Demography and life history traits of a temperate colonial mammal, the little brown bat

了解种群生物学对于管理、监测和保护生物多样性至关重要。尽管如此，生物学家在描述许多关键种群参数（例如，大小，生产力等）方面遇到了巨大的困难，即使是对常见物种也是如此。我的研究计划的目标是量化种群参数，这些参数对种群管理很重要，并了解导致它们变化的因素。最终，我的目标是测量种群对环境变化的反应，并了解行为的进化原因和后果。我的研究项目重点是蝙蝠。到目前为止，我一直在研究北美东部蝙蝠的运动，通过实地和实验室的方法来了解种群结构的原因和后果。这些信息对于理解进化动力学和管理非常重要。近年来，鉴于白鼻综合征的影响，为蝙蝠管理提供信息的需求至关重要。白鼻综合征是一种由一种引入北美的真菌引起的疾病，在两年内使蝙蝠数量减少了50%。在新斯科舍省，我的研究地点已经不可能再进行研究了，因为它们的数量已经减少到接近0。在加拿大，三种蝙蝠现在被加拿大濒危野生动物状况委员会和许多省级司法管辖区列为“濒危”物种。科学界和管理界目前正在为如何管理这种情况而苦苦挣扎，我的研究计划将为这一讨论做出积极贡献。

Understanding population biology is crucial for managing, monitoring and conserving biodiversity. Despite this, biologists have tremendous difficulty characterizing many key population parameters (e.g., size, productivity, etc.), even for common species. The objective of my research program is to quantify population parameters that are important for managing populations and to understand factors that cause variation in them. Ultimately, my goal is to measure how populations respond to environmental variation and understand the evolutionary causes and consequences of behaviors. My research program has a focus on bats. To date I have been working on movements of bats in eastern North America via field- and lab-based methods to understand the causes and consequences of population structure. Such information is important for understanding evolutionary dynamics, and management. In recent years, the need for information to inform management of bats is crucial, given the impacts of white-nose syndrome, a disease caused by a fungus that was introduced to North America and has reduced bat populations by >90% in 2 years. In Nova Scotia, it is no longer possible to conduct research at my study sites as their numbers have been reduced to near 0. In Canada three species of bat are now listed as ‘Endangered’ by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada and in many provincial jurisdictions. The science and management community are currently struggling with how to manage the situation and my research program will make a positive contribution to informing this discussion. Because of the decimation of my current study systems I am moving my research program to Newfoundland and Labrador where there is still no record of the fungus. Further, based on its geography (i.e., an island) and molecular work that we have conducted it seems there is a much reduced chance the fungus will be introduced. I intend to undertake an intensive, long-term study of the factors that explain variation in life history parameters (e.g., size, reproduction, behavior) of little brown bats, a species that is typical of many temperate zone bats worldwide. My research is designed to incorporate training of undergraduate and graduate students. We will address questions that ultimately address factors that cause change in population size of little brown bats. Little brown bats are a typical bat of temperate areas and I expect our results will be generalizable to other species in other places. Specifically, we will quantitatively characterize behaviors at roosts, social dynamics, and measure survival and reproduction. and identify factors that explain variation in these parameters to understand their evolutionary causes and consequences. As the scientific community struggles to manage the devastation of bat populations a quantitative understanding of these parameters will be important.