Population dynamics and trophic interactions in arctic birds and mammals

在过去的22年里，北极一直是我研究计划的主要焦点。我的长期目标是了解人类引起的气候和栖息地变化对北极鸟类和哺乳动物的种群动态和营养相互作用的影响。我的研究主要集中在对冻土带的两个食草动物群体，迁徙雪雁和旅鼠，以及它们的捕食者的长期种群研究上。我将研究鹅的繁殖时间和气候变暖引起的食物植物之间的时间不匹配是否随着时间的推移而增加，并对它们的繁殖和羽毛换羽产生负面影响。我还将尝试纳入到一个人口模型的气候因素对雪雁生命率的拮抗作用，以预测未来的人口趋势，在各种气候情景。最后，我将评估旅鼠的人口周期是否主要由冬季食物资源或夏季捕食率控制，以及这种周期动态对气候因素的敏感性。这项研究的实地工作将在位于努纳武特拜洛特岛的实地工作站进行，需要在几年内进行几个月的密集实地工作。我的项目将为大学生物学研究生和北方学院环境技术专业的学生提供培训。我的研究对管理北极资源的机构有好处。例如，加拿大野生动物管理局利用我们的研究结果来确定狩猎法规和管理雪雁种群，我们与加拿大公园局合作评估和监测北方公园和保护区的生态完整性。我们还将通过举办讲习班、在学校和公众中举办讲座以及在北方社区举办科学材料和录像的临时展览，向北方人传播我们的成果。

The Arctic has been the main focus of my research program for the past 22 years,. My long-term goals are to understand the effects of human-induced changes in climate and habitat on the population dynamic and trophic interactions of arctic birds and mammals. My research is centered on long-term population studies of two herbivorous groups of the tundra, the migratory snow geese and the resident lemmings, and of their predators. I will examine if the temporal mismatch between the timing of breeding in geese and their food plant induced by climate warming has increased over time and is impacting negatively their reproduction and feather moult. I will also attempt to incorporate into a population model antagonistic effects of climatic factors on snow geese vital rates in order to predict future population trend under various climatic scenarios. Finally, I will assess if the population cycles of lemmings are primarily controlled by winter food resources or summer predation rate, and the sensitivity of this cyclic dynamic to climatic factors. Field work for this research will be conducted at the field station located on Bylot Island, Nunavut, and will require intensive field work during several months over a few years. My projects will provide training for graduate students in biology at universities and students enrolled in environmental technologies at northern colleges. My research benefits agencies managing arctic resources. For instance, the Canadian Wildlife Service uses our results to determine hunting regulations and manage the snow goose population and we collaborate with Parks Canada to assess and monitor the ecological integrity of northern parks and conservation areas. We will also disseminate our results to northerners by organizing workshops, giving lectures at schools and to the general public and organising temporary exhibits with scientific material and videos in northern communities.