Linking Sociality, Ecology, and Population Biology of Amphibians and Reptiles

我的研究计划的长期愿景是调查自然选择如何塑造两栖动物和爬行动物的社会行为。在接下来的五年里，我将阐明动物社会性的变化，它对个体和种群的影响，以及适应人为变化的潜在后果。我将使用一个综合的方法来实现以下短期目标：O1：研究个人社会行为在人为变化梯度上的变化。(HQP：1 Hons，1 MSc，1 RA over 2 years）.我们将研究个体东方红背蝾螈（Plethodon cinereus）在自然和城市栖息地的社会行为。我们将收集野生个体，然后在实验室中通过一系列重复的行为测定来量化它们的社会行为。为了研究人为变化的潜在影响，将在自然和城市地点之间比较行为特征。性状之间的变化和相关性也将在不同地点进行比较，以测试行为可塑性是否是城市适应的一种潜在手段。O2：测试城市和自然场所之间的社会性和人口动态差异。(HQP：3 Hons，2 MSc，2 RA over 4 years）.我们将对P. cinereus的复制自然和城市种群进行为期4年的标记重捕和行为研究，并将使用这些数据来：确定该物种的社会性（即，社会，交配和父母照顾系统）受到人为变化的影响，经验性地测试社会性和人口统计学之间的联系，并量化城市化对人口遗传学的影响。O3：将对两栖动物和爬行动物社会性的理解应用于它们的保护。(HQP：4 Hons，1 RA over 3 years）.我们将测试社会因素是否会影响淡水龟的发展，并利用我们的研究结果为加拿大的迁地保护工作提供信息。此外，在两个系统评价中，我们将评估社会性是否预测全球两栖动物和爬行动物的种群趋势和灭绝风险。 培训影响：15名HQP将获得宝贵的研究经验，为他们未来的职业生涯做好准备和激励。作为他们的导师，我将激励每个学生的科学个性和独立性的发展。我还致力于创造一种欢迎、包容的实验室文化，以支持HQP的多元化团队。我希望HQP能参加外部培训，出席科学会议，并发表他们的研究。科学影响：生态学、社会性和人口统计学之间的联系经常从理论上进行讨论，但经验证据有限。我的研究计划将通过将行为研究与传统的生态和分子方法相结合来增加对这些联系的认识。这项工作还将使我们了解动物如何适应环境变化，并促进将行为纳入保护行动和政策。

The long-term vision of my research program is to investigate how natural selection shapes the social behaviour of amphibians and reptiles. Over the next five years, I will elucidate variation in animal sociality, its impacts on individuals and populations, and its potential consequences for adaptation to anthropogenic change. I will use an integrative approach to accomplish the following short-term objectives: O1: Study variation in individual social behaviour across a gradient of anthropogenic change. (HQP: 1 Hons, 1MSc, 1 RA over 2 years). We will study the social behaviour of individual Eastern Red-backed Salamanders (Plethodon cinereus) in natural and urban habitats. We will collect wild individuals and then quantify their social behaviour with a series of repeated behavioural assays in the lab. To examine potential effects of anthropogenic change, behavioural traits will be compared between natural and urban sites. Variation in and correlations between traits will also be compared among sites to test whether behavioural plasticity is a potential means of urban adaptation. O2: Test for differences in sociality and population dynamics between urban and natural sites. (HQP: 3 Hons, 2 MSc, 2 RAs over 4 years). We will conduct a 4-year mark-recapture and behavioural study of replicated natural and urban populations of P. cinereus and will use these data to: determine whether this species' sociality (i.e., the social, mating, and parental care systems) is affected by anthropogenic change, empirically test for links between sociality and population demography, and quantify impacts of urbanisation on population genetics. O3: Apply an understanding of amphibian and reptile sociality to their conservation. (HQP: 4 Hons, 1 RA over 3 years). We will test whether social factors influence the development of freshwater turtles and use our findings to inform ex situ conservation efforts in Canada. Also, in two systematic reviews, we will evaluate whether sociality predicts population trends and extinction risk of amphibians and reptiles globally. Training Impact: Fifteen HQP will gain valuable research experience that prepares and inspires them for their future careers. As their supervisor, I will motivate the development of each student's scientific individuality and independence. I also aim to create a welcoming, inclusive lab culture that supports a diverse group of HQP. I expect HQP to participate in external training, present at scientific conferences, and publish their research. Scientific Impact: Links among ecology, sociality, and demography are often discussed from a theoretical context, but empirical evidence is limited. My research program will increase knowledge of these links by integrating behavioural studies with traditional ecological and molecular methods. This work will also inform our understanding of how animals adapt to environmental change and facilitate the incorporation of behaviour into conservation actions and policies.