Selected Ongoing Research:
Eco-evolutionary Dynamics of Behaviour
Generally, behavioural ecologists have thought that the evolution of sociality is a result of social behaviours conferring a benefit to an individual's fitness. However, apart from a notable few, examples of social behaviours contributing to individual fitness are rare. Similarly under-explored is the link between sociality and the population dynamics which ultimately contributes to the evolution of a given trait. Here I use ungulates as a model social system to further understand how measures of sociality can influence an individual's fitness, population dynamics, and eco-evolutionary feedbacks (e.g., bighorn sheep in AB with F. Pelletier and M. Festa-Bianchet, and now with caribou in NFLD).
Ecological Factors Affecting Sociality
Sociality is not uncommon among mammals. The most basic social behaviour is when the actions of one conspecific are directed toward another conspecific (i.e., dyadic interaction). Dyadic interactions not only form the basis for social structure and information transfer within a population, but are also routes of pathogen transmission. Intrinsic (e.g., sex, relatedness) and extrinsic (e.g., density, habitat) factors can affect an individual’s social behaviour. Elk (Cervus canadensis) in Riding Mountain National Park (RMNP) have been exposed to the causal agent of bovine tuberculosis (Mycobacterium bovis; TB); however, spatial variation in apparent disease prevalence suggests that TB can only persist in one subpopulation within the Park. Using the natural RMNP system and a captive elk herd that I manipulated, I explored the effect of sexual segregation, habitat, relatedness, and conspecific density on interaction rates (as a proxy for pathogen transmission). Furthermore, I used social networks to understand how changing relationships can result in single behaviours being both frequency-dependent and density-dependent. Although I use my empirical evidence to contribute to the development of some novel ideas addressing sociality and pathogen transmission, my research also has specific applications to managing disease, particularly TB and chronic wasting disease in elk (e.g., Vander Wal 2011, Vander Wal et al. 2012a, Vander Wal 2012 b).
Ecological Factors Affecting Animal Movements and Space Use
Spatial and temporal variation in habitat or resources result in important trade-offs in animal behaviour. Originally the bulk of my research on this topic was with moose (e.g., Vander Wal and Rodgers 2009, McLoughlin, Vander Wal et al 2011, Vander Wal and Rodgers 2012). This includes updating some of my movement models to better delineate seasonality and to further investigate what factors (e.g., sex, age, elevation, predation) are driving an animal's perception of phenology and resource use.
Eco-evolutionary Dynamics of Behaviour
Generally, behavioural ecologists have thought that the evolution of sociality is a result of social behaviours conferring a benefit to an individual's fitness. However, apart from a notable few, examples of social behaviours contributing to individual fitness are rare. Similarly under-explored is the link between sociality and the population dynamics which ultimately contributes to the evolution of a given trait. Here I use ungulates as a model social system to further understand how measures of sociality can influence an individual's fitness, population dynamics, and eco-evolutionary feedbacks (e.g., bighorn sheep in AB with F. Pelletier and M. Festa-Bianchet, and now with caribou in NFLD).
Ecological Factors Affecting Sociality
Sociality is not uncommon among mammals. The most basic social behaviour is when the actions of one conspecific are directed toward another conspecific (i.e., dyadic interaction). Dyadic interactions not only form the basis for social structure and information transfer within a population, but are also routes of pathogen transmission. Intrinsic (e.g., sex, relatedness) and extrinsic (e.g., density, habitat) factors can affect an individual’s social behaviour. Elk (Cervus canadensis) in Riding Mountain National Park (RMNP) have been exposed to the causal agent of bovine tuberculosis (Mycobacterium bovis; TB); however, spatial variation in apparent disease prevalence suggests that TB can only persist in one subpopulation within the Park. Using the natural RMNP system and a captive elk herd that I manipulated, I explored the effect of sexual segregation, habitat, relatedness, and conspecific density on interaction rates (as a proxy for pathogen transmission). Furthermore, I used social networks to understand how changing relationships can result in single behaviours being both frequency-dependent and density-dependent. Although I use my empirical evidence to contribute to the development of some novel ideas addressing sociality and pathogen transmission, my research also has specific applications to managing disease, particularly TB and chronic wasting disease in elk (e.g., Vander Wal 2011, Vander Wal et al. 2012a, Vander Wal 2012 b).
Ecological Factors Affecting Animal Movements and Space Use
Spatial and temporal variation in habitat or resources result in important trade-offs in animal behaviour. Originally the bulk of my research on this topic was with moose (e.g., Vander Wal and Rodgers 2009, McLoughlin, Vander Wal et al 2011, Vander Wal and Rodgers 2012). This includes updating some of my movement models to better delineate seasonality and to further investigate what factors (e.g., sex, age, elevation, predation) are driving an animal's perception of phenology and resource use.