BOREAL ECOLOGY

IN THE FIELD

Understanding the spatial behaviour, energetics, and demography of caribou, reindeer, and their predators.

Goal

Observe how anthropogenic landscape changes influence predator and prey behaviour, energetics, and demography.

By combining GPS data and video collar footage with maps of digestible energy and perceived risk, we are looking at patterns of reindeer, caribou, and wolf movement and behaviour to better understand how landscape change relates to their energetics and demography.

We observe wild reindeer and semi-domesticated reindeer through partnership with Norwegion organizations, Renewable Reindeer and prodchange respectively.

Mapping digestible energy

Understanding the connection between reindeer locations and their energetics.

projects

Movement in relation to anthropogenic landscape disturbance

We are observing the local extent that infrastructure (ex roads, settlements, and tourism) changes reindeer, caribou, and wolf behavior in regard to feeding rates and movement.

Foraging behaviour

Combining GPS data and video collar recordings, we are looking at patterns of reindeer and caribou movement to better understand how movement patterns relate to their functional behaviours, and hence the energetic budget. We can then assess the energetic consequences of human disturbance by considering how within-season movement patterns change across a disturbance gradient

Population viability

Analyzing the movement and demographic consequences of anthropogenic disturbance.

Caribou and Wolves

Field studies of how both caribou and wolves use heterogeneous landscapes influenced by anthropogenic disturbance.