Causes and consequences of niche variation in humans and other predators: ecological and evolutionary insight into foraging, fishing and hunting

资源的利用将包括人类在内的所有生物联合起来。然而，由于竞争的结果，生物倾向于占据由所有可用资源的子集组成的自己的生态位。不同的物种、种群甚至个体都可以使用不同的资源。我们知道，这种变异对生物体所面临的生态和进化环境有着巨大的影响，从而影响它们的外观、行为和相互作用。不太为人所知的是，什么过程可以塑造、重新塑造和维持这种生态位的变化。我的研究小组通过询问大型自然破碎的景观如何影响大型哺乳动物捕食者从物种到个体水平的食物生态位变化来研究这个核心问题。我们还研究了最具影响力的哺乳动物捕食者——人类——的生态位，以及猎人和渔民对其竞争对手和猎物的影响。了解一种捕食者的行为是很重要的，它消耗的猎物种类是所有捕食者中最多的，杀戮率非常高，并以种群中大型繁殖成虫为目标。我的研究计划发展了一个长期的实地系统和几个以文献和数据库为重点的项目。在野外，我们研究狼、黑熊和灰熊如何相互竞争，以及如何与渔场竞争鲑鱼，这是一种重要的核心资源。我们的数据库项目研究了渔业、自给采集者和休闲猎人对共享猎物生态和进化的全球影响。预期的结果包括为从本科到博士后水平的受训者提供丰富而富有成效的学习环境。我们的团队将对生态位变化的原因和后果有更好的了解，生态位变化是生物多样性中一个尚未得到充分研究的组成部分。在此过程中，我们的目标是为与捕食者和猎物相关的生态和进化理论提供新的见解。我们还寻求有关猎人和渔民的新信息，以确定可能减少收获相关影响的管理策略。总的来说，通过与野生动物和渔业管理人员的合作，这些新知识可以使加拿大及其他地区的野生动物、鱼类和人民受益。

The use of resources unites all living organisms, including humans. As a result of competition, however, organisms tend to occupy their own niche comprised of a subset of all available resources. Different species, populations, and even individuals can use distinct resources. We know that such variation has enormous implications to the ecological and evolutionary environments organisms face, and consequently how they look, behave and interact with others. Less well known is what processes can shape, re-shape and maintain this variation in niche. My research group examines this central question by asking how large and naturally fragmented landscapes can influence variation in food niches from the species to individual levels in large mammalian predators. We also study the niche of the most influential mammalian predator of all - human beings - and the effects hunters and fishers have on their competitors and prey. It is important to understand the behaviour of a predator that consumes the largest variety of prey of any predator, kills at extraordinarily high rates, and targets large reproductive adults within populations. My research program has developed a long-term field system and several literature- and database-focused projects. In the field we study how wolves, black bears, and grizzly bears compete with one another - and fisheries - for salmon, which comprises a critical central resource. Our database projects examine the global influence of fisheries, subsistence harvesters, and recreational hunters on the ecology and evolution of shared prey. The intended outcomes include providing a rich and productive learning environment for trainees, from undergraduate to postdoctoral levels. Our team will emerge with a better understanding of the causes and consequences of niche variation - an under-examined component of biodiversity. In doing so, we aim to provide new insight to ecological and evolutionary theory related to predators and prey. We also seek new information about hunters and fishers to identify management strategies that might reduce harvest-related impacts. Collectively, via engagement with wildlife and fisheries managers, this new knowledge can benefit wildlife, fishes and people of Canada and beyond.