CAREER:Population Biology of Snowshoe Hares and Lynx in a Fragmented Landscape.

许多捕食者-猎物种群遵循可预测的周期，其中最引人注目的是雪鞋兔和猞猁的10年周期。 然而，在其活动范围的南部（包括蒙大拿州），野兔/猞猁的循环明显受到抑制，这可能是由于森林的破碎化导致野兔在数量增加之前就死在了开放的树冠区域。 作为一种专门的捕食者，猞猁反过来被认为是在这些地区的低密度非循环。我将使用标记重捕取样和遥测技术来测试这种可能的碎片化后果，并将首次使用猞猁毛发的DNA图谱来估计种群密度。尽管森林破碎化对许多物种的影响已经被调查过，但这将是第一次主要的努力来研究对猎物（野兔）和捕食者（猞猁）的影响。 在这个为期4年的研究中，我将寻求在人类改造的景观中推动循环的、相互依赖的物种的种群生物学的基本原则。 这些知识的好处被美国猞猁被认为正在下降并可能濒临灭绝的事实放大了。 该提案的一个关键部分包括开发一个长期和自我维持的实习生计划，本科生（特别是美洲原住民）在此获得实地经验和正式的教育培训，使他们能够将科学研究转化为教育推广。

Many predator-prey populations follow predictable cycles, with the 10-yearcycles of snowshoe hares and lynx among the most remarkable. However, inthe southern part of their range (including Montana), the hare/lynx cycle isapparently dampened, perhaps due to forest fragmentation causing hares todie in open-canopy areas before numbers can increase. As a specializedpredator, lynx in turn are thought to be noncyclic at low-densities in theseareas. I will use mark-recapture sampling and telemetry to test thispossible consequence of fragmentation, and will estimate, for the firsttime, population densities using DNA profiles of lynx hairs. Although effects of forest fragmentation have been investigated for anumber of species, this will be the first major effort to look atconsequences on both prey (hare) and predator (lynx). In this 4-year studyI will seek basic principles driving population biology of cyclic,interdependent species in a human-modified landscape. Benefits of suchknowledge are amplified by the fact that U.S. lynx are considered to bedeclining and possibly endangered. A key part of this proposal includesdeveloping a long-term and self-sustaining intern program, wherebyundergraduates (particularly Native Americans) gain field experience andformal educational training allowing them to translate scientific researchinto educational outreach.