Population and community dynamics in complex environments

生态学理论旨在解释观测到的种群灭绝与持续、空间分布和群落组成的时空格局。了解产生这些模式的过程对于预测生态群落对开发或收获等人类活动以及对自然环境变化的反应至关重要。生态学家使用数学模型来探索小尺度上的过程如何相互作用，从而在大尺度上形成模式的一般理论。我的愿景是通过使用复杂的数学工具，将个人层面的行为与种群动态相互作用整合到可处理的模型中，以帮助预测种群和社区模式，从而推进生态理论。我特别关注的是个体对复杂环境特征的反应。我的研究应用于生态系统健康、保护生物学和自然系统的人类管理，对加拿大人和全世界的人都至关重要。在这个项目中，我将从以下三个方面研究环境复杂性，以解决生态学中的基本问题。******河流为人类提供了必不可少的服务，但在世界范围内却面临着严重的危险。鱼类种群受到破碎化、退化和非本地入侵物种竞争的威胁。运动障碍（如水坝、涵洞）严重限制了鱼类的传播途径，并容易切断部分河网。通过我的研究项目，我将阐明河网中物理结构和个体行为影响种群分布和物种灭绝的机制。* * * * * * 2。人类活动为生物物种创造了日益破碎的景观。交通走廊破坏了邻近的栖息地，造成了活动障碍或机会。农业和基础设施将栖息地细分为不同质量的小块。在这样的环境中，种群的生存取决于个体如何在迷宫中穿行、利用资源和避免危险。通过我的研究项目，我将把个体的运动行为与种群的动态相互作用结合起来，了解斑块景观中物种的生存条件、灭绝威胁和大规模空间分布模式。* * * * * * 3。温度或降水等环境条件的季节性变化影响大多数生态系统，预计这些变化的变率在全球变化情景下会增加。许多生态模型没有明确地包括季节变化，在预测生态系统对全球变化的反应方面作用有限。通过我的研究项目，我将把季节性变化的个体行为和环境条件与种群动态结合起来，预测季节性变化下的种群模式。**

Ecological theory aims to explain observed spatio-temporal patterns of population extinction and persistence, spatial distribution, and community composition. An understanding of processes that generate these patterns is essential to predict the response of ecological communities to human activities such as development or harvesting, and to natural environmental variation. Ecologists use mathematical models to explore general theories for how processes on smaller scales interact to create patterns on larger scales. My vision is to advance ecological theory by using sophisticated mathematical tools integrating individual-level behaviour with population-dynamic interactions into tractable models that help predict population and community patterns. My particular focus is on individual movement behaviour in response to complex environmental features. The applications of my research to ecosystem health, conservation biology, and human management of natural systems are of central importance to Canadians and people worldwide. In this program, I will work on the three following aspects of environmental complexity to tackle fundamental questions in ecology.******1. Rivers provide essential services to humans, yet are in severe peril worldwide. Fish populations are threatened by fragmentation, degradation, and competition of non-native invasive species. Movement barriers (e.g. dams, culverts) severely limit dispersal pathways for fish and can easily disconnect parts of the river network. Through my research program, I will elucidate the mechanisms through which physical structure and individual behaviour in a river network affect population distribution and species extinction. ******2. Human activities create increasingly fragmented landscapes for biological species. Transportation corridors disrupt contiguous habitat and pose movement barriers or opportunities. Agriculture and infrastructure subdivide habitat into patches of varying quality. Population survival in such landscapes depends on how individuals navigate through this maze, utilize resources and avoid dangers. Through my research program, I will integrate individual movement behaviour with population-dynamic interaction to understand conditions for survival, threats of extinction, and large-scale spatial distribution patterns of species in patchy landscapes. ******3. Seasonal changes in environmental conditions such as temperature or precipitation affect most ecosystems, and the variability of these changes is predicted to increase under global change scenarios. Many ecological models do not explicitly include seasonal variation and are of limited use to predict ecosystem responses to global change. Through my research program, I will integrate seasonally varying individual behaviour and environmental conditions with population dynamics to predict population patterns under seasonal variation. **