even individuals can use distinct resources. We know that such variation has enormous implications to the ecological and evolutionary environments organisms face, and consequently how they look, behave and interact with others. Less well known is what processes can shape, re-shape and maintain this variation in niche. My research group examines this central question by asking how large and naturally fragmented landscapes can influence variation in food niches from the species to individual levels in large mammalian predators. We also study the niche of the most influential mammalian predator of all human beings and the effects hunters and fishers have on their competitors and prey. It is important to understand the behaviour of a predator that consumes the largest variety of prey of any predator, kills at extraordinarily high rates, and targets large reproductive adults within populations. My research program has developed a long-term field system and several literature- and database-focused projects. In the field we study how wolves, black bears, and grizzly bears compete with one another and fisheries for salmon, which comprises a critical central resource. Our database projects examine the global influence of fisheries, subsistence harvesters, and recreational hunters on the ecology and evolution of shared prey. The intended outcomes include providing a rich and productive learning environment for trainees, from undergraduate to postdoctoral levels. Our team will emerge with a better understanding of the causes and consequences of niche variation an under-examined component of biodiversity. In doing so, we aim to provide new insight to ecological and evolutionary theory related to predators and prey. We also seek new information about hunters and fishers to identify management strategies that might reduce harvest-related impacts. Collectively, via engagement with wildlife and fisheries managers, this new knowledge can benefit wildlife, fishes and people of Canada and beyond.